Three Weeks in Yantai

It is now the night before the fourth week here in Yantai. What's to tell. Things have settled down a bit for me. My apartment is suited up, and I know where to buy groceries, and living supplies. My classes are going well. The students are beginning to ask more questions and feel a little more comfortable talking in class. The culture shock often spoken of in books and by travellers has not quite set in. I have many friends who speak english well enough to get along, and they help me when I ask them.

I will start tutoring some primary school students next week. There are six boys, three of them are ten years old, and two are twelve. I will be tutoring them in their english studies, once a week for each age group. I also hired some chinese tutors for myself. Four college freshmen, in the school of foreign languages have agreed to tutor me once a week for 20 Yuan an hour. I get paid 90 yuan an hour to tutor english and I pay 20 yuan an hour to be tutored chinese. Thats a good deal for me. My top student and friend Xiang Wuo Jie, also agreed to tutor me once a week for 20 yuan an hour. He is a college Junior, and is the best english speaker I know. He is studying law at the department I teach in. I think he can help me in ways the other students cannot.

My apartment now has gas connected for the stove. The school pays my water and electricity bills. I pay my gas and internet bills. Gas should be about ten yuan a month. Internet is 130 yuan for three months. Thos are my only expenses other than food and entertainment. I don't have internet in my apartment yet, but I expect to have it in the next few days. The apatment was basically refurbished for me, and all new appliances installed, including a computer, sheets, and a even a giant towel.

I went shopping today for posters for my walls. I found some at 1 yuan per poster and I bought six of them.

I cooked food for myself for the first time two nights ago. I made breaded beef, with noodles, eggplant, egg, and spices. Tonight I made noodles with beef and bell peppers. I accidentally burned my lip because the noodles were too hot when I first tasted them.

I made acquaintances with my neighbors. Yhe girl next door is Chinese, 25, and a middle school teacher. The girl above me is 25 Korean and a Korean teacher at Lu Dong Dao Xie (University). The Korean girl doesn't seem to care for me, but I hear Korean girls are very private. The Chinese girl lets me use her internet every evening, and has come over several times to hang out and talk.

Litianfei and I ate lunch together today at his favorite noodle joint. Xiang Wo Jue and I went today looking for posters, and we checked out the electronics again at San Jiang Market. He is looking for a 250 GB external had drive like the one I brought from the States, and I am looking to see if I can find a reasonably inexpensive graphics card for the computer the school is providing. I can't even wtch a movie with the integrated graphics, but that's not a complaint, it's my reason for looking.

The primary school students should be a hoot. They are just little kids, but they know some english. I am supposed to help them with a test booklet for learning english. It's only two one hour sessions a week, but they should learn a lot.

My class schedule is: Tuesday 2pm-3:30 International Law, Thursday 3:30 -5:20 American Governmental Structures, Friday 9:50-11:10 International Law, Friday 3:30-5:20 American Governmental Structures. I have some classes each week that change times. Usually there are two to three 1.5 hour classes where I talk about America and ask the students what they would like to know.

I have a lot of free time. I usually have most of Monday off, Most of Tuesday off, all of Wednesday off, some of Thursday off, and I work all day Friday. Saturday and Sunday arealways free. I have to prepare lessons for my two law classes, but I usually do that over the weekend. So I am not working too hard. I do spend a lot of time trying to learn about China and I plan on learning chinese during a lot of my free time. I had my first lesson today. I learned Chinese numbers 1-10, How to ask for the restroom, How to ask the price of an item, how to tell a taxi driver to take me to the University's South Gate, how to ask someone's name, and a few more necessaries. Xiang Wo Jue says I should practice every day.

Everyone says my apartment is really nice. That always makes me feel good. I keep it pretty clean. Now that I hve everything I need, I can pretty much stay at home if I want to, but I get out almost every day, especially when it's sunny. The weather is on the cold side most days. On overcast days the temperature sits around 50 degrees. On sunny days the temp is in the sixties, and it feels great.

Today, I got on the most crowded bus I have yet been on. I was surprised they could close the doors. It was packed that tight. One woman got on and she was mhanging out the door, when the door shut and squeezed her in. It was a little funny, and I took a picture of the crowded door, with he in it.

Xiang told me today that I must feel like the incredible hulk here, because I am so much bigger and stronger than most. Almost every man I have met has commented on how strong I am. I tell them my brother is taller and stronger and they have a hard time believing me.

Oh, I was asked to join the faculty basketball team, as the center. I accepted. Apparently the team is really good. They were very happy that I agreed to play. I have not played basketball for a few years. I guess my height advantage woll carry me where my skill will not.

The other teachers ask me occaisionally to join them in the teachers office to talk politics, and America. They always get me a glass of their best tea, and one professor always offers me his very expensive cigarettes. The teas here is really good. The one the teachers always make me has rose petals in it, as well as fine green tea. It costs about 200 yuan for box.

When I get the connection going in my apartment, I will post my pictures from the past week. Well, gotta go.