China so far..

I have to be honest and say that the last week has been a challenge, full of frustrations and challenges in a culture that is unfamiliar to me. I have been blessed with a family and colleagues and friends who have been a sounding board for me so I will instead post about what I love about China.

The food is amazing. It is fresh, flavorful and mostly very healthy. We have mostly vegetables for breakfast. We only drink bottled or boiled water so morning beverage is mostly hot rice water with a bit of sugar. It's good. We went out for food from street vendors a couple of nights ago. I shared a noodle dish so big we couldn't finish it together and some fry bread with spicy topping and a Coke- all for $2 for both of us.
I'm learning so much about teaching. I have about 20 students in my class who have some basic vocabulary but not a lot of functional language. They try so hard and are doing amazingly well. There's nothing like a rousing rendition of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Spider" or We Wish You a Merry Christmas (their idea, not mine). We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar yesterday and they are working on retelling the story with pictures. That's a challenge!
I feel like a celebrity most of the time. We have children following us just to get a wave or hello. People on the street stop and stare. We are the only Westerners we've seen in the city of 4 million (though I haven't met all 4 million). Sometimes I feel like a freak but mostly not. Usually a smile and a greeting brings one in return.
I can cross the street without dying! The traffic here is the craziest I've seen. There are some traffic lights but they seem to be mere suggestions. Cars, bikes, motorcycles, bicycle rickshaws, buses, trucks and pedestrians all share the same road. Lane markers are mostly ignored and driving into oncoming traffic seems common. Usually it is too busy to get much speed going but I can now fairly confidently walk out in traffic and not get hit.
The sense of community is strong here. There is a large public square near the hotel and in the morning it is filled with people doing tai chi or drumming, in the evenings there are thousands out for the street market where you can buy anything from "intimate apparel" to food to cell phones. In the evening there are children's dance groups (mostly jazz dance), ballroom dancing and hundreds of people line dancing. That's a sight to see! With nearly everyone living in condos, this is there backyard.
I have school supplies! Teaching without paper, crayons or pencils is a challenge but now we can write and draw.
Experiencing a new culture brings out the best and worst in me. It's unsettling and exciting at the same time. I am fully aware of the freedoms I enjoy in the US that I often take for granted. Caring for our environment becomes a harsh reality when I am living in a place where the air burns my throat and the sun rarely shines and children haven't seen the stars.

Although I can't see Blogger or Facebook, I do see your comments (but can't approve them to post the comments) so thank you. It makes home seem a little bit closer.