A few pictures of the last week...

A bunch of us on the train to Harbin (me sitting on the table)

At the Buddhist temple

Me and my roommates at the small ice festival

A cool snow sculpture


At the ice festival at night

Why China is great

This past week has been full of exciting train rides, amazing sights and sounds, and a ton of good home-cooked food.

It all started on Tuesday morning (Jan 27) at about 5:30 in the morning. All of the teachers here met at the Shenyang train station in preparation for our early morning train ride 7 hours North to Harbin. After a bit of waiting we were shuffled into line and made our way to our train car. We were riding in the "cheap" seats, but we had assigned seats so we all figured it would be easy to find out where we needed to sit and get settled in for the long ride.

Boy, were we wrong.

There were about a million people trying to cram into each train car, and the train almost started moving while people were still outside on the platform trying to get in. This caused a great commotion and made the pushing and shoving even worse. By the time we all got onto the train, we were packed so tight that it took forever just to push our way through the crowded aisles to find out seats (which were all taken by random people). After a bit of negotiating and kicking people out of our seats, we were all mostly settled (although for the first hour or two I was sitting on a small table surrounded by all the other teachers, waiting for another seat to open).

After a long 7 hours, we finally arrived in Harbin and made our way to our hotel. The first night consisted of wandering around the city a bit (in the freezing cold), finding an open restaurant for dinner (a lot of places were closed because of the new year holiday), and hanging out with all the other teachers playing cards and games in our hotel.

The next two days at Harbin were amazing. We went to Buddhist temples and walked around for a while, saw a 7-tiered pagoda, and went into way too many gift shops. After that we found our way to a small ice festival in the city that was all Disney themed (which was hilarious and weird). It ended up being a great time though, since everything inside was free (besides admission, of course). We slid down slides made completely of ice, rode a small roller coaster, had a bumper car competition, and took a lot of random pictures.

The last day was the best. We walked across a frozen river to a place called Sun Island Park, where the biggest snow and ice festival is held every year. To our disappointment, the admission for both festivals was separate, so not everyone was able to go to both. Luckily, admission tickets were half price for students, so I was able to use my international student ID card that I made while working at STA Travel and got in for cheap. Our first stop was the snow festival, which was better than I could have ever imagined. Some of the sculptures were huge, bigger than buildings, and about 5 of us walked around for a couple hours taking pictures and staring in amazement at the skill of the sculptors.

The next stop was the ice festival. We decided to see this festival during the day and at night, since the entire festival gets lit up at night. Before it got dark, we slid down some small ice slides, walked around a bit, and got on this cool ride that spins you around and goes upside down. Eventually it got dark out, and all of the ice sculptures were lit up with various different colors, making it one of the most beautiful sights I've seen in a while. We ended up waiting in line for quite a while to ride sleds down the longest ice slide at the festival. This thing was intense and so much fun.

The train ride back home to Shenyang left at 8:40 that night, and ended up being a much more comfortable ride. We were on a sleeper car, which just consisted of 6 beds in each section (not in separate rooms), but ended up being a nice place to take a nap until we got back at around 3:30 in the morning.

The last two days back in Shenyang have been super relaxing and full of great food. It was the last 2 days of our short spring festival holiday, and it was great to just stay at home in our warm apartment after a great trip. Yesterday evening Mollie, Chelsey, and I had a bunch of people over to our apartment and made chili (actually, Mollie made it), and it turned out great. I didn't think I liked chili, but it was an awesome home-cooked meal.

Tonight has also been a great night. My friend Alex came over for dinner and cooked me and my roommates an amazing African meal which consisted of chapati, a pork dish mixed with peppers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic, mashed potatoes mixed with pumpkin and peppers and onions, delicious spiced chicken wings, and some weird unidentified chicken organs. It was soo good.

Now it's after midnight and I am going to bed soon since I go back to school tomorrow. It has been nice having some time off, but I'm looking forward to getting back to teaching and learning Chinese. I have been here now for exactly 1 month, and it has just confirmed the fact that my 6 months here are going to fly by. Things are going great so far, and I'm starting to feel like Shenyang is my home (at least temporary).

Don't worry though, Mom and Dad, I know where my real home is.

I'll see you guys soon. Love and miss everyone.

