Where in the World are we now??

Well, here we go again with another year long adventure in China!  We arrived in Beijing 3 weeks ago!  I can hardly believe it…time is passing rather quickly.  Our flight went very well, and since we didn’t have to transfer to another location in China this year, we arrived in Beijing and luckily had ALL of our luggage.  We arrived to a completely empty and fairly dirty apt, with no soap, shampoo, TP or regular necessities.  So our first evening was spent running to find the closest store and getting a few things to get us through the night and next day.  The other CTP (China Teacher’s Program) couple arrived later that night as well.  The next day was spent going through a storage room of BYU supplies left by the previous teachers that were here before us.  Unfortunately, the apts the prior teachers lived in were closed down and we were moved to a new location, supposedly a newly renovated location.  So when those 2 couples left in July, they pretty much put everything into bins and the University crammed it all into a storage room for us to unwrap when we arrived in August…a big task.  After a couple of hours of trying to divide everything up and carrying it back to our individual apts, we at least had a few things to work with.  We came up very short of several items like linens - sheets, towels, etc. and not many dishes, so it would soon mean a few trips to the nearest store, over and over again.  After a couple of weeks, we finally have pretty much everything we need.

The “newly” renovated apts did have some new “touches” to them including new paint and a new bathroom, albeit very small and airplane-esque.  It is impossible to have both of us in the bathroom at the same time if that paints a better picture.  Getting ready in the morning to leave for teaching creates a new dynamic for sure.  But an extra mirror hung with a suction hook on the wall just outside the bathroom door where my hair dryer can reach allows Jordan to shave at the same time.  We are learning to adjust!

 

We live in what is called the IEC – International Exchange Center.  It is an 11 story building with several apts on each floor, as well as many hotel rooms on some of the upper levels for visiting professors, etc.  Overall, the apt is smaller than our Xi’an apt, but probably overall newer.  The kitchen was not renovated at all but at least there is new paint throughout the apt which creates a cleaner atmosphere for sure.  We live on the 2^nd floor which allows us to hear pretty much everything going on outside.  Most of the time I feel like we are living in “Grand Central Station” because we can hear all the talking, yelling, laughing and whatever else is going on all around us.  The IEC sits in the middle of a very small “old campus.”  Traditionally, most universities in China built their campus’ in the city and over a short period of time became landlocked with no ability to expand.  So the only and logical choice was to build a “new campus” somewhere on the outskirts of the city.  Hence the reason we live on the old campus and travel daily to and from the new campus to teach.  All graduate students and seniors live and study on the old campus.  Jordan teaches 5 senior classes on the old campus and 3 junior classes on the new campus.  It takes about 3 minutes to get to the classroom from our apt on the old campus.  I have 6 freshmen classes and 2 junior classes, ALL of which are on the new campus.  I give Jordan a mean look every morning I walk out to get on the new campus bus for an hour+ commute, and he gets to stay here on the old campus with a 3 minute commute!  ;(  I try to make best use of my time on the bus, but unfortunately it is VERY crowded so there isn't much wiggle room.  I think I may try downloading some books and listening to them.  2+ hrs a day of listening and I can have a book “read” in no time!  

After being here for a few days we needed to wash some clothes so finally tried out the old, stale, dirty, little washing machine.  Within minutes we had a swimming pool in the apt.  It was leaking everywhere and fast.  Jordan started bailing water into a bucket and I took the bucket out to our tiny and dirty balconies and began washing them down (didn't want to waste the water).  We called maintenance and after 6 hrs they finally sent someone to look at it.  They played with it for a few minutes and said it was all fixed.  Once again we tried to wash and immediately had another large pool of water to start bailing and wash down yet more balconies.  Around 9 pm after Jordan had made a few phone calls letting them know this was not going to work and could they bring a different washing machine, a new washing machine was being put into place by 4 efficient Chinese workers.  They were in and out in 15 minutes!  I was shocked!  Happily shocked!  We started up another load of laundry and wow….it worked!  Not only does the washing machine work, but every time it hits the spin cycle it sounds like we are ready for take-off in some super-duper flying spaceship.  It literally spins the daylights out of the laundry, so much so that the drying time on the rack hasn't taken too long either.  I put the clothes out on the balcony for the first 3 weeks and because it has been so hot here, the clothes were dry in no time.  Unfortunately, they smell funny from drying outside and Jordan's clothes were getting droopier and droopier the more they were washed and dried without a dryer.  SO….I finally got another dryer!!!!  Wahoo!  Best purchase EVER!!!  Amazon China is AMAZING!!!  I got online and ordered it, and within 4 days we had a dryer!  I just did our first loads of laundry this weekend and I am happy, happy, happy in Beijing!  So is Jordan because now his clothes will fit again.

Here is some input from Jordan:

     "Our new school is a lot more intense than last year.  The Foreign Affairs controls this school.  A couple of weeks ago at our opening ceremonies the Chinese Foreign Minister showed up (unusual even for our school).  Afterwards he came and shook our hands.  They tell me that after the university entrance exam there is a pecking order for choosing the top applicants.  Our university CFAU, I have been told, is first.  The choosing starts for other universities after CFAU finishes taking who they want.  It has only 1500-2000 hand-picked students.  Pretty bright students here.

     We have many more days this year where our air is clean.  Not sure what to do with that - this is China after all.  Because of the many clean-air days we seem to be having we have seen the mountains around us quite a bit.  They aren't the rugged mountains that surround Xi'an, but look fun none the less so we are looking forward to lots of exploring.  Our new campus is near the Ming tombs.  20 years ago when we came as a family on a visit we drove for a long time with nothing around us before arriving at the Ming tombs.  Now the tombs are right next to our new campus."

Well, there is much more to say but I will close it up for now.  I will also try to get some pictures uploaded, internet willing!

Happy in Beijing