Catching up...

So I told everyone I would keep a detailed Blog, but my Computer broke so I wasn't able to...
However, I have been keeping a Journal, and although some of that may be private, I'm going to transcribe it here, of Course, leaving out the private Info... duh!

Sunday, 7.SEP.2008

So, I'm in China now. It's quite amasing! On the first Night when I flew in this past Thursday, the Bus and Taxi Rides were more exhilerating than a Rollercoaster. My new Friend King2(They often give themselves English Names and they don't know the Meanings, haha), thinks that I look just like Tom Cruise... LOL. So, of Course, jokingly, I told him he looks just like Jackie Chan.
The first Night, when I arrived, we came back to the Apartment from the Airport and King2 had cooked a delicious Supper. There was some Egg w/ Vegetable Dish, a Dish with some Sort of Rice Noodles and Sweet-Potatoe Gelatin Things in it, a Cow Stomach Dish, one with stewed Chicken Feet, and the other had I wanna say Beef with Vegetables...? Despite what it sounds like, it was all very delicious. Aside from the stewed Chicken Feet, I don't much like Chicken Feet... After that, I went for a Walk in the Park with a Girl named Alice(高讲演). She treated me to some chinese Ice Creme which was amasingly delicious.
The next Morning, David and I went to the Airport to Terminal 2(the new one). It's the largest Building in the World at the Moment, and it was definitely MASSIVE! But we were picking up a new Arrival from London, Great Brittain called Dorian.
Dorian is really kool, he's 22 and he has the awesome british Accent! His Parents, however, are jamaican, so he's very cultured. He and I quickly became Friends, being that we were the only People either of us knew in China who could speak English well enough to be humorous with one another.
So, we left the Airport and came back to the Office to drop off Dorian's Things and then we went to Breakfast. I'm, again, not sure what we ate, but it was delicious. There were these steamed Bun Things with Meat in them(which I now know are called 包子[Baodze]). Also, some Dumplings with Meat, we had some Egg Soup with Seaweed in it, and some Sort of pickled Carrots. Vinegar was the Condiment of Choice. Did I mention that the Chinese LOVE Beer?!? OMG, the first Night, all they served with Dinner was Beer. Every two Seconds or so, I heard, "乾杯!" which means "CHEERS!", so needless to say, I was feeling it pretty quickly... LOL
After Breakfast, we(David, Dorian, and I) went to the Store to try finding a Power Adapter for my Electronics... I got one yesterday... LOL
So, after trying the Store, we set up Bank Accounts at ICBC(Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, I think). And I also set one up at China Construction Bank. The Process of getting a Bank Account here is much easier than in the US. You can just show them your Passport, give them your Address and E-Mail, and choose a PI Number, and they give you a Bank Card right there. No Waiting! After all this, I was finally able to go back to the Flat and shower. Befoure this I didn't have a Towel, haha... I didn't realise, that in Order to have hot Water, I had to turn something on in the Kitchen... So I took a very cold Shower and it sucked...
Later, Goldwyn(Our Programme Director) took me and Dorian to Lunch, where we had a Tomatoe and Egg Soup with some Sort of garlicky Greens and some cooked Treanuts of some Sort. I now know that the garlicky Greens were the Leaves of the Sweet Potatoe, or 地瓜[Digwah]. Of Course it was all very delicious... If I were to say that the Chinese surpass every Culture in anything, it would definitely be the Food! After that, Dorian and I walked to the local Supermarket and he bought some tiny Apples and and Orange Drink and some Ketchup flavoured Potatoe Crisps. I bought some Pizza flavoured Crisps(¥2/30¢), which tasted EXACTLY like Pizza! I also bought some 可口可(Coca-Cola @ ¥3/44¢ per Bottle). I bought some Latte flavoured "Chips Ahoy!" Biscuits(¥3/44¢). They also had Orange, Peanut, Coffee, and regular Chocolate Chip flavoured Chips Ahoy!. I saw cool Cucumber flavoured Lay's Potatoe Crisps as well, but I didn't buy them.
Later that Evening, I fell asleep and was awoken for Dinner, as I was not yet used to the 13 Hour Tyme Difference. So I was tyred and I don't remember what we ate, cos afterwards I dropped back into Bed...
So, there are KFC's EVERYWHERE here, I have seen 1 Dairy Queen, and I haven't yet seen any McDonald's, but I know they have them. OH YEAH! There are Starbucks everywhere here too!! How coincidental, eh?
Yesterday, David, Meagan, and I went to this amasing gigantic underground Mall called Carrefour! It was soo massive... There were THOUSANDS of People in there. I bought my Power Converter(¥25/$3,67) there and some Lay's Blueberry flavoured Potatoe Crisps(¥3/44¢), which were beside Lay's Lychee flavoured Crisps on the Shelf. The Lychee ones were a bit more Expensive, maybe ¥4,5(66¢). I also got a Bottle of Qoo(¥2,6/38¢). It's Orange Juice made by the Coca-Cola Company and it's really really delicious! :)
Last Night, King2 and I dropped Dorian off at 北京西站(Beijing West Station), which is this absolutely gargantuanly massive Train Station. He was headed for 南昌(Nanchang). Afterwards, King2 took me to 天安門(Tian'anmen Square), but it was closed cos President 胡錦同(Hu Jintong) was there. We got to see the Egg, the Cube, and the Bird's Nest though.
On the Way Home, we took Subway Lines 1&2 and Skyway Line 13, then the Bus. Line 1 smelled terrible and was not airconditioned. Line 2 was a bit newer and had little Airconditioning, and Line 13 was emaculate with an amasing Airconditioner. Which was awesome because I was beginning to think that the Chinese didn't believe in A/C. It's very hot where we sleep, but I deal...