Sensory Overload

Early yesterday morning my roommate Chelsey and I maneuvered our way through the city and hopped (actually ran) onto a bus that would take us about an hour North to a city called Tieling. This is the hometown of her boyfriend and was said to be a smaller city (small to Chinese standards -- not American). It was here that we were to spend the Chinese New Year, allowing us the opportunity to celebrate this holiday with a true Chinese family.

We got there pretty early, met up with Caleb (the boyfriend), and eventually made our way to his grandparents tiny apartment. The evening included all of the following (in no particular order): a big meal of mostly meat (when they don't know what exactly something is here, it's usually just referred to as "meat"), some competitive card games, a bit of fireworks (more on that later), a short visit to a different relative's house, an interesting lesson on how to make a dumpling (which is harder than it sounds), another huge meal of the homemade dumplings and some other random food, a lot of translating between English and Chinese, and a tiny puppy who I took more pictures of then anything else so far in China.

Ok -- a little more details about the first night. Picture the 4th of July in America, and multiply it by a couple thousand. Then take legal fireworks (and I mean legal to buy, and set off -- anywhere you want), and add in a city of 3 million people. This country takes this holiday seriously. We were lucky enough to witness a firework demonstration right above our heads (literally), but the noise and chaos didn't stop all night (and the next morning). The air was full of smoke and you had to be careful where you walked because fireworks were being set off everywhere. Completely unlike America -- and awesome.

Now about the puppy. This tiny thing (which fit into my hand and could hardly walk straight because it was so small and young), was the cutest thing I've ever seen. It should not have been taken away from it's mother, but it seemed to be okay. The family fed it meat, so what more did it need! I played with it and held it for hours, and wanted to take it with me!

Today was also an interesting cultural day. We ended up going out to a big restaurant (it was more like a private banquet room), and had lunch with the other side of Caleb's family. This family was loud and super nice, and loved to drink! We had a ton of food and took a lot of pictures, and just had a great time. Afterwards we made our way to the train station and enjoyed a quick 50-minute ride back to Shenyang.

Now I'm relaxing in the comforts of my warm apartment, preparing for our 3-day trip even further up North to Harbin, which starts early tomorrow. I am excited to get to see another part of China, and am sure I'll have more stories to share once I get back! Much love.

A few pictures of life in Shenyang so far...

Contemplating whether to take out the trash or leave it.

Mollie and I in our kitchen

The night of the banquet (Eli, Gwyn, me, Emily, and Jensen)

Emily and I at the banquet

My room


The view from our apartment window.

Thanks to Mollie for letting me use these pictures -- as they were not taken by me!

Electronic Blur

Today I found myself hanging out with a student of mine...an 18 year old guy whose English name is Edwin. He speaks great English, and offered to help me in my quest to find a cheap laptop here in China. I figured that this was a great offer since he speaks Chinese and English, claimed to know some things about computers, and seemed to know his way around Shenyang well enough to get us to the right stores. Turns out, I was only right about the first part.

First, he insists on taking a cab since the buses are crowded (talk about some weird role reversal...I am telling him over and over that we should just take the bus and he is trying to persuade me to take a cab). Finally, after waiting for about 20 minutes for a cab that never comes (hundreds passed by but were too full to stop), he gives in and we start walking to the bus stop. It is at this moment that he tells me he has no idea what bus to take or where to get off or how to find the right stores.

To make a long, boring story short, I get us on the right bus, find the right stop, and somehow find the right road which neither of us have been to before. We wander through a bunch of electronic stores and look at a lot of laptops, but it turned out to just be a big waste of time (although a fun and interesting one). Patience is a virtue here in China, and it seems to always be best to just go with the flow and not complain.

Now I find myself even more confused then before though....do I buy a laptop (which, by the way, are not much cheaper than buying in the states), or do I save my money and spend it on much more exciting things (traveling).

I know keeping in touch with people and having access to the internet is important, but I can't justify spending close to $400 (US) on a piece of technology that I will have to lug around for the next 9 months (haha sounds as bad as having a baby). Plus, my roommates are cool about letting me use their laptops, and there are some computers at school that I can use. But, after my 6 month teaching contract is up, I'm on my own...with no laptop. I don't know what to do!

