Posted

Oct 25th 2008

Mood

Sick

Music

The Cape of Storms Piano version

So this journal has been late in coming but I am finally doing it lol. I have been here in China for over 54 days (I keep track lol). Living in China is interesting. It has its good points, like it is freaking cheap to live here, and it has its bad points, like the air. At first I was really worried that I wouldnt be able to find the foods that Im use too, like snacks and such but when you can walk into a convience store (chao shi) and find Canada Dry Ginger Ale lol for only 3rmb (it takes 7rmb to make a dollar LOL) then you know its all ok with the western snacks. It took a long while to get use to the food because of how it is made, but luckily enough that all happened before my schooling started. So I moved into the dorm here at BLCU (Beijing Language and Culutre University) and started my chinese lessons. I am not sure as to what I plan to do with it but we will see. Its good life experiences anyways right? The cool thing about this school is that it is an international university, so there are people from all over the world here. Some of my best buddies are from Kazikstan lol. Who would have thought right. Since classes are only half a day I have plently of time for all of my adventures. I have been to Inner Mongolia and ridden a mongolian horse on the grass land and a camel on the desert. I have hiked the great wall, which isnt as easy as it looks, and have been to markets gallor. The markets themselves are like a different country lol. This is where you barter the prices down, and man do they put up a fight. As soon as I walk in, since I have blonde hair, the price sky rockets lol. So when I want to buy something it becomes a game lol. I am getting better at though I KNOW I dont get the chinese price lol, I dont think I will ever be good enough to get anything that cheap. I think it is assumed that us foreigners are rich RICH when we come here, and ya our dollar is worth a WHOLE lot more then there rmb but im a student and I have been here long enough for my CAD to run out lol. I had to get a job, so I teach english and yes it pays well but not to Canadian standards. I got another part time job helping my friend out at her store. I do all of the computer and inventory for her. But my teaching job does well enough. I have 4 kids in each class and I have two different classes, that I teach twice a week. Monday to Thursday from 530-700pm. I commute about an hour to get there by two trains. It takes awhile but its nice to have that time to myself. And Im so use to the train now I can get about anywhere underground. I dont even have to pay attention to my surrondings anymore cause it is all habit now. I love the kids I teach, they are so much fun. My boss has even offered me a year contract and I am thinking I will take it. I will come home and since with a year contract I get round trip airfare, they will bring me back. I will have a work visa and they will give me a place to stay! May as well do it, I get to use my chinese WAY more here then I would in Canada, plus I get to have a place of my own. My house back in Canada is now my parents place....I have to find my own. Leaving the nest kinda sucks lol. I figure if this all works out, I may get my BA and then go to Japan and work there, I just really dont want to be indebt. I may just end up staying in China for awhile too.
Well besides from the Pollution everything is great here, it actually feels safer here then at home. Its funny how I would rather be here then step foot into the states lol, and there goverment is the same as Canada lol, that says alot doesnt it.
Its funny, there are so many stero types and almost NONE of them are true HA HA HA! Welcome to the real world folks lmao
See ya