Wednesday, 15.OCT.2008

你好!我在黃流。。。(Hello, I'm in Huangliu...) It's not exactly the greatest Place ever, haha.
But first let me catch you up... Two Days after Dorian was dropped off at 北京西站, he arrived back at the Office in 北京(Beijing)... I was quite puzzled by this so naturally I inquired. It turns out, he was turned away by the School in Nanchang because he is black... WTF?!?! yeah... BUT now he's in 西安 and he's got it made there... So it turned out good.
So, now I'm in Huangliu... It's a small Village in Southwest 海南省(Hainan Province). Honestly, I asked to be placed in a City... This is not a City at all... I also asked to be placed in or around Beijing... I'm as far away from Beijing as I can be while still being in China... haha!
But it's working out ok, cos there's a rather large City close by. My Roommate, Stephen, and I went there(三亚[Sanya]) this past Weekend.
Village Life is sooo different from Life in America. The Streets here are absolutely filthy, so I wasn't impressed with that. The People litter all the Tyme, and Children poopl and pee in the Streets... The first Tyme I saw that I was really disgusted. Hogs, Chickens, Goats, Dogs, Ducks, Cattle, Elephants and other random Animals just freely roam the Streets here. That Part I find pretty awesome! oh btw, the Part about the Elephants, I was joking, ain't be no Elephizzles up in hurr, I just wish dey wuz sum! OOH dooodleBOP!


Thursday, 23.OCT.2008

I didn't catch her Name, but she came to me in the Night seeking Advice...
When she told me that her Mother died when she was six Months old, I prepared myself to give serious Advice. When she told me that her Father remarried to a Woman who hates her, I felt sorry, but I truly felt and Sense of Empathy, because I've been there with my own Stepfather. When she told me that her Father caused her Mother's Death and that she has hated him ever since she found out, I wanted to cry...
When I was growing up, I lived in a Home where I hated almost everyone around me. So I know that this Sort of Life is very tough. I know how it feels to cry myself to Sleep because I feel like the World has turned its Back on me. I know how it feels to have to fake a Smile all the Tyme, because if I don't, somebody will aske me what's wrong. Then, I'm faced with a daunting Decision, "Do I lie? Do I tell the Truth?" and neither one is the correct Answer.
I felt Tears forming in my Eyes because I never solved my Problem... I've only run from it for Years.
I remember that somebody told me once that it's great to know that when the World doesn't treat you right, you can always just go Home, where they will always treat you right. So when I was younger, I often wondered where my Home was...
I hadn't felt at Home since my Parents broke up until about ninth Grade. I hated the World so much when I was growing up, because not only did I not understand it, but the World STILL does not understand me... There are just a few People who can understand me, and when I say a few, I mean a small few.
I told the Girl that she should give much Tyme to herself to grow a more personal Relationship with herslf. I found that spending Tyme alone and connecting with Nature, however stupid that sounds to some of you, really helped me. I also told her that she should keep a Diary.
When she told me that she has kept a Diary for five Years now, I was astonished and a little bit envious, but mainly sad, because she said that she keeps the Diary because it's one of her only two Friends.
Her best Friend is a Boy, so of Course everyone thinks they are in Love. In China, it is forbidden for School Age People to be in Love. THIS was the Problem we were originally supposed to tackle. I told her not to worry about it and the other Students will forget about it...
I don't know if my Advice was good or bad, but I know that she felt good to have someone to talk to.


