I Made It!

For those of you who don’t know already – I successfully made it to Hangzhou!! The 26 hours of hauling luggage, flying on planes & navigating through terminals was worth it. I can’t even describe the relief I felt when I finally landed at the Hangzhou airport.

A senior from HNU (Hangzhou Normal University) met me at the airport to help me with my bags and make sure I got to my apartment safely. His English name was Noah (When Chinese students learn English, they choose English names). He was very friendly and super helpful. During the ride home, he told me all about what there is to do in Hangzhou (from movies to shopping, eating and more!). He also told me, in his opinion, the most important Chinese phrase: “Tai Gui” which means “too expensive.” I found this hilarious, especially since he was completely serious. He informed me that most prices in China are not fixed, and the Chinese will always try to charge the foreigners extra - definitely a valuable piece of advice.

We finally arrived to my apartment building where I was informed that I will live on the sixth floor. Great, right? Except for there are no elevators. As if I’m not tired enough already, Noah and I lug my two HUGE suitcases all the way up to the sixth floor into my apartment. Phew! However, the hard work was worth it – my apartment is much better than I thought it would be! I have a living room, equipped with couch, coffee table, television & DVD player. A small dining set, a kitchen with a fridge, microwave & stove (not to mention, a rice cooker). PLUS I get two bedrooms, each with a bed, desk & closet!! Overall, the apartment has definitely been a pleasant surprise.

I haven’t really had a chance to explore the rest of the city (it’s huge, by the way) but what I have seen so far is really cool! There are huge posters and signs all in Chinese, which just looks so pretty to me – it’s like art. Everybody who I have interacted with so far has been incredibly helpful, even those who don’t speak English. So, even though I am mostly lost at this point, I feel very welcome. It’s a truly great feeling to have in a country so far from home.

Tomorrow (Saturday), I am going to a meeting with all the other foreign English teachers to discuss classroom expectations, goals, etc. After that, Angela (the Chinese woman who offered me this job initially) is taking me to buy a cell phone & other necessities (i.e. toilet paper!!). And, I begin teaching classes on Tuesday.

So, now I am off to bed (it is currently 11:30pm here)! And remember, I can’t read comments you leave on the blog, so if you’d like to message me just e-mail me at either one of the following: oec7146@hotmail.com or oecunningham2010@gmail.com. I can’t wait to hear from you, and I love everyone’s support. Xie xie!! (thank you)

Zai Jian,

Olivia

P.S. Today, I bought three bottles of water and a bottle of Sprite for 6 Yuan… which slightly less than one US dollar. I am loving this currency!!