In China, Finally!

It seems as though I have been planning this trip for ages...well, I guess I have been. But it has finally arrived and I have been in China for about a week now. I was supposed to start teaching Kindergarten at two different schools today, but I am getting my schedule tomorrow. Funny how that works. On the other hand, this is truly a beautiful country, from what I have seen (which so far consists of the drive from Shanghai to where I live in Suzhou and the city of Kunshan, where the beer festival was last week!). People are very nice and helpful, although they are often lacking a certain necessary sense of urgency. But don’t get my wrong! I am not complaining, I love learning about the culture, the language, the people, etc. Every experience, good, bad, nerve-racking or embarrassing, is a learning opportunity that I thrive on, and usually laugh about later.

After spending nearly a month in Japan with my sister, China is definitely a drastic change! All possessions get held a little closer to your body and crossing the street is a chaotic free for all, cars vs. bikes, buses vs. pedestrians, etc. but you learn to block out the noise of car horns and pray for the concept of ‘yielding’ to spontaneously take effect.

The Suzhou International Foreign Language School (yes, SIFLS, I know) is where I live and will/should be working most of the time. I also commute by bus to the Sunny Holiday Kindergarten twice a week, which is across town, but the ride is nice for seeing the city (in its entirety). The accommodations are decent, with a good size, furnished apartment and three meals a day in the cafeteria. I am definitely starting to settle in more and I am getting along well with the other foreign teachers who have also decided to sign their lives away for a year.

This is definitely going to be an adventure, which is exactly what I wanted (and needed). I know that it will be full of (insert any/all adjectives here) experiences and my only worry is that I will not want to come home!

Note: Below are some pictures from some of my previous travels, if you’re interested…