I am in China

I am in China. I'll try to make a post about the airplane ride, the apartment, and other things separately.

For the most part, I have been sick, sprained, or sick. Excellent. What adventures I have. Well, so long as I don't have to go into a hospital, I'm pleased at any success.

I'm so glad I came with this group. Even if I got delayed, even if I have been sick, the visits and help I've gotten for ordering, the background information on the city have all been wonderful. I've seen graves, been corrected on names, bought a broom (so much cleaning needs to get done in this apartment).

Even if it meant walking on an untreated sprained ankle for several days. It feels much better now.

China is very different. Much dirtier than I was expecting. But it is still good to be here, though when I'm super-exhausted I'm sure I sing a different tune.

But I am here.

Missed flight

Well, after a surprise goodbye involving Aunts, I got into my plane and headed to Denver, expecting a 20 minute race to the nearby gate. Instead, I discovered that the Denver plane had been delayed two hours- enough for me to miss my flight.

I've been rebooked, and am waiting six more hours until I can board and sleep (If I didn't have such blisters, I'd attempt to get a travel pillow). I slept for lightly an hour on the plane and most likely a half-hour at the airport.

But things are taken care of now, hopefully. I wish I wasn't so tired. I had planned to be sleeping now.

Oh well. The issue is now contacting my university and passing along information, and the Chinese teacher has been invaluable in doing so.

Oh yeah, I'm now really nervous about my bags. Super nervous, in fact. Where did they go? Where have they come from?

Heading off

I head off for my flight in few hours. I managed to get everything packed into the two carry-ons. The main carry-on looks a little full- but it will be a free checked item when I transfer at lax, so I care less. If I have to check it, I'll check it.

I am really anxious. I am mainly excited, looking forward to leaving, but I'm also really nervous, as I don't know how many opportunities I'll have to speak Chinese to people will arise, and if I can learn Chinese fast enough.

But I'll be okay, I know. If my bags get lost I can wait for them patiently for several hours, and I have a box that will be on the way (hopefully, though longer, it will be cheaper). And though my carry-ons are a tad heavy (I thought I wasn't taking any books, but I have proved myself wrong), they're within airline regulations, and much, much lighter than when I went to Japan for six months. Considering what I might have done if I allowed myself a checked back the entire way through- I'm okay with that.

This whole trip is about 35 hours, plus an hour of travel after I meet up with everyone.

All that's left...

Well, I have packing. Some of it is done. Some of it, like the boxes, are not yet done.

Much sadness.

I also am waiting on a book about the history of Great Britain, because if I am teaching a survey of English-speaking countries, I'm going to start with where the history comes from. Sorry, South Africa, you are not the origin of the English-speaking world.

There are two classes I'm teaching, one full of video references, and one with a lot more focus on the countries themselves. It's a good thing I know people from all these countries. Not all of them per say (I think India, where English is official language #2), but most of them. If worst comes to worst, I will attempt accents that I have no business attempting.

My banking is all done (I look forward to tax day in the future), and I have acquired a hopeful means to get through the Great Firewall of China. Hopefully.

Hopefully.

I'm still really, really nervous. And I just recovered from being sick, too, yesterday. I dunno what it was, but my digestive system is full of gaps and errors still, trying to fight my eyes for choosing poorly selected items.

I bought yet another item, I'll confess. I didn't mean to buy it, but when I was asked to provide audio-visual samples I realized my computer could not hold what I needed. So I found a mini-passport, and because I couldn't do math (7x10 is 700, right? Weep for me. Weep. I blame the sickness still) I bought the larger external hard-drive passport.

I think it will do me well. I have nicknamed most of my electronic items. As if they were people. As if they could replace people. This new thing, it is called "monkey". Because it is headed west. To China.

I'm not sure how many of you will get that. That's okay.

So now I'm left sucking the air from bags, attempting to see what I can send people before I leave, attempting to see what I can arrange for the plane, and pretty sure most of my time in Beijing will be studying Chinese. Because that's how it should be.

I don't feel prepared at all. Instead I feel anxious, nervous, and burpy.

Still, there is tomorrow. I leave at 5pm from my house to airport. So I will update a bit before then.

In charge of:

History and aduio-visual examples. For class.

I was informed three days before I leave.

I'm collecting samples, mainly from the internet, and histories of English-speaking countries.

Alas, there's not much time to update, sorry. :(

I leave in 4 days. What.

I have to prepare.

I have a list of 17-19 things that I still have to do.

...crap. Why was/am I distracted by shiny things instead?

Also, I've been sick the past couple of days (and today), but still. I feel...

...like I shouldn't be sick less than four days before I go.

Mentally I think I'm starting to freak out.

With all of these spaces, yes, yes I am.

But I have something now to snack on the plane with, that I didn't expect, so I am rather pleased with the starburst jellybeans. That took care of some things.

As long as I keep Mom away from them.

Many difficult tasks ahead of me, I see. As long as I start cracking down, though, right?

Right?

eep.