I wish I had packed more clothes. Seems a silly thing to say as the stereotype would be to bring nothing and stock up while here... but it is proving to be more difficult than I had initially imagined! For starters, not possessing an Asian body-type sets me at a definite disadvantage, so even if I do happen upon some article of clothing that strikes my fancy it more often than not doesn't fit. It's very frustrating! The cheap clothes are too poorly designed and not even worth the bargaining time but then the price skyrockets for anything half decent. Being cheap (and also poor) makes clothing myself very difficult. Emily and I had ventured out on a mission a couple days ago to purchase some key items, and after hours of wandering around still empty ... read more

I scarcely know where to begin! It has been too long since my last post, but trust me when I tell you that the time was well used. I feel as if this past week has just settled into one big blur, what with all the adjusting I have been doing. First of all, I have been swapping rooms frequently at the hostel, as they shuffle me around to accomidate the other guests. I have stayed there so long I seriously deserve a picture on their website as an interesting local feature. I just feel ridiculous meeting new people and having to admit how long I've staid there. All this room shifting has really disrupted my quiet routine, and I have to say that living in a hostel while working is not the easiest nor most ... read more

So I have realized that it had been quite some time since I had ventured out on some sort of sightseeing "touristy" activity, and decided to once again, find some group to mooch an adventure off of. The Irish lads had decided to go to the Zoo and having no conflicting arrangements, I figured that was as good a venture as any. We eagerly researched all the animals we might find, and were very much looking forward to seeing Gibbons (whose mating call you can hear 1km away) and various other rare creatures. The plan was to meet at 11am and continue from the hostel to the Zoo. Of course, being boys in a crowed dorm, and suffering from a lack of sleep due to some "epic snoring", they were late and we didn't leave the ... read more

I still haven't adjusted to the ring of my mobile; so this morning, as I'm blissfully asleep after a long night out, I awoke to an irritating jingle and assumed immediately that one of my roommates must have left before their alarm went off. So I lay and listened, becoming increasing irritated, and grabbed my phone to check what ungodly hour it was (10:52am). Upon glancing at my mobile I realized I was responsible for the noise offense, and grumpily answered the phone. A Chinese voice on the other line replied, informing me that they had received my resume and were very interested in setting up an interview. We planned to meet at 2:00pm later this afternoon, and (still sleepy) I hung up. Immediately after I rested my head back down on the pillow, the blasted ... read more

One of my favorite parts of living in the hutongs, is that there is an endless supply of excellent local food. Yes, if a health inspector ever attempted to even glance their direction, they would instantly be shut down, but luckily, this is China. One favorite in particular is this streetside hotpot, where there are a variety of meats and vegetables laid out kabob style, and you take a little basket and just throw whatever you wish inside. I have discovered that lotus is quite tasty. Tell the girl at the pot, "lada" (for spicy) and then wait the two - three minutes it takes to cook. After it is finished, they pour your mixture into two plastic bags and send you on your way. It looks like slop in a bag, but so delicious and ... read more