Joshmac

I'm upon my finale four months in Changchun and am starting to prepair for what is next for me. Yeah im jumping the gun a bit but when your almost done a race it's hard not to look at the finish line. At the end of this leg ill begin my mini trek down through china for a few weeks...after that there is talk of vietnam but who fucking knows. I've been thinking alot of what im going to miss about this place. The people in Changchun are, for the most part, extremely friendly. In the entire 8 months I have been here, I can honestly tell you, I have difficulty counting the real probelms I have had interacting with people. Yes there are language barriers but, as my dad once told me, smiling is a ... read more

There are many things you can talk about when you speak of the best parts of living in china. The food, the smells, the buildings, and the people all come to mind. But one of the things that hits you in the face is B-grade attractions. Places where health and safety laws are told to fuck off and fun is put at the front of the line. I love this part of china not just because it makes me laugh consistantly, but that everyday people in china just dont seem to notice or care. This is entertainment in its most disfigured and enjoyable form. Before you come to northern china you try to educate yourself on everything that is around you (i think most people do this where ever they go). You become a mini-encyclopedia on ... read more

Before I started writing this blog i was reading others. I'd always wonder why there were big gaps of time between entries with people. I get it now. You lose track of time. Not everyday is exciting, and most are mundane. One day bleeds to the next. Teaching English is a wierd experience. You speak the language your whole life and then suddenly start selling that ability as a commodity to be gained by people. I feel, more often then not, like im some sort of actor with a lesson plan as a script. Teaching grammer has got to be one of the biggest loads of shit out there for someone like me. I know what to say, how to spell it and how it should sound....but if you ask me what present continuous tense is ... read more

I have been struggling to write my next blog. I'm nearing my three month mark here and there has been alot that has happened. I still love it but difficulties and unexpected smiles are still popping up. I am beginning to develop a routine and slowly losing my connections with how i felt and what i did at home. I think thats just part of traveling. It's a differrent life you begin to live. As soon as you step off the plane into a new country you can't help but be starry eyed. The novelty and excitment of adventure takes you over and even the worst situations dont seem so bad. You forget that you are far away from home and you ride the euphoria of adventure. This is definatly unrealistic when living in a ... read more

As it turns out, strangely enough, my days off here are exactly the same days off that i had back at home. Around the world mondays and tuedays seem to be the days that i was given to relax and enjoy the world. This last "weekend" i decided it was about time i did some adventuring around china and booked a ticket to see the great wall. The place i picked was Shan Hai guan, a place best known for where the wall meets the sea. I had seen this on the TV show ''An idiot abroad"where carl goes to china. I had a desire to walk in this awkward man's footsteps. I got the first ticket i could get which was a "hard sleeper'' train there, at midnight, and a ''hard seat'' train back and ... read more

So for the last two day me and all the people from my work had to go on a work retreat. Five minutes after teaching my last class of the day we were shoved onto two buses and hurtled into the chinese countryside. This was my first real taste of the what rural china is capable of. Rolling fields as far as you can see dotted with houses and farms. In the distance you see large processing buildings but all in all it is peacful and quiet. We got off the bus to fireworks exploding all around us and people screamiing and music blaring. The "camp"were we were staying turned out to be a "motel 8"style building that surrounded a courtyard with forest and fields stretching on out behind it. There was drinking, a talent show, ... read more

So now that i feel like I've gotten a little more comfortable and have my head on straight i feel i should write a recap of what has happened in the last three weeks... The plane ride here was a breeze other then only have 45 min to go through customs in bejieng and get on another flight. I almost didnt make it. When i arrived in changchun, i stepped off the palne and, for some reason... It didn't feel that far away. Im not saying it doesn look like china but for some reason i felt really comfortable. People keep saying that im just in shock and that suddenly it will hit me and i will get home sick but so far i can't shake the feeling. I feel like im right where im ... read more

One week in and I'ver already got what i asked for. Its chaos and odd moments of tranquility. China seems to be stuck in some time inbetween but closer to the edge of what will become the new super power of the world. I feel lost in translation a bit but everyday has been amazing. All in all i love it here. There are hard moments. Ordering a meal was next to impossible on my first few days but even now the mandarin is starting to soak in. I had been wearing my favorite green hat for the first couple days till one of the teachers at my school informed me that in wearing a green hat you are telling people your girlfriend or wife is cheating on you. I was gutted but recovered quickly ... read more

So totaly bloody 360 degree flip with all the visa stuff. After hours and days of medical tests and hundreds of dollars spent, i walked into the visa office today and had my passport back in minutes with a z-visa to boot. They hardley even looked at my documents that they had once so franticly demanded, but i guess i shouldn't complain. As soon as i got home i sat down and booked my flight. I will be leaving a 3:00 AM on friday. Its been a strange day today. I feel like im in some sort of travel limbo. I've said all my goodbyes, there is nothing on the wall of the room I've been staying in and the dresser is empty. All of my life is packed into two bags that are sitting ... read more

At the beginning of this month I felt like I had so much time. I planned to camp and see friends while slowly collecting everything i needed for a year in china. At this moment I have about a week before I go. I have no visa, no passport, no flight and nothing packed in a bag I just bought today. Before i can get any of the legal documents I need to get the results of a series of medical tests i have been undergoing through the last couple days. I, however, atleast have a contract with a school I've never seen and a hope that everything will come together in the coming few days. Thats about it. My friends threw a going away party for me last night. We drank, talked and mingled ... read more