First day without Pepto Bismol! Whoo hoo!

Okay, so I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to read Chinese so that I can edit my last blog post. I realize that I sound like such a whiner. Apparently, I really did need the attitude check that my mom gave me on the train on the way home from Shanghai. I don't mean to sound like I'm complaining when I talk about all the differences and difficult experiences I'm going through. I just think that it is interesting to compare and contrast cultures. And, there are times when I'm just plain crabby because I'm tired, it's hot, and there are so many people in a small area.
Now. With all of that said, I want everyone to know that I'm having such an amazing time! I love my classes. They are so wonderful. I love that they all know Kevin Garnett from the Timberwolves and that we can bond over little things like that. Also, people here are so free with compliments. I don't think it's normal to be modest about what you are good at. For example, in my 7:00pm class tonight, I only had one student (this is fairly normal in the regular program here) and I read her an exerpt from the lesson plan. She told me that she loved my reading and that the intonation I use reminds her of the beauty of the language and of the reasons she began studying English. I wanted to cry, it was so sweet!!! I will miss the wonderful compliments when I get home. I will also miss the hospitality. Even though there are cultural barriers, it's easy to see that the Chinese people are very welcoming and are happy to have us here. They are all like grandmothers who make you eat until you're so stuffed... they show their emotions through food. And believe me, we are well-fed!
Shanghai was a very interesting experience. I loved the view of the city we got from the tower (one of the highest buildings in the world-- we were on the 88th floor). It's amazing to know that the whole sprawling thing was basically built in my lifetime (the first skyscraper there was built in 1985). When you're down in the streets on a hot day, though, it's easy to recognize China's population problem. In the open-air markets, so many sweaty bodies are in such a small space, and everyone is fighting to sell or buy something. It's a really crazy experience. Very eye-opening. Again, though, the standout of the trip was the food. mmmmm......
For the last two nights, I have been swimming at the Dragon Hotel with Jacky (our connection here, and basically our tour guide). The first night, we weren't allowed in the pool right away because there was thunder and a little lightning, but then we got to go in and swim in a very light rain, which cooled the pool down just the right amount. I was so happy to be in water!!! Then we went to a restaurant comparable to a Denny's called "900 Bowls" for dinner. Jacky, Peg, and I all got noodles and then we ordered a vegetable to share. After getting our noodles, we heard a loud BOOM from the direction of the kitchen. Then, I woman went frantically screaming (in Chinese) past us and the manager went running by with the fire extinguisher. There had been a kitchen fire/explosion of some sort. Luckily, no one was hurt, so we went on eating, but some people were a little bit frazzled by it. The next thing you know, Kenny G. music is coming over the loudspeaker as if to calm us down. And then, the waitress comes over to our table and shows Jacky the receipt, crosses off one item, and says bluntly "No vegetables." It was the funniest thing ever. Maybe you had to be there, but the whole thing was just absurd.
I had another adventure in the pool last night: Molly, Peg, and I were swimming as Jacky was playing tennis, and we were in the middle of being bathing beauties when we saw this gigantic bug in the pool. It was about the size of a small bat, and we were all really freaked out. Finally, we motioned to the lifeguard to get it out, thinking he would use the net. But no, he just picked it up by its wings and threw it into the air. It flew for just a second, and then took a kamikaze nose-dive right at my head! Needless to say, I screamed like a 10-year old girl and freaked out. We all (including the lifeguards) had a pretty good laugh about it. Especially when I decided it was a tiny terrorist cell and was trying to suicide-bomb me. Then Molly said we should be on high alert and tell "Condoleeza Lice" about it (Jacky and his brother Adam had both mis-pronounced her last name that way earlier in the evening). I just about drowned I was laughing so hard.
So, now you all know that I'm doing okay and that I'm not a whiner. Hopefully, I'll be able to figure out a way to get some pictures online or in an e-mail so that you can all see the beautiful place I'm living in (at least once it stops raining-- it has been for three days! but at least it's cooler now).
Take care! Send me an e-mail if you have a chance!!!