In other news, the spring festival is just around the corner here in China, and even now, as I'm sitting here writing this, I can hear fireworks outside. I can't wait to experience this important festival, and I am hoping to be able to spend the Chinese New Year with a Chinese family so I can see how it is really celebrated. I don't have set plans yet, but it's still a week away. In Chinese time, that's forever.

I'll write more soon -- I miss and love you all.

Banquets & Markets

Life has been interesting lately here in China. A couple days ago the school (Langston) hosted a big banquet that all of the interns were invited to attend. We were told that there would be a lot of food and a lot of drinking. This was no joke.

The food was awesome, weird, and plentiful. It was all placed on a lazy susan and circled around the table (all of the Americans were seated together at a large table), for us to help ourselves to. There were three other large tables filled with the Chinese staff of Langston, and it was a loud, social, cheerful affair that lasted a good couple of hours. It was a tad bit like Christmas with my family (loud and chaotic), filled with a lot of food and humor, minus the familiarity of the American customs and language that we all take for granted at a large social gathering. Overall, it was a nice glimpse into a bit of Chinese culture, and I know I speak for all of the interns when I say we felt to lucky to have attended this event. An exciting extra for us was receiving 100 Yuan from the big boss just for being there (this is equivalent to around 16 bucks or so!)

In other news, me and my roommates found out about a market that has great fresh veggies located right near our apartment (right behind the supermarket that we go to all the time). I decided to check it out yesterday, and found myself in the middle of a bustling market completely unsure of how to go about buying the food that I actually wanted. This was the first time that I was without a Chinese speaking friend, and realized that I probably wouldn't be able to bargain for reasonable prices by myself. By random luck, I met an African guy who happens to speak amazing English and Chinese, and he was nice enough to help me buy and bargain for everything I wanted. I don't know him well yet, but his kindness was greatly appreciated and I hope to hang out with him soon.

Today I had the pleasure to hang out with my first Chinese friend here, whose English name is Jenny. Me and my roommate Mollie met her while shopping, and her English is super. She took me out to a Chinese restaurant and ordered a bunch of food for us, and it turned out to be great. Possibly the best meal I've had here so far. It was noodles and veggies and some kind of mystery meat (reminded me of sausage) in spicy broth. After our hearty lunch, we went to an inside shopping market to look for gloves for me (mine are by far too thin for this cold weather). I ended up buying a thick pair of leggings (it's considered weird here to not wear a pair under your jeans), and a thick pair of gloves. Thanks to Jenny, I got them for a very reasonable price and had fun watching the Chinese stall owners laugh at me and ask me random questions through Jenny.

Classes are going great so far, I love the students and their willingness to learn. Chinese classes are also very interesting, as the pronunciation part is very difficult to pick up, and we are all having fun trying to differentiate between the tones and learn them as best as possible. We have a great teacher and I can't wait to be able to communicate more!

The school is preparing a trip up North to a city called Harbin for the Chinese New Year, which is super exciting. I don't know all the details yet, but I should soon. I think they are paying for our train tickets and hotel rooms. More details to come soon!

Our internet is still a bit shaky here, but I will try to call more people in the coming week. I miss and love you all.

A Short Update

So...sickness has caught up to me and I gave in and went to a doctor today. I've been having some weird chest pains and an annoying cough that I was trying to deny for the past couple days, and it just got to the point that I figured I should go and get it checked out. Long story short, I'm fine, I got some medicine, I'm gonna live. YAY.

Yesterday was my first day of teaching English, and it went great. The students were awesome and spoke better English than I expected, and I really think I am going to love teaching English/learning Chinese at this school.

Today is just a relaxing day full of cathching up on emails and reading. I am going to avoid going outside today until I feel a bit better (the freezing air and pollution doesn't really help heal a cough), and luckily the internet is working (somewhat) in my one roommate's room (who was nice enough to let me borrow her laptop - thanks Chelsey!) Unfortunately, my other roommate who has Skype can't get her internet to work yet, so I'm still not able to call from my apartment yet. Oh well, eventually everything will get worked out. This is China, time is kind of irrevelent.

