First Weeks Here
Okay so I landed in China on July 26th, I think. Then it was hit the ground running which means everything started at once and now that I am in September it is kind of slowing down. The first two weeks I was here people took me out to eat for both lunch and dinner which is both super sweet and a bit overwhelming. None the these it is much appreciated. The second week was New Staff Orientation. During this week it came to the time to meet with your Principal and Division. Well since my Principal had arrived the day before and my Division is on another campus about 20 minutes away, I thought okay easy I will get a ride with the lunch van going over there, easy right. Well the first part of this adventure was easy I got a ride to the front gate no problem. Then once I was there I got the tour from my Assistant Principal including my room. :) Then I worked in my room (2 year old-Junior Foundation) for awhile until I realized I need to walk down the hill and go right to the main road in order to pick up the main campus bus home. So I walked down the hill so far all is well. After waiting about 15-20 minutes I called a fellow teacher who lives at the first apartment building stop. She said "Oh yea they just left should be to you shortly." I waited another 15 minutes or so and realized they are not coming this way.. oops. Okay I did not panic I called my Assistant Principal to make sure there was not a bus at the top of the hill. When my suspicions where confirmed and I assured her I would take the bus and I would be fine. I walked towards the sea and the direction I knew was going towards town. I arrived to the bus stop just as the 104 bus pulled away. Okay so I thought I will just walk to the next bus stop. During this time I had tried to call one of my roommates however her phone was on her number from south China not Qingdao, no luck. As I was walking to the 2nd bus stop my roommate called me asking "Are you home and can't hear me?" I chuckled and responded "Nope I am walking to the bus stop. I take the 104 bus right then it is the 210 or 402, right?" She confirmed my thoughts I tried to describe where I was which she did not know much more than me since we arrived on the same day. She told me how to say the shopping center in Mandarin. Okay so I caught the 104 bus tried to tell the bus ticket lady the shopping center, fail so I said Jusco. She knew where I was going gave me a ticket and I paid 1 kuai (4th tone). Got off that bus went through the underground shopping to the other side of the street. While waiting for the bus I called my roommate again. She tried to explain how to walk home but then I saw the bus so I ran for it. Meanwhile my roommate was staying at our neighbor's apartment below us because we had to give her key to the person moving a piano out of our apartment. In the end I have an amazing roommate who was patient with me through this adventure, I made it home with 10 minutes to spare before going out to eat with new friends and i had a wonderful adventure.
There are always adventures. Another adventure I went on a few weeks after the above adventure was my same roommate and I decided to go buy some furniture from a guy that was going back to Canada that lived and had worked at the University. We told our friends/neighbors who have three children that we have become Aunties to. :) They have a 5 year old, 2 year old and 2 month old about the "sale". So we all ventured there. Once we had gotten all of our finds we went in search of taxi with 3 adults, 3 small children, stroller & car seat and all our Oh there are so many adventures actually there is usually an adventure almost everyday. dōngxi (stuff). Well that is not going to happen. So we called our Head Principal. He and his wife graciously picked us up.
Oh there are so many adventures actually there is usually an adventure almost everyday.One more favorite adventure. I was sitting in my living room watching a movie when I heard what sounded like a small airplane. I looked out to my window to see a person fly by my window. So of course I opened the door to the balcony to see more. My apartment is on the 6th and 7th floor because it is a 2 level apartment. I saw eight parachute gliders! Parachute gliders have a motor on the back and a parachute on top. They flew right through my building and the one in front of us. It was amazing oh but of course I did not have my camera. Now my camera does not work. :( I cannot wait to see and experience more adventures!~Thankful and Grateful
