Missing our train

Last week we went on our first of six 5-6 day vacations.  After much ado, we finally decided to go to Shanghai for our first trip.  We woke up early Thursday morning so we would have plenty of time to make our 10 AM train. Little did we know getting a cab in Hefei at 7 AM would be impossible...  

After waiting around for about 30 min. or so we decided it would be best to take the bus. I was trying to be optimistic and kept telling everyone we were going to make it in time but unfortunately our bus got to the train station about 15 min. too late. Curses! We ran around the train station trying to find out if we could somehow get a discou

nt ticket for the next train leaving around 2:00 pm for Shaghai. (I was still trying to be optimistic) After waiting in line FOREVER (Apparently Chinese people don't actually believe in lines) we were able to get a ticket on the 2 pm train, for FREE!!! Yay!!! Only now we had a few hours to kill at the train station before we could leave.

 Having been in the rain, we were all soaking wet and our waiting lobby area was freezing! After sitting for awhile, m

y friend Meghan and I decided we wanted to get up and walk around.  While walking around the 

train station we stumbled upon the VIP

 lounge. Through the crack of the door we could feel warm heavenly air.  Meghan decided  to go in and take a look around and... because I was chicken... I volunteered to be her lookout.  

After waiting outside anxious

ly, trying not to look too suspicious, I decided to go inside.  A lady at the front desk was flipping through a chinese/english dictionary.  I guess she had tried to ask Meghan for her ticket but Meg played dumb.  We sat in there for a minute or so on the wonderful soft chairs until we saw the lady at the desk come back when we nonchalantly walked out of the VIP lounge.  

When we went back to our yucky waiting area someone was telling horror stories about the train station bathrooms.  Deciding the bathrooms in the VIP lounge would be much better, Tammi, Meg and I went to go try them out.  We brought our tickets, even though they definitely weren't 1st class tickets.  But we thought if they asked for them we would have something to show them and we could just pretend to be stupid americans (not that hard to do :) 

Well to make a long story short, we got to stay in the VIP lounge for the rest of the time!!! All of the workers in there started talking to us, practicing what little english they knew.  They even gave us chinese names, mine meaning "loves China" but don't ask me how to pronounce it. It was awesome! SO had we of made our train we would've missed out big time.  Things work out. That is all :) 

Tammi, Messa, Meghan and me with our new friend (Her English name is Meteor?) from the VIP lounge

All Around Hefei

Our view from campus

The grossest toilet I have ever seen. It's really more of a canal than a toilet. 

Danielle, Chelsea and I at Lord Bao's memorial.  

A random inflatable rainbow... I couldn't resist

Guanghau school campus 

The coolest DVD store ever! Anybody want anything?

Oh, Hefei!

What?

I'm not sure what that is... but they were selling it as food.

Abby, Danielle, Messa, Chelsea and me at the noodle place.  It was only 75 cents for a giant bowl of noodles! Sweet!

Teaching and Other Fun Stuff

Thursday was my first day teaching!!! It was INSANE! Luckily everyday since then has gotten better and better.  The kids are so stinkin' cute, even the bad ones.  This is my homeroom class, aren't they cute? There's normally more kids then this in the class... the other two were probably jumping out the window or something. 

Our Valentine's Day Date.  The ice cream was surprisingly normal tasting! Yay for ice cream!

Group picture in the park! 

My breakfast consisting of eggs, peanuts, a fried tortilla, and really good roll things with sweetened condensed milk (go try it, I dare ya!)

The track upon which I do my morning runs. Fun, fun, fun!

Nathan showing me his karate chop. Hi-ya!

Haha, this super cute kid in the came up to me and gave me a seed to feed the birds

I know it's bad to have favorites, but she is totally my favorite! Her name is Tara and she is so funny! She's super dramatic and expressive, I love it! 

My lovely roommate Danielle and I in front of a really cool triangle building

Our school! "Wo shi guanghua xue xiao de laoshi!" 

Our bus on the way home from the city center.  I'm feeling a little claustrophobic just looking at the picture...

Well, I'm definitely not in Kansas...

Disclaimer: This is my first time blogging, so please be patient with my blogging inept-ness. 

Dear family and/or friends (and the man with the mustache at Shivers. That one's for you Lauren!)

I'm here now!!!! Here, as in China! Sorry to those of you who still thought I was going to Mexico, It's been a crazy past few months. I've been here for nearly a week now and absolutely love love LOVE it! The food is amazing! I eat more vegetables a day here then I usually do in a year. The people absolutely adore Americans. Children come up to us and say hello everywhere we go! Did I mention I love China? We start teaching tomorrow. Wish me luck! 

COMING SOON: Pictures! I promise!