http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/bschonwald/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from bschonwald en-us Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:25:16 +0000 Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:25:16 +0000 After Yangshuo I went back to Guilin and caught a flight to Shanghai. So many people had told me they loved Shanghai and I must admit I do as well. Next to New Orleans of course Shanghai was the coolest city I've been to. A large part of the population is a mix of every nationality under the sun. This in combination with millions of Chinese makes for an incredible place to visit. Every type http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-355351.html Yangshuo was wonderful. I stayed two days longer than I intended and was still reluctant to leave. Admittedly it is set up especially for tourists. Some travelers call it a backpackers paradise and I can see why. The town has a welcoming and laidback atmosphere in addition to being surrounded by stunning scenery. Almost all hostel and restaurant staff speak English there's plenty of Western f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-354009.html Saying good bye in Beijing was a sad affair but my excitement to get out of the city pulled me through. My students loved their gifts OKC Thunder Tshirts and Hershey's Kisses made in Pennsylvania not China. They really were a big hit and I owe my parents big time for bringing them. The flight to Shenzhen and then crossing over to Hong Kong by train was a breeze. The city itself was pret http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-350593.html Having completed my required 180 hours about two weeks ago I've actually been getting paid to work and have been able to save some extra money for traveling. I leave for Hong Kong this Saturday and from there I have three weeks to explore other parts of China. The problem is I can't seem to make a decision. This country is entirely too big. Every time I read about someplace new I try to fit it i http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-345778.html China like all countries I suppose hates to see money cross the border to be spent in other countries. In order to prevent this from happening the Chinese government has come up with several creative roadblocks. A foreigner cannot exchange RMB back into his native country's currency while still in China. In order to get a tourist visa extension the foreigner must have US100 in a Chinese bank http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-337583.html Finally three full days off of work. So far I've only had Friday's off of work but I still have three hours of Mandarin classes in the morning so it's not a full day. I have not missed one class though. I actually speak in Chinese when giving directions to a cab driver or ordering in a restaurant now so that's progress. By the end of the three months I'll have taken about 80 hours of Mandarin. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-329607.html It will be three weeks tomorrow since I arrived in Beijing. Just to give a quick update this is a fabulous city I'm living in the Chaoyang district in East Beijing which is a wonderful location. My apartment is a 30min walk 15min subway ride from where I work. A picture of Jianwai SOHO the office complex where I work is pictured here. I'm somewhat familiar with the subway system and layout http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/Chaoyang-district/Central-Business-district-/blog-322608.html