Interesting things so far about my life in China...Volume 1

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1. The sterilizer in my kitchen. It looks like a mini-fridge, matter of fact thats what I thought it was and I moved it out to my porch to make more space...upon talking to my friend I realized it was not a second refridgerator. So now after I wash my dishes, I sterilize them. It still baffles me.

2. My washing machine beeps to the tune of 'Jingle Bells' when I turn it on and when the cycle is complete.

3. My heater (what I thought was my air conditioner) was working fine, I cranked that baby up. Then it stopped working...It turns on every now and then but it doesn't get as warm as I'd like it to. So now I just keep unplugging it and when I plug it back in it will turn on...I love beating the system. Also to read the remote I have to tilt it away from me...if I look at it head on you can't see any of the numbers or symbols.

4. Wacky food and wacky food places. Right outside of campus there are street vendors selling everything. Lately I've bought almonds (still in shell) which taste fantastic! And banana chips which are unlike any banana chip I've had in the states. Also bought street made tofu today, it is the first thing to live in my refrigerator. Also, dead/roasted ducks and chickens (heads still attached) are a common site. But my favorite are the fruit flavored Lays Potato chips Hua and I found at the store...

5. I blew up my blow dryer the first morning I was here...now I have a better understanding of what I can and cannot plug in.

6. People do stare. And they don't look away when you make eye contact. The female students are really excited to meet me and they all ask for my phone number, then they are confused and don't understand why or how I couldn't have a cell phone...still working on the cell phone.

7. Waking up at 2:00am and then 4:00am...I think jet lag still has a hold on me.

That is all I can think of now...but I'm sure there will be multiple volumes as time goes on.

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Photos

Notice the flavors...
Found these at the store yesterday. The blueberry ones really do taste like blueberries, maybe like blueberry waffles...the mango ones tasted more like a sweet barbeque flavor...there are more at the store, I'll let you know what the cucumber ones are like.

House Slippers!
Bought these for 10 yen...little over a dollar. Thought they were too funny to pass up. The wood floors are amazingly cold, so I needed something for my feet!