my first real weekend in china: digest version (a week and a half late)

So my inability to blog about things in a timely manner is largely due to the fact that I've been getting busier and busier since I've started having a social life in China. For the first week here I felt a little lonely and out of place and had plenty of time to sit at my computer, but since then it's been a lot harder to find the time.

On Friday of the first week of classes we finally had our big meeting for all of the foreign teachers, which was excellent because it gave us a better idea of what is going on, a lot of free stationary products, and a chance to meet the other foreign teachers. Our meeting was followed by a banquet, which ended with the younger set of foreign teachers all migrating together to Jennifer's Cafe and then to my apartment. This cast of characters includes (besides me and Kitty): Ali, who is from Scotland, spent the past year teaching English in Korea, and lives in the apartment directly below mine in the hotel; Sarah, who just graduated from Cambridge; Jens, who is dating Sarah, also just graduated from Cambridge, and is from Denmark but has the most posh British accent you'll ever hear; and Jan, who is a German teacher in his 2nd year here, and who we don't see as much of.

I believe pictures will speak louder than words about anything else I have to say regarding the weekend in question.

Kitty and Jens attempt to pull/push a cart full of beer up a non-functioning escalator ramp at Ren Ren Le.

Ali and the Chinese friends he made on the non-functioning escalator. Ali has an amazing ability to meet people everywhere he goes.

Jens thought photo time was a good time for tickling me, so now you all get to see my teeth.
Which reminds me of a note from one of my students on my Teachers' Day card (still to come): "I hope your teeth can see the sun everyday; that means you are smiling!"

And a solitary photo from Saturday evening! Yes, I'm still in China. There is an absurd amusement park area downtown in Xi'an. See Kitty's blog for some photos of Ali and I singing karaoke and being proposed to by a large German man.