If you had asked me a year ago what I would be doing with my life I would never in a million years have said teaching English in China. Ask me a year ago if I would even go to China I would have said no. So where am I living, China. Things I never thought I would do I am doing now in China. Things I would have thought completely strange now I think are normal. 

I thought I would share some of these.

1. Squatting to go the bathroom. One of the main reasons I thought I wouldn't go to China or even camping in the woods without a toilet. Squatting sounds so primitive so odd. Yet now I have no issues doing it in China. And I would even consider now going on a long hike at home where I would have to squat in the woods. Yesterday I saw a girl squatting and texting..yes it does happen. (the door was open fyi I was not peeking in)

2. People staring. People stare at you all the time here. There is nothing odd about that. Because I am different they stare. It doesn't bother me now nor do I think about it. I will stare back though

3. Children peeing in the street. I went to the museum the other day and a little girl was peeing in the street. Now could the dad have waited to take her inside yes but what is better to pee on the street or to pee in a toilet.. When I first got here I was shocked to see that, now its like oh there goes another child peeing in the street.

4.  Crossing the street in the middle of traffic. There are no pedestrian right of way laws here.  They may have the little green and red guys at the cross walk but its fair game. Scooters and bikes can go whenever, left hand turns are happening the same time the light is green. And they don't care if you are crossing or not. They will go and you will go at the same time. Its whoever has the most guts. And its gotta be you!

5.  Pollution..ok not something I have gotten use to but its part of the daily grind. Instead of asking how is the weather, we ask how is the pollution today. We have air quality index apps on our phones... 

Those are just a few weird things that have become the norm.  China is an interesting place! 

Silk Street

The joys of silk street in Beijing China. Silk street is the number one place for foreigners to go to get there Chinese gifts. Its a five story wonderland of bargaining and anything you could possibly imagine. They have silk sheets, silk scarves, silk hankerchiefs, silk underwear, silk suits, silk paintings, they have fake silk everything, they have any Chinese gift you can imagine. Whether it be painted dragons or Buddha statues you name they have it. They have every "name brand" shoe out there along with the non name brand such as U&G and some weird knock off Nike shoes. And they love foreigners in this market place. They try to rip you off like no one elses business. They play a game where they say special price just for you 1600 and you are like no way. Then its ok you are my friend Ill make it 1400, try 100 I say. They laugh its impossible. What about 1100. I say ya right, they say ok real price.. I say 100... no that not possible. Then the price goes down but not nearly enough. So you finally walk away, as you walk away the price is then reduced to 100!

I have been there several times since moving to China. I have seen all kinds of people in the Silk Market. My favorite are the older women in the fancy coats and blinged up nails and hair. The richy rich. I was getting a pair of boots for 120 and they were trying to get high heel (really ugly shoes btw like hooker heels). They lady told them I think like 2400 for a pair of these shoes. The rich lady laughed and was like no 1600. (meanwhile I am rolling my eyes thinking you could get those for less than 200). The shop ladies loved this. I love watching people get ripped off at the Silk Market mainly cause they are idiots. They fall for the gimmaces of these people. The people who hate to bargain are another treat for them. They say oh I don't want to bargain they work hard for there money (please....).

I got ripped off myself the other day I bought an item and brought it home. I got home and realized it was not good quality. My one friend said oh thats a shame that happened you are stuck with that. Ha no, I marched back to the Silk Street and told the shop lady flat out this is not authentic. She exchanged right away. If you call them out they will give you what you want. People don't realize this. My friend was like I would have been too scared to do that. What did I have to lose by trying, nothing! You learn in China that if you want something you gotta march out there and get it.

Wohoo its Friday night! Oh wait, I have to work all day Saturday and Sunday! Fun times ahead! My weekends in China are nothing like they were back home. I have to work all day Saturday and Sunday, I am teaching six classes for a total of 12 hours of teaching. Which honestly is not that bad. You also need to factor in the extra two hours I put in parent huddles (showing the parents what the children learned) and clubhouse activities before class. All in all though not too bad. And on Sunday I get a super long break for four hours. That is my time to catch up on and get stuff done!

Today I was teaching children sports. Since I work for an American company we call soccer, soccer. None of this football thing that the rest of the world calls it! Well I was telling the students the sports : baseball, football, soccer, tennis, table tennis, golf,  and basketball. The whole soccer thing really confused them. They were like football, very persistently. It was actually kinda funny. And same thing with table tennis, they were like ping pong. Well those are both technically right but since we are teaching the vocab words soccer and table tennis its not right....I love when things are technically right but because I need to teach them specific words its not.

I have been a bit under the weather. So during my break at work I went to the grocery store to buy some bananas and look for ginger ale. (a very impossible thing to find here in China).  I got to the check out and there is always a huge line at the store. Even at 3 in the afternoon. I have never seen a check out line move more slowly. Its my turn to pay and the guy says something to me I don't understand and then he laughs. So thinking he is going to be sneaky he pulls out this fifty from the bottom of the draw that is all crumpled up and taped up. I am like umm no way you are not giving me that nasty bill. I know places that won't take that. So I tell him boo (which is no in Chinese) and he rolls his eyes. Meanwhile I drop 50 cents on the floor. The lady behind me scrambles to pick up the money. Instead of handing me the money she sticks it her purse and smirks.. really its 50 cents...

After living in China for three months I have decided to create a blog. Most people wouldn't believe the stuff that happens here nor will I probably remind it when I get home. Things that are everyday occurs living here would shock many people.

Getting on the subway is always interesting. Someone is usually try to cut in front of you or push you onto the train. Going on the subway at rush hour is the worse. You are literally pressed up against people. People are touching things they shouldn't be touching. You are lucky to get off the subway when its your stop. And guartnee you will feel squished.