(Lack of) Communication...

These last couple days have been very interesting...

Interesting and frustrating and confusing and funny and exciting all at the same time. It's not often that I find myself laughing and being annoyed simultaneously, but it has been proven to be true here in Shenyang. Take yesterday, for example.

I went on a field trip to McDonald's with the kindergarten school that I started teaching at this week. There were about 30-40 kids, 10 Chinese teachers, and me. I didn't really know what was going on , or what my role in this field trip was, but it turned out that I had to play games, sing, and dance to a creepy exercise video of Ronald McDonald dubbed in Chinese. I also got to stand behind the counter and pretend to work there, while all of the kids got in line, stood on a chair, and asked me, "Can I have a hamburger, please" in broken English. Very cute...but after the 20th child it got a bit tedious. Plus, everyone in McDonald's was staring at the weird American girl standing behind the counter.

So...it may have put me in a slightly bad mood for the day (especially after all the kids got chicken nuggets and a ton of food that was to be wasted on their 5-year old bodies, and I got sent home with nothing), but it was a good learning experience.

I have one day and one week left at this kindergarten, and as cute as the kids are and as fun as it has been, I am looking forward to getting back into teaching the regular classes at Langston. I have to admit though, I absolutely love it when the kids run up to me at the end of class and hug me...it's so cute.

In other news, it started snowing this morning, and it hasn't stopped yet. The city is a mess, just like before, and even a simple walk to the store can be a giant headache. In 40 minutes I will brave this walk...bundle up in my 2 coats, tighten my scarf, roll up my pants, and head out into the streets. Everyone is saying that this is supposed to be a big storm, and I'm hoping it's the last of the season. I am looking forward to warm weather and the chance to go outside without layers upon layers of clothing.

I have been noticing even more lately how much the language barrier can make a big difference on daily life here. It has made me want to learn Chinese even more, and as hard as it has been, I am striving to become as close to fluent as possible in the next 5 months.

I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, and I haven't always been the best student out there (Katie, if you're reading this, don't comment!), but I really want to be able to communicate with this culture and it's interesting people.

Luckily, my friend Alex speaks Chinese and English, and he has been a big help in showing me around the city and taking me out to great food. There is an intense and crazy underground shopping mall here in Shenyang, with 3 floors and what seems like miles of stores. You can get just about anything you need here, and you can bargain for the prices, which is always fun (and easier if you speak Chinese). There is an entire food court, and yesterday I had the best burrito-wrap type thing with ham and egg and veggies and some unknown sauce on the inside...it was delicious and cheap!

So...to wrap things up, this has probably been the most awkward and frustrating week here so far, but that is to be expected sometimes. I may be getting used to living in this culture so unlike my own, but that doesn't mean it's not emotional and confusing at times. No matter what, I love it here, and the good times make everything all worth it. After 6 months, I will have this amazing experience behind me, and I will never think of China the same again.

Thank you to everyone for the emails, and thanks to Mom and Dad and Sarah for always being there for me whenever I need to talk.

And to my best friend, Chris (you better be reading this): You are awesome, and you are the only person I know who has Yale and Harvard fighting for you. Although we are so incredibly different, I'm so glad we understand each other so well. I miss you!

Talk to everyone soon...take care. Much love.