Eating in China

Once again, I am completely convinced that Matt and I are a perfect pair. Whether at restaurants or at home, I have picked food off his plate since we were dating. (Yes, I know this is rude.) After about a year, he finally told me that he hates this; and although I have tried to quit, it is a tough habit to break.

Little did we know that all along I was just preparing him for China--the land where everyone eating off everyone else's plate is common practice! (What a great place!)

He is definitely still adjusting to this difference and has decided that his favorite place to eat is the Korean restaurant. My guess is that has less to do with the actual food (although it is very tasty) and more to do with the fact they serve individualized plates. :-)

Around the Lake

After lunch today, we took the bus down to the lake... despite the awful heat... and walked along the edge and finally visited the Provincial Museum. (Matt has been wanting to go for days!)

Apartment Pictures

Everyone has been asking... So, here are pictures of the apartment. It is very nice, but even we were surprised by how nice it looks in pictures!! Perhaps that is because you can't see the refrigerator that is in our living room (it would be to the left of the TV) or the grime in the corners of the floor. :-)

Our Apartment

We are finally getting to a point where our apartment is looking how we want it to look! We have spent the past couple of days unpacking and exploring our community to find grocery stores, markets, etc.

Thanks so much to Amy's cousins for making us these wonderful pictures that are now hanging on the side of our refrigerator!

Shopping and Cleaning

We have moved into our apartment and are in the process of getting settled. We made a trip to Wu-Mart (very much like Wal-Mart) and spent last night cleaning and unpacking. Things are starting to look pretty good!

We are excited to be moving into our apartment tomorrow! The sad thing is that this means it is time to say farewell to our friends for a couple of months. We will miss these guys and their parents very much.

To send them off well, we all went out for Papa John's for dinner! Can you believe they have those here? They even deliver just like at home... well, almost just like at home. :-)

Cell Phones

I (Matt) went with some others to get cell phones today. The process took over an hour, as our passports were processed. One the plus side, there was no two year commitment! For a one hundred yuan deposit (or 150 yuan deposit if our phone numbers included the number 4, which sounds like death and is inauspicious as a result) we received a SIM card that allowed for free group calls, free incoming, and six hundred minutes a month. A 10 yuan monthly fee (app. $1.30) will be deducted from the deposit, and when the money runs out, we merely recharge the phone at a nearby store. Are you envious yet??? We even received a free six pack of beer for each new account (5 in all), and accepted the gift as the failure to do so would constitute a loss of face for both us and the giver. Therefore, I carried a six pack under each arm for the half-mile walk back to the hostel in 100 degree heat. Have no fear, we all stuck to water after our return, though we had a chuckle over Chinese promotional gimmicks.

Our Hostel

Here are some pictures of the hostel where we have been staying over the past week. The people are nice. The food is delicious. And Piper and Zeik love that there are three cats roaming around the grounds. I don't think Piper could have been more excited when she found the mouse that one of the cats had killed in the garden a couple of days ago! :-)

Our ESL training is finished, and we will spend Friday planning items to buy for our apartments. We will make the move into the university apartment on Saturday and hope to have internet connections within a few days after that.

Here are some of the sounds of China. Each night in the park along the lake, groups of Chinese families and friends play traditional instruments and sing. Matt and I heard this song two nights ago. (You should be able to click below and listen to it.)



If the song above does not work, try this link: http://profile.imeem.com/5rC-Yj/music/h8wQlkxf/traditional_music/.

If that still doesn't work, then I've obviously done something wrong, and I'll try again later!

Taxi Drivers & Scenery

Although the driving here is not quite as crazy as some places I've been (say Brazil, where there is no concept of lanes), it can still get a little crazy. Matt is convinced that if he is in the front seat of the taxi, it can be assured that we will get the most treacherous of drivers in Hangzhou... I think he is exaggerating a bit. :-)

Our hotel is near a pagoda on a hilltop. It is vibrant and detailed during the day, and it is lit up beautifully at night.