Hey-o, everyone.

I am writing to you from a coffee shop next to my work as I drink a Bold Caramel Macchiato and listen to the inspiring tunes of Enrique Iglesias. Thank you, Enrique, I think your words will help me make it through this hell. I do love a little sarcasm on a Saturday morning. Much has transpired and I am risking forgetting it all since I still don't have internet in my house. It wouldn't be such a big deal but all the places with internet around here require that I buy a $3 coffee first. The boxes that I mailed to myself arrived. I have never seen packaged so mangled and destroyed but the contents were ok so I am pleased. I can now enjoy some Froot Loops and some Kraft Dinner while wearing one of two winter coats. Joy.

I am officially on holiday for a week. My friends from Korea have gone on a vacation to another city so I am in Beijing basically alone for a week with no internet but hopefully will be getting that sorted this week with the help of my Chinese coworker. I will hopefully also be doing some sight-seeing this week. All I have done so far is go on a trip that the school paid for to the Silver Fox Caves which was very lame except for the part where we got to ride in a little tiny mine train through a very small tunnel underground! I also saw Tianamen by accident when my taxi driver took me to the Walmart on the other side of town and drove right by it! Mao looks great, btw.

Right now I am waiting until 2pm when I can go back to Kinko's and pick up the pictures that I had blown up and printed for my apartment. I'm spending about $30 that I don't really have but am really in need of some serious nesting in my apartment and I have hundreds of amazing photos that are gagging to be on my walls. I'm also going to go to Ikea and blow massive amount of Renminbi on bedding and kitchen items. I have given myself 1000 renminbi for nesting things in my apt---unfortunately I've spent 225 on pictures but oh well! I know, I know, I have bills...but China is lonely and difficult and depressing at times and this is what I need. Don't judge me. ha.

I get my first pay cheque Oct. 10th which is exciting although it's not very big because I got an advance on it when I arrived. I am going to be struggling until about December but after that I should be ok for cash and will pay back everyone...yes everyone...that I owe. I can spend $5 on food that will last for 3-5 days so I should be ok!

I have still only seen a very, very tiny part of Beijing--basically only the walk to work. If you have any inclination to come visit I think you should. you don't have to sit on the floor to eat like in Korea and it's completely user-freindly if you know a laowai (foreigner) there (me). Besides, if the rest of the world can go to Beijing for the Olympics, you can too!

Nee how,

I have been in Beijing for a couple of weeks now and am only just starting to settle in. Finally, I have an apartment! It was a long ordeal of multiple trips to bank machines (15 total I would imagine) just to get enough money for rent and security deposit, the whole deal. I've never even gotten an apartment in Canada, let alone in China, so this was a bit challenging. I'm paying more than I wanted to but everything that I found that was 100% within my budget was disgusting. My place is COMPLETELY new inside. It is very small but super cute and I love it so far. It has glossy yellow Ikea cupboards and a white Ikea table that folds out into a larger table if I want to have people over for dinner. The toilet, tiles, shower head, water heater, etc, are all new in the bathroom. The landlord has promised to buy me a loveseat, curtains, a microwave, and a TV which I am hoping to have in my apartment in a weeks time. I also am hoping to have internet in about three working days so that I can upload pics of where I work and my apartment. I live above a McDonald's and across the street from a Bruce Lee restaurant which is a fabulous combination I think. I'm also 20 minutes door-to-door walking from the school which is wonderful. There are a few drawbacks, however...
I have to walk back behind the building to get into it down a very scummy alleyway that I'm not impressed with. The building is very gross and institutional inside, too. Oh, and I live on the 14th floor but the elevator attendants are only on duty until 12am (or 10:30pm like last night!). Boo.

I have yet to do any sort of cultural activity in Beijing besides eating and drinking. I am going on a school trip on Saturday to some caves. At the end of the month I have a week off so I hope to hit at least one section of the wall, Lama Temple, the Ming Tombs, Tianamen, the Forbidden City, and maybe the summer palace. I'll update as soon as I get settled in my place with internet and a pillow!

CH-CH-CH-CHINA...

Neehow,

I arrived in China in one piece and thankfully, so did my bags. A teacher from the school met me at the airport and took me to my friends' apartment with a driver from the school. He gave me an information package that had some city maps and a small grocery gift card, a bus card, and a phone card (which I haven't used yet oops!) and an envelope with 3000 kwai in it (about $400 advance on my pay). I was feeling OK (not too dead to the world) so we hung out for a bit and then went out for a Chinese meal and then to a bar in Sanliturn (one of the bar areas) to a place called "The Saddle" (a mexican restaurant/bar). The past few days have been easy in some ways and ridiculously hard in others. I am tired and stressed and overwhelmed and do not have the energy to be house-hunting but have to so it is a daily battle. I go to bed at about 9:30pm and get out of bed at about 5:30am ( I wake up continually in the night and usually wake up about 4 or 4:30 am). I work 8am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. Right now I don't have a class which was a surprise. I have been observing and trying to make myself busy but it has been confusing and hard since I (and some of my bosses) don't really know what the deal is or when my class will be starting.

I'm hoping to start working officially on Monday and I also hope to have secured and apartment by then. It's possible that I will stay with my friends until October which I hope they are ok with. Beijing is ridiculously Western and swanky where I work. Sometimes I forget that I'm in China. I was hoping that the grocery stores would be more like the ones in Hong Kong but sadly they are more like Korea. Oh well. I went to the Walmart the other just for fun and found the Korean Pomegranate juice that I used to love and soju that was only $2 so at least I can have a drink this weekend despite being broke. I'll put up pics and whatnot when I get internet on my computer---my access is limited right now. I'll update soon when i can really tell you what it is like here. Right now I am in a daze, my right eye has been twitching for a day, and I don't really have anything to do at work!