Safe and Sound in Shanghai

After a ridiculously easy trip to Shanghai, I am safe and sound and enjoying a final relaxing night in China.

After hauling two months worth of clothes and gifts and tea down to the street, a very nice woman helped me flag down a taxi. I think the taxi driver was a little irritated with all my things but took me to the bus station. With a little help, I bought my bus ticket and loaded up for a 3 and a half hour trip to Pudong Shanghai International Airport. Once I unloaded I navigated through the airport to the other terminal and easily located my shuttle bus and got to my hotel.

My room is very nice and even has a bathtub! I enjoyed a long bath, did some reading, and am waiting for room service (yes, I am fulling living up my cheap luxurious life).

I plan on getting a full night of sleep and shuttling back to the airport at 8 tomorrow morning. I don't fly out until noon but I am happy to wait at my gate instead of being worried about missing my flight. My travel time is three hours shorter than my time here, with four hour layovers in Korea and Seattle. I should be back in MIssoula by 7:00 pm local time. Just to get that straight, I will travel 21 hours but only lose 7 hours of time.

I will post updates as I have time. I can't believe this is my final night in China. Two months has gone by so fast, but I am extremely ready to return to my life in America.

Last Day in Hangzhou

I can't actually believe I am saying this, but today is my last full day in Hangzhou. Two months ago, I left my home in Missoula to come to a place where I didn't understand the language, had a completely different culture, and has almost nine times as many people as my entire state. I remember that Sunday when I arrived at the school, asking myself how was I ever going to survive two months in this horrible place…. well I survived, and loved (almost) every minute of it.

I still have a little more adventure to experience before I leave. Tomorrow I will take a bus to the Pudong Airport in Shanghai (which takes about three hours). I will then find the shuttle to hotel, go there for the night, then shuttle back to the airport for my flight. I am not going to attempt exploring Shanghai alone and if I miss my flight I think my father might have a heart attack.

Today will be a day of packing and goodbyes. I even think I will be able to keep my luggage under the weight limit without having a huge carry-on, which is nice when having to navigate two of the largest airports in the world (in Shanghai and Seoul, plus a layover in Seattle). I am also going to splurge a little and go get a manicure and pedicure this afternoon, followed by a trip to night market to pick up a few extra gifts and then a solo dinner at my favorite restaurant here.

I will try to keep the blog updated as I bus 130 miles to Shanghai then fly 6000 to get back home.

The Joys and Pitfalls of Travel

Live has been pretty good in Hangzhou the last few days. We have been taking it easy, visiting our favorite spots, and eating our favorite food. Ben (Frances's boyfriend) flew in two days ago so it has been fun showing him around as well.

Just when I am feeling great and getting excited to go home, the worst happened (well feels like the worst): I came down with a nasty case of food poisoning. I didn't eat anything out of the ordinary but for some reason my body just decided to go crazy. I am through the worst of it I hope. I spent a large portion of the day with Lois, our American friend from California, who has a great apartment near the school. She fed me oatmeal and rice water which seemed to help, but I am still feeling weak and queazy. With this being Frances's last night in town before she goes with Ben to do some hiking I am a little frustrated I am forced to stay inside.

This week will be pretty open for me. I am going in to teach one more lesson with my sixth graders and have a spa date on Thursday. On Friday I will travel to Shanghai and Saturday I fly home. I am so eager to get home but will fully enjoy my last week in Hangzhou.

Two Tickets to Paradise

We have returned from a three day trip to what I can only describe as the paradise of China. Since we were officially done student teaching, we took a little trip to the Zhoushan Islands in the East China Sea. 

After packing up two backpacks the day before and getting some important phrases translated by a teacher at the school (such as beach, mountain, and bus station), we set off early Thursday morning in a cab to the bus station.  We bought our bus tickets and spent four hours on a bus to the big island of Zhoushan.  To get there, we crossed a ten mile bridge!!  The bus dropped us on the southern tip of the island, and from there we took another bus to our hotel on the island of Zhujiajian (reachable by bus).  Our hotel was beautiful complete with a balcony that looked over the golden beach.  The beach we stayed at is famous for the annual sand sculpture competition held there.  We spent the rest of that day walking the beach and returned for truly unique dinner.  

Another Picture

I forgot to add that on Friday night we climbed up on the mountain that is lit up at night. It was a beautiful night. Here is a picture of the city from the top.

Another Weekend and the Last Week

This recap of the weekend is a little late as things have been a little hectic because of a change in scheduling.

This weekend was spent staying close to the school. On Saturday we helped the school with their incoming student testing. All the potential first graders who want to come to the school are tested for aptitude. Frances and I were assisted with entertaining the students while waiting for open testers with small English activities. From 7 to noon, we saw over 600 students. Only 140 will be able to come to the school in the fall. Most of the students didn't know any English, but it was extremely fun to teach them some words and phrases.

That evening we went to a great dinner at an Italian/American restaurant and then took in some Jazz at another local club. It was great to unwind after a long day of little kids.

Mid Week Check In

Even though nothing very exciting has happened since this weekend, I thought I would check in and tell everyone I am still doing well.  I am currently watching Finding Nemo with over 100 first graders.  Even though they don't understand the words they can't stop laughing.  

It has been a strange week of teaching with many cancelled classes, but we are making up for it by helping out with new student testing on Saturday.  Since the school is private, students must test in before they enter first grade.  A few of the English teachers are arranging activities to keep children happy before and after testing.

Since I don't have much to update I will just give a rundown on a typical day of teaching here.  Frances and I wake up around 6 before the students are up and sneak out to go running/exercising.  There is a canal near our school that is the hot spot for the senior citizens of Hangzhou.  There are many interesting morning workouts going on including tai chi, working out on exercise equipment provided by the government in various locations along the canal, even a very wonderful lady who gets all worked up then bends back then forward then yells at the top of her lungs.  But our running is evidently not the standard exercise and we get very strange glances as we trot down the path.

After our run we come back to the school and grab school breakfast which is usually some sort of hard boiled egg (usually cooked in vinegar), and bun of some sort either filled with meat or seaweed or red bean paste.  Then it is up to our rooms to shower and get ready for class.  This is the prime time to talk to people back home because it is evening in Montana.  

I either have class starting at 8:10 or 10:10.  I walk to the middle school campus which is about 10 minutes away (depending on traffic, and yes there is traffic I have to deal with even while walking).  I teach usually all morning then Frances and I meet at a local dumpling shop for some soup that costs about $2.  Then either back to my room to work for the afternoon or back to the middle school to teach some more.  

I try to take a little nap in the afternoon.  If we have a free night, Frances and I like to get out and have dinner at one of our favorite places.  Even though food is served at the school, life gets really boring sleeping, working, and eating at one place.  Food here is so cheap so eating out isn't a problem.  Sometimes Frances and I have to do evening activity with the students which is a hour with the whole grade to either teach them a song (or in tonight's case we are watching Finding Nemo).  Then it is back to our rooms for a little evening work out, reading, and lights out.

Days all run together during the week especially because I teach the same lesson around 12 times.  My weekends are much more enjoyable and fun to write about.  I am just a teacher in a middle school five days out of the week.  

Even though I am still three weeks away from my return trip, I am starting to get eager to return.  I've booked my hotel in Shanghai to stay in on Friday before my Saturday flight.  I am also trying to figure out how to bring back the stuff I bought!!!  As exciting and wonderful as this trip is, it really makes me appreciate Montana.  

Here are some more pretty flowers from this weekend!