Notice something different?

I'm baaaack!

As most who follow my Twitter know, I've actually been back in the land of the cheese and home of the Braves for about a week and a half now. While I have a post in the works about my summer in Shanghai, I thought I'd first highlight some changes I've made to this blog.

Before:

After: (Well, what you're reading is obviously the after. But for visual comparison's sake:)

So obviously there's been a title change, tagline change, photo and profile change. The real overhaul here is going to be in content.

Posted photos will come from both the year in Dalian and the three+ months in Shanghai. But more importantly, I'm going to start posting about my daily life now as well. China-bubble-related material that is, like insane bouts of reverse culture shock; plus the occasional senior year freakouts musings. I mean, it's inevitable- it is senior year.

First Impression of Dalian

So I just arrived in Dalian this afternoon, and I miss Shanghai already.


Besides the fact that I have friends and family, and it's uber metropolitan; Dalian pales in comparison. I feel like Shanghai is actually a country on its own, and Dalian is being in actual China. I'm guessing it's comparable to living in New York City and then suddenly moving to like Lancaster. Still a happening city, but nowhere near as fun or exciting. Maybe Dalian will prove me wrong though.


I mean, there's not even a subway. The main mode of transportation I was told is the Bus 23, which will take me pretty much almost everywhere I want to go around here. The weather's been nicer lately (today is quite warm for what I was expecting of a northern city) and the beach is maybe a half hour cab ride away. It's a growing city, and I have heard nothing but good things about Dalian, but the expat community is much smaller, though maybe that's a good thing for me.


I also feel like I came the wrong year; Danny the director told me that 90% of the students have been moved to the new campus, a 20 minute cab ride away, and that my school is mostly the international students and uh, not as smart students/night class students. So basically, like, the leftovers go here. Next academic year is when the schools will be switched apparently.


My dorm is very simple (read=crappy), but I love the fact that each floor has a "dorm ah-yi" or someone to take care of the floor. Like if your RA was a housekeeper. I'm guessing, of course, I just got here.


Also, Dalian is on the seacoast really really close to North Korea, so like Shanghai has many signs in Chinese and English, Dalian has lots of signs in Chinese and Korean. Japanese is also somewhat prevalent. My roommate, I'm told, is Korean. I have yet to meet her though. Danny told me the Koreans have now switched their top investing country from the US to China [that sentence is really awkward but I don't know a good way to write it]. Maybe I'll get really hooked on Korean dramas while I'm here. That seems like a popular thing among the Chinese anyway.


So later in the semester we're taking a trip to Beijing, and then there's a toss-up between the Three Gorges and a trip to Xi'an and ...Pinyao? I forget the name. But I think I could actually convince them to take a trip to Shanghai; I pitched the idea to Danny and he said to bring it up to the other 5 people (Yes, that's right, there are only 6 of us here in the BCA program) so I could possibly be headed back to Shanghai earlier than I expected :)


So the next few days are Orientation, getting my visa switched, a health exam, whatever and then classes start on Monday. While I definitely miss Shanghai, I'm totally open to spending the next four months exploring the 'truer' side of China, I guess. Plus I want to make a trip out to the North Korean border (200 km away!), maybe Taiyuan to visit Sigma, and Beijing on my own maybe when Dr. K comes with the Etown crowd (roomie reunion!).


For sure when my 19th (or by Chinese standards, 20th) birthday rolls around, I'm heading out somewhere awesome and celebrating -maybe even take the time to go back down to Shanghai and get an awesome ridiculously decorated cake and celebrate with some relatives...I don't recall the last time I did that, if ever. I feel just like I did when I left for Shanghai - excited, but nervous thinking about how much time I'm going to be spending away from 'Home' -but this past month seems to have just flown by, and I'm sure the next four will as well.


(and yes, I will write all about Shanghai later.)

Arrival

I'm finally here! After one cancelled flight and a four hour delay on my Chicago-Shanghai flight, I arrived 28 hours later than planned but that's alright.

It's very cold and it's snowing here; I've been told that the latter rarely happens in Shanghai. I slept very well, since I was so exhausted. After nearly 18 years of coming to China I've learned to combat jet lag, and that is through sleep deprivation.

Anyway, today a friend of my dad's and his daughter came to spend the day with me; they took me to their apartment to chat with Kelly, the daughter a little bit since she is going to school in the fall in the US- actually, her English was quite good. We went out to Cloud Nine shopping mall and had lunch in a Guizhou-cuisine restaurant; then walked around in the mall. I got bubble tea! And then I bought a Chinese-English dictionary, which I am certain will get much use.

Then they drove me around to the Bund; the weather wasn't great and I had to be back home for dinner soon so we decided to come back when we had a full day to spend, and when I hadn't left my camera elsewhere. I was mad that I didn't have my camera for the sights I had already taken in today, since I take pictures of practically everything.

That's basically it; I've watched Family Guy on my laptop and have been reading Oracle Bones when I have down time (a fantastic read, by the way). My days are pretty well planned- loosely planned, but planned nonetheless, which is what I prefer anyway.

I'll try to update as much as possible; writing as simply as possible. I know blogs get boring with mundane details, so I'll write the summaries of my days, unless something really monumental occurs.