what a girl will do for some KFC around here...

So, if you're reading this then you probably know me, which means that you know that I'm pretty much a small town kinda girl. I've always lived in one. Even when I moved away for college I moved to another tiny town with nothing much to speak of. Now, I find myself living in a city. By China standards, this city is small. But by my standards, it's big. One of things that is so different for me here is transportation. I get everywhere I go one of three ways: bus, taxi, or walking. My preferred method is the bus because it only costs 1 yuen to ride, there are plenty of people on it, and its easy to get most anywhere without knowing a word of Chinese if you know which one to take. Up until yesterday I didn't have any particularly strong feelings either way about taxis. But after yesterday's experience I changed my mind.
My roomie, Allison, and I decided to go grab some KFC for lunch. In this city there are several KFCs, and we knew the particular one we wanted to go to. Its close and very convenient because its right next to the grocery store, and we wanted to pick up a few things. So, we left our apartment just in time to see good ole Bus 7 pulling away from the curb. Since we missed our bus, we stood at the bus stop for a couple minutes debating what we should do. Allison was really anxious to go and get back so that she could skype someone back home, so we decided to take a taxi. We finally hailed one and climbed in. We gave the driver our handy little "taxi guide" which has the Chinese characters for different locations throughout our city. Allison showed him the characters for KFC. He nodded as if he understood, so we settled in for a short drive. Soon after the driver took out his phone and began calling someone. Throughout the whole conversation he kept looking back at us in his rearview mirror as if he was talking about us. He finally handed the phone to Allison and she talked to the driver's friend who can speak English. She told him where we wanted to go and he said he would tell the driver. Well, the driver still kept going further and further away from where we wanted to go. As we got into a part of the city that we didn't recognize, we both began to feel a little uneasy. Being inside a taxi with a strange man that you are unable to communicate with, in an area you don't recognize is not a good feeling. I began trying to let him know that we wanted to get out of the taxi. Of course, he had no idea what I was saying so he called his friend again. This time I took the phone and tried to explain to his friend that we decided we just wanted to get out where we were and look around. The man on the phone wouldn't listen to me and he just kept saying things like, "Oh no, its ok. Don't worry about how much it will cost." Finally, when I realized that he wasn't getting the picture, I knew that if we wanted out I was going to have to be explicitly clear and much more firm than is my nature. So, basically fear took hold and I told the guy on the phone how it was going to be. He got it that time. :) We got out, paid the driver (way more than if he had taken us where we wanted to go, which could've been his plan all along, who knows), and crossed the street to pay a visit to dear old Colonel Sanders. I wouldn't quite say that some chicken nuggets was worth all that, but I'm so thankful we were protected, and a lesson was learned!
P.S. And since we are on the topic of transportation, I just need to add that many of the buses here have TVs in them, and that every single one of them is playing a Selena Gomez music video. :)
That is all. K bye.

ting bu dong

Well, my first 10 days in Asia have been pretty interesting. The first week I spent in Taipei, which is a very pretty city. It is very Westernized; Subway, Starbucks, pizza, & burgers are easy to find. So I didn't feel very far removed from my normal life there. But, on Monday I arrived in China and the real cultural experience began :)
My roommate and I are here to study language in a local university, so we expected to be living in school housing. However, we were offered an apartment on campus and we accepted it. It's a really nice place and we each have our own room, so we're excited about it! Our first night here, it was 40 degrees inside. The heating wasn't turned on until a few hours before we arrived, so we froze the first night. But gradually it has been heating up and it's now about 64 degrees, so it's great! We live on the 5th floor of the building, which has no elevator, so I'm getting a lot of exercise!
One thing that I've really noticed is how much we are getting stared at here. The city is fairly small and foreigners aren't that common. So, everywhere we go we get a ton of stares. As we were waiting at the bus stop yesterday, a bus pulled up and stopped at the curb. Other people were getting on and we were just standing there waiting for ours when I noticed a young guy staring really intently at us. I looked away and continued talking to my friends. The next time I looked up, I saw that he was taking our picture! I started thinking about how different it is here and at home. At home, staring is considered rude. Here, it is perfectly ok. As I thought about it, something we used to say as a kid when someone was staring at us popped into my head: "Take a picture, it'll last longer." Well, he did. :)
Another thing I've really noticed the past couple days is how easy we have it back home. It is unbelievable how much trouble it can be to accomplish the simplest thing here. We waited an hour at the bank and still didn't accomplish our purpose; in order to have usable water it has to be boiled in a kettle or pot; clothes must be hung out to dry; and getting a taxi can mean waiting forever in the bitter cold. In just a few days I have realized how blessed we really are. I think that this experience is going to teach me that there are so many things that I think I can't live without that really aren't so important, and just how blessed I really am.
The people here are nice, and for the most part their curiosity is well meant. Many speak English so that's helpful, but many more don't. Today a friend insisted that I ask where the bathroom was in Chinese. I fought her, but it was no use. She is very persistent. So, I walked up to a sales woman in the mall, and very nervously and unclearly, asked for the bathroom. She gave me a strange look, so I tried again. Finally, she said "Do you speak English?" HAHA. That's the first time the question has been reversed on me. So after that fail, we went up a floor and my friend made me ask again. This lady understood me! Success! I'm excited to start classes so that hopefully I can learn some Chinese soon. As for now, "ting bu dong" (I don't understand what I'm hearing) will just have to be my catchphrase. :)

9 days, 5 flights, & a 44 lb luggage limit

So, in a little over a week I'm headed out! I'm really excited, but also a little nervous. The details of this trip are still pretty sketchy, so I have a lot of questions that won't be answered until I get there. Of course, in true human fashion, I want to know every detail of everything so that I know what to expect. But, it doesn't work that way so my option is to trust! So, now all that stands between me & this new adventure is 9 days, 5 flights, & a 44 lb luggage limit :)