'Til We Meet Again...: China {week one}

Updating everyone individually is kind of impossible. SO. Look here for any and every update on my adventure!

This weeks highlights:

26 hours of travel

Lugging 60 suitcases up 5 flights of stairs

Rock hard beds

Set hot water times

Internet struggles

Street food

Dumplings, Squid, Egg filled crepe

Chinese grocery stores

Underground Market

Bargaining

Cafeteria surprises

Getting assigned to teach 1st & 3rd grade

Lesson planning

Getting to see our students profiles

Setting up our classrooms

Trying to speak Chinese

KTV- Chinese Karaoke

Church in China

Pulled noodles

Lion hair

This week started off rough with the jet lag and endless hours of travel. However, once that passed I've become even more anxious to see what these next six months have in store. My group is filled with 20 amazing people--- I'm so excited to get to know each of them better and experience this together.

My "Chinese Birthday" was definitely one I'll never forget. First my cute group decorated my door in the morning with balloons, a sign, a card and some treats. Then we got a tour by a couple of locals into downtown Nanjing. Here we saw: the Underground Market, Walmart, and a shoe mall. The underground market was awesome! Most things have a set price but you have to bargain until you get the price you want. This was hilarious to watch and so cool. We then split up into smaller groups.

My group had six of us and we decided it would be fun to get off on a random Metro stop and see what was there. We found what we thought was a temple, got some pictures by the cutest old man ever, annnnnd then went inside and realized it was more of a store than anything. But we did find a park behind it that was so fun. All the little families were hanging out here flying kites, playing cards and practicing calligraphy with water on the sidewalk. I loved it. Then we went and got some street food for dinner and a private karaoke room! If you know me, I do not and cannot dance. But, it's China. So, I had to. It turned into a big old dance party with some awful karaoke tunes. It was the best. Definitely a great way to spend my 20th. (: