My first two weeks in China!

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Most good stories start in the beginning....this isn't a good story yet, but that's where we're going to start anyway.



The day had arrived and I was packed and ready to go. The flight from Tampa to Houston was pretty uneventful. I made it on time and that's all one can ask for.



In the Houston airport I had a chance to speak with some other teachers to be, and have a few drinks before my flight to Beijing. It was going to be a 14 hour flight, so a few beers were more than necessary. The other teachers I talked to were destined for other areas in China. So, most of our conversation was centered around how little we know about China.

Boarding the flight to Beijing was a snap. Found my seat with a bit of stumbling, and prepared for a long journey. I had an Ambien with me to knock me out for the majority of the flight. Little did I suspect I wouldn't be getting much sleep. I don't know if you've ever taken Ambien before, but it can make you very disorientated. The constant shuffling of passengers and the plane itself kept me in a half awake, half asleep phase. The medication was causing me to hallucinate slightly. The entire flight I thought I was a purple squirrel or something. Moving on...

I arrived in Beijing around 4:00 AM. My body was out of sorts with the time change and sleeping medication. I met a gentleman who I think worked for the airport. I was in a state of easy suggestion, and he somehow convinced me to exchange some money, get in his car, and took me to a hotel. I was a bit unsure but he seems like a nice enough guy. Smiled frequently and said 'OK" a lot. I had 15 hours to kill before my flight to Taiyuan. The hotel he took me to was hardly the nicest, but after 14 hours on a plane, I would have been happy sleeping on a rock. As it turns out I did. The bed was in the comfort range of a big block of cold cheddar cheese. In my current state...it was a dream!

I figured going through customs would be a big ordeal...it wasn't. So that's where I leave this paragraph...short and simple. A quick stamp, an inquisitive look, and I was on my way...

After a short 3 hour flight to Taiyuan, I had finally arrived in my destination. Nearly 50 hours after the start of my journey, I had made it. Worn out and still wide awake at the same time. One of my coworkers was there to greet me at the airport. We scooped up my massive luggage, and took off to get me set up in my new apartment.



The drivers here are absolutely insane! I don't know why they bother installing turn signals on the vehicles here. They are merely there for display purposes. In the short 30 minute drive I got to know Jeff Benton. A tall lanky guy from London. After the first 15 instances where I thought we'd surely crash, I relaxed and accepted that I might just die in this car. Took a deep breath and made my peace with the world. To my surprise we arrived the massive building that was to be my new home.



23 floors up and a great view of the city. Coming up next...the party life of China.

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Photos

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The view from my bedroom.