I arrived in Yan Jiao, a town just 40 minutes north of Beijing on Tuesday May 20, 2008. It is my first visit to China and I getting off the plane I felt the instant humidity and when I stepped outside the airport and took my first breath here, it was definately a change from the clean air I was breathing in in Vancouver. Anyhow, the first few days here were really difficult, the culture shock I expected but it was even more so because I am staying in the suburbs outside the city center, so things are not as developed here. At first I felt really isolated because I am working and living in this area that is gated in, the gates are low but still seperated off from the main streets, at first it
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