my first week!

Yes, its true, I am posting two posts in one day! Hailey, please be proud of me:)

I thought while I was sitting down writing that I might as well write about my adventures thus far. After I landed in Shanghai I jumped into a cab and headed to my friend Cheryl's house. I was super excited because I understood the cab driver when he asked where I was going in Chinese! Yay! I still have a little bit stored in my brain somewhere!  So I sat nervously in the back of the cab wondering if he was going to take me to the right place. Even if he didn't I really wouldn't know because I had never been to Cheryl's place so I had no idea what it looked like. Also, to add to the nerves and the intensity of this story, I had no cell phone. Last year when I came my blackberry worked and just charged me international fees. But this time around my chinese cell phone wouldnt turn on and my american cell phone said that it couldnt find service. Guess it couldnt handle that much roaming. If I got dropped off at the wrong place I wouldnt be able to call anyone to help me and if I was dropped off at the right place but got lost in the complex I wouldnt be able to call Cheryl to have her come find me. So after the long cab ride I arrive at the apartment complex. The address seemed to match the one Cheryl gave me but who knows when there are streets with the same name in China but just pronounced with different tones. The cab driver dropped me off infront of building two, unloaded all my luggage and drove away. I proceded to the door and rang 502, Cheryl's apartment and got no reply. I rang several more times and still go no response. I still kept my cool and decided to go to the front gate and ask for a phone. Now you must understand that most apartment complexes in China have "security". This is a highly exaggerated word for what it really is. The "security" is a whimpy gate, always half open anyways, and a chubby or frail older man sitting in a little room watching tv. I could out run these guards even with a recently repaired ACL. So I hauled all of my luggage to this "security" check point and asked the guard for a phone. At first he just stared at me and then he just shewed me away with his had and mumbled some Chinese to me. Every complex  also has chairs in the entrance set out for old people to gather and soak up the humidity during the day or converse about their oh-so-busy days in the evening. This is where I camped out for the next 45 minutes siting in an awkward language-barrier-filled silence with the guard. I just set my suitcases beside me, leaned back on my backpack and kicked my feet up in my rain boots on my suitcases. I did arrive quite a bit earlier than I expected so I thought that maybe Cheryl just wasn't home yet. And if she wasnt back there in 45 minutes I would get back in a cab and go to my school and wake up Uncle Marty who lives there. Luckily Cheryl just not being home was the case. She strolled through the gates and I was saved. oh, by the way this all took place between 10:15-11:15 pm :) nothing like feeling stranded late at night in China!
That was now a little over a week ago and my time since I arrived has been spent trying to beat the jet lag, starting school and finding an apartment so I could give Cheryl her floor back(where I have been sleeping! haha). After doing a lot of research online and going to see several apartments I have FINALLY found one. I decided to stay close to my school instead of live in the cool and hip area I lived last time. Rent is way cheaper out here and it will force me to practice my Chinese since my place is not in an area with a lot of expats.
As I said earlier I have returned to school. The first day of school was last Thursday(and I returned on Tuesday, talk about being thrown into the swing of things!). It took me a few days to get back into the groove of teaching but I am starting to love it again. Unfortunately I didn't get ALL of my classes from last year, ended up with only one:( But I know that I will love these kids just like I loved my kids last year. And my class that I did get were my little babies from last year so I get to see them all grown up! They are so tall now! Another plus is that my old kids are still at the same schools so I have gotten to see some of them in the hallways.  Its actually really funny to see my kids from last year because they are extremely confused when they see me. I am sure they thought I was dying from my leg injury or something!
And now everything is slowly getting back to normal. I sign my lease for my apartment on Friday and can move in right away! I am so excited to have my own place and to be able to unpack my stuff and decorate it all cute. A huge Ikea trip is a must right when I get paid! I will work on getting pictures of my new kids, old kids and my new place and post them sometime soon!

ps. I miss all of you so much and love you heaps and heaps!