I forgot to mention in my last post just how interesting the traffic is in this city. It's a little like driving in New York City (the amount of cabs combined with a similiar number of pedestrians, clumped together with various types of bikes and mopeds), but it is completely different. It seems more chaotic, more out of control, but at the same time much more safe and without the least bit of road rage. The use of the horn here can be heard at all hours, but it is not a sound of madness and aggressive driving, it is just a mandatory part of the car, just like a steering wheel or the brakes. A device used to let other cars know the exact location of each person on the road. It's hard to explain, but I feel safe being in the front seat of a cab with a non-English speaking driver and a car coming head on as we try to pass a bus on our right side with just enough time to squeeze through before being sandwiched between the two. It just seems normal...it's quite interesting.

The buses are another new thing for me. As most know, personal space is just not an issue here in China. People don't walk around with a bubble around them, and it's completely normal to be crushed into a bus so full that the doors can't fully shut. I was on a bus like this the other day, and if this situation happened back in the states, I know I would feel claustrophobic, nervous even, and would probably have gotten out and walked. But there is a weird calmness to it here. It doesn't feel creepy or dangerous.

It's funny how quickly people can adjust to certain things in such a short time. I know I am adjusting, but I also know there is a lot more to come that may not be so easy to adjust to. I just gotta take it one day at a time.

Anyway, this short update has turned long, and I'm just going to end it with my address here in China, in case anyone wants to send me something! We are allowed to use the school's address so mail doesn't get lost trying to make it's way to all of our own apartments.

So here it is:
Lindsey Glick c/o Langston English
Dongyu Building 3rd floor, #2 Heping South Ave.
Shenyang, Liaoning Province 110001
China

More updates later -- Much love.

Life in Shenyang...so far.

Take Walmart, mulitply it by 7, add 1 million Chinese shoppers, half a million shopping carts, and two little white girls, and that's the experience me and my roommate had while shopping at a store called Carrefour. (Sarah: If you think Walmart or Target is bad, you have no idea!) This place is intense. Not only does it have food, but it has everything else anyone would ever need to buy in an entire lifetime. It is an experience in itself -- a cultural half day excursion that is not for the impatient, not for the faint of heart, and not for those hoping to make a quick stop at the grocery store.

I have been in Shenyang now for about 5 days. The city is immense, bewildering, fast-paced, exciting, and frustrating all at the same time. I had no idea what to expect before arrival, and I find myself throwing all expectations and American logic out the window, as it is not important here. There are 9 other interns here besides myself, and they are all unique and interesting in their own way. We have all been spending a good bit of time together since there are not many English speakers around, and I have been enjoying getting to know them these last couple of days.

My apartment is amazing, luck was definitely on my side with this one (pictures of our living room and kitchen are above!)....It's about 7 times the size of my Portland apartment, with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 shower), a huge living room area, and a nice kitchen. My 2 roommates are awesome, and although the bed is like sleeping on a wood plank, the apartment is comfy and offers a nice respite from the cold harsh weather outside. It has been hovering around 1-5 degrees these last couple of days, which has taken a bit of getting used to, and makes for a cold commute to the school that I will be teaching/learning Chinese at. Training started this past Monday, and the school is by far better than I could have imagined. I am teaching my first class tomorrow (wish me luck!), and am starting my Chinese classes this coming Monday.

Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity yet to eat dog (don't worry guys -- I will eventually!), but I have been eating some awesome and incredibly cheap meals of noodles and soup and rice and a ton of dumplings. Going out to eat has been fascinating and interesting since the majority of us don't know how to order food (or let alone decipher it), and we seem to cause a stir no matter where we go (picture 8 Americans walking into a "restaurant" the size of a tiny bathroom, talking loudly in English and wearing 6 layers of clothing each. It's quite a sight for the unknowing Chinese who thought they were just going out on the town for a quiet dinner). Either way -- it's an interesting cultural experience.

Although I have a bit of a cough and a tiny cold, I have not gotten sick yet (I can't say the same for all the others here), and I'm feeling pretty good.

It's hard to believe that after all the planning and saving and thinking, I am finally here living in China. And to think, it's only just begun. I know there are a ton of new sights, interesting food, and a lot of learning that is to come, and I can't wait to experience it all -- I'll keep you guys updated.

To all of those that I am used to talking with everyday, I miss our conservations and the closeness that was so easily enjoyed while living in the states. I will try to call and keep in touch better once I have better access to the internet. Until then, take care, and I love and miss you all.