Wednesday, 29.OCT.2008

I'd like to say that I had a nice five Day Weekend, but I would be lying. On the Contrary, I'd rather have had no Weekend than the one I had...
I went to 海口(Haikou) on Saturday Morning with 潘老师(Mr. Pan). He and I looked for the Bureau of Exit and Entry, so that I could renew my Visa for at least another two Months. The Trouble began when I left Huangliu with only ¥400($58,60) roughly. The Ticket to Haikou was ¥79($11,58).
We found the Bureau and went in, but they were closed for the Weekend.(Keep in Mind, by this Tyme I had been ill for about 6 Days, so I'm easily agitated). Therefore, we must stay until Monday. So we found a Hotel which was quite nice if I say so. It was a nice Change to sleep on a Mattress. The Hotel was ¥120($17,58) per Night, but Mr. Pan paid.
So that was pretty much Saturday, and then Sunday was the same really... Monday Morning we arrived at the Bureau and I told Mr. Pan to tell them I'm a Tourist and to say nothing about me being a Teacher, cos that Way we could get Things done a lot faster. So I don't speak Chinese fluently, but I know more than enough to know that the first Thing he said to them was that I'm a Teacher living at Huangliu Middle School! So this made everything FAR more complicated than it needed to be. So, now I had to get a Residency Permit from the Police Station in Huangliu(Which I already have of Course, just not on me).
So the Ticket back to Huangliu was another ¥79($11,58), so ¥158($23,15) in Total PLUS the 2 Nights in the Hotel totalling ¥398($58,30) altogether.
So on Monday, aproximately 18:00 we came back to Huangliu and visited the Police Station, but there was no Electricity... Wow, big Surprise... NOT! So they said I should come back at 8:30 the next Morning.
So about 8, I re-upped my Phone with ¥20($2,93) and headed to the Police Station to get a Letter from them to give to the Bureau of Exit and Entry. After about 30 Minutes they had it ready for me. So I caught the 10:30 Bus to Haikou. When I got there, I knew where I was going, I just didn't know how to say it or write it... So I met Mr. Pan's Friend in Haikou by taking the #1 Bus to 華超中學， which translates to "Chinese ultra Middle School" haha... Oh I giggle everytyme I think about that stupid Name... haha
Once at the Bureau, we waited for about an Hour befoure the lasy Worker would even come to the damn Desk. So then she so kindly informed me that I'm an illegal Immigrant! haha, it's not such a big Deal in China though. So she said I need to pay ¥940($137,70) and I have to leave China by 27.NOV.2008. BUT, to make Things more fun, I get to go back to Haikou on Tuesday, 4.NOV.2008 to pay the ¥940 and retrieve my Passport... that's right they kept it!
So I went back to Haikou West Station to get a Bus back to Huangliu. Alas, I was one Minute past the last Bus to Huangliu... They said I should come back in the Morning at 9. Well, being an Immigrant and all, I have to have a Passport to stay in a Hotel and they kept my Passport at the Bureau of Exit and Entry! So I was able to convince someone I was a nice Guy and they let me stay in an empty Dorm Room in the Ultra Middle School, haha. The School was very nice, much better than my School in Huangliu. So this Morning, I woke up roughly at 6:30, thanked my Host, and departed to the Bus Station and got a Ticket to Huangliu at 9 arriving here about 13:15.
Since then, I've really done nothing but wish for some running Water so I can take an easy Shower. Showering from a Bucket isn't so bad, but it would definitely be nice to have a warm "real" Shower... lol


30.OCT.2008

Mrs. Wendy came over last Night and showed me why we didn't have running Water. Apparently someone had turned it off from inside my Flat. So we needed simply to turn it back on. I felt really stupid, but after thinking about it, it's China, how could I have known how these Things work? Anyhow, I was able to take a nice Shower, however cold it may have been.


Tuesday, 4.NOV.2008

I have decided that my chinese Telephone and chinese Dictionary are my two best Friends.
I am alone in Haikou and the easiest Way to find anywhere is to Phone a chinese Friend and pass the Phone off to a Stranger and they can converse with them easily and find out where I need to go and then tell me. Haha!
Right now I'm at the Administrative Bureau of Exit and Entry in 红棉西路 which means Red Cotton Street W., but the Chinese like to try to translate Things into English, so the English Signe reads: "Gossampinus malabaricus west road"... I know... right?
I have to wait for the School to fax something to them so that I can retrieve my Passport from them. It's really annoying, especially since I have to catch a Bus back to Huangliu befoure 17:30 and it's already 15:11. Also, I'm not sure which Bus I need to take to get back to the West Station, where I need to go to get back to Huangliu.
Sadly, Thing2 died Saturday Afternoon(R.I.P.) about 17:25... :( So, I buried her in Front of my Building. Thing2 was one of my Cats btw. We had two Cats named Thing1 and Thing2.