welcome

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4.25.08

ni hao from china!

we've been here for one week, and we have one more week to go. it has been really great seeing everyone, and it is especially great to spend time with whitney. i'm really glad to be here, although the weather has reminded me of arkansas weather (it was 80 degrees our first day here, then it snowed about 4 inches on Monday). this trip has also helped me see the less "romantic" side of living here. for instance, once we arrived in the city and settled into the apartment we are staying in, the small hallway toilet overflowed with sewage for about 30 minutes. gross. but other than that, it has been really enjoyable. different, but enjoyable. 

and in celebration of the "it's not wrong, it's just different" moments of being here the second time, here is a top five list for your reading pleasure: 

top five oddities of being in china

1. toilet paper that is really crepe paper-- you know, like the party decorations you hang up-- the toilet paper is basically a white, slightly larger version of this. its also a little rough on the bottom. 

2. "spicy dirt" smell. brian coined this term, which is used to describe the really interesting and never pleasant stink of the city. 

3. crossing the street in chinese traffic. crosswalks are for sissies! this is all about running into the middle of the road and trying to dodge busses, taxis, bicycles, etc. always a rush, and not for the faint of heart. 

4. mini-everything! mini-refrigerators. mini-sinks. mini beds. mini-plates, chairs, cups, cars... you get the idea. when everything is made to accommodate the average-sized chinese person, being a 5'9" american girl makes me feel like a giant 

5. everything is incredibly "zhenda tai pian yi le!" (really very cheap). even with the weakening dollar, its still incredible to think of how inexpensive everything is to a westerner. (e.g. a bottle of water costs 1 kuai, which is 1/7 of a u.s. dollar--amazing.) 

and if you have been to xining, you know these things already. so, happy china-life from us here. we'll see you in a week or so. 

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4.14.08


have i mentioned how much i love my friends?














we're counting down 3 days until china! i can taste the muslim noodles now.... i'll also be taking "shout outs" for whitney if anyone is interested.

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4.3.08

! *g* 
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