Shanghai!!

So I have arrived to the place I have been preparing for since official acceptance in April, and living in China since July 1: SHANGHAI. To be precise, next to Changning Community College and down the road from KFC and Chinese KFC (I'll get a picture up someday of it, it's hilarious. I have called it KFMao to many, but "Kentucky Fried Mao" doesn't sound politically correct. Perhaps "Mao Fried Chicken" of MFC would be better. Man. What silly thoughts about words no one would even care about...funny isn't it?)

I have an amazing apartment. After having one small room with 4 bunkbeds this summer with one roommate and having to walk down the lane for hot water, it's almost like heaven. I feel very pampered. Let me elaborate.

I walk into my apartment, which has 4 similar-style bedrooms with a single bed, closet, windows, a desk, and fun lighting system. The living area has a couch, big-ish TV, chair, and air conditioning. That section is just a step away from the glass-top dining table and 6 chairs. Walk through a glass door and you're in the kitchen, which came with a washer and dryer, microwave, fridge/freezer, and rice cooker. My bedroom holds the 2nd bathroom, which I share with myself (let's not be greedy, here) and each bedroom has an air conditioner with remote. Excited yet? :-)

So I didn't get a chinese roommate as I'd thought would happen, but I have been able to meet some very nice people in the 90-student program so far this week. We even took a scavenger hunt in groups of 5 ALL over the city, using the sweet transportation system. Did I say it was sweet?

I got place in beginner chinese (6 credits), modern chinese history, modern chinese literature, chinese community and organization development (or somesuch), and am checking out a comparative literature course on how myths influence culture, particularly China, which tells us why people behave as they do. It's because of where they came from. Can you tell I sat with that professor and heard her explanation already?? ;-)

We've been fed amazing food. I just had some amazing popcorn. I just sang some amazing songs tonight with amazing people. I'm going to read some amazing literature.

And for those of you who know I learned some chinese this summer, you will be intrigued to find that what I learned, like "what are you going to do this weekend?" is just about all in my lessons for Chinese this semester. If only I could remember everything we studied and knew the characters, I could be in second semester beginner!!

So for my friends who shared that delightful summer with me and who are looking at coming back, please study your Chinese and learn the characters and you will have a really good start.

I missed you at home a fair bit this week. In the midst of all these new acquaintances, an old face would have been nice.

I suppose I'll just have to wait until Lance stops in to visit...

SWEET!