Today's Crazy Adventures

So today is Monday, which usually means it's a relaxing day for the foreign teachers because we just got done teaching non-stop for two days (sadly Saturday and Sunday are our busy days, so when you guys say "Yay, its Friday!" We here say, "Oh no, it's Friday.") 
Some weeks I will head to Xi'an to meet up with friends and relax in a Youth Hostel or meet some of my friends family, which is quite exciting for me.  Hostels aren't bad at all, in fact they are quite clean and you meet the most interesting people.  Example? In this picture I am with Eric, my best friend who I met in Cambodia, his two twin cousins Erin and Rachel, an Australian traveler, a European traveller and two Norwegian's having a nice vacation in China.  Where else could you find such diversity if not a Youth Hostel?  

Anyway today I awoke with only one or two plans for the day, which were 1) Go exchange currency and send money back home 2) Get medicine from pharmacy.  Easy right?  Well, of course, a lot of the time China changes things for you (sometimes good and sometimes bad).

I get a phone call this morning from my best Chinese friend, Fiona (aka FiFi), who invited me to go to lunch

with some of the CT's at this Porridge HotPot restaurant.  I, of course, said sure.  Sure meant I had to get ready in and be at the school in less than 30 minutes (I had literally woken up 30 minutes prior to the phone call).  I love hanging out with the CT's because they make conversation, I can learn some Chinese and they make me laugh.  (Honestly, I don't even like hotpot all that much but they are my friends and I was the only foreigner who was invited).  I also wore my new sandals that I bought last week.  This is one of the first times in China I have worn sandals because I was warned that China is so dirty that you're feet turn black.  When I got to school everyone asked me why am I wearing slippers and I was like "These are sandals, not slippers."  They said to me, "No we wear those inside not outside." and I just rolled my eyes because this is the second time I have gotten shoes wrong (the first time was when I bought boy tennis shoes and now I bought slippers instead of sandals).  

We all headed to the restaurant where we got a really nice booth and even got to meet the owner (If you are a foreigner most times the owners or managers of that establishment will come over to greet you).  The owner of the restaurant served us through the meal and told me about how she went to Hawaii for vacation and her son is studying in Los Angeles.  The CT's were all surprised because of the special treatment, but I told them how normal it was for foreigners in China to get this type of treatment, although for me it makes me nervous and uncomfortable at times because everyone stares at you while you're eating.  

Once the meal was over me and FiFi headed to the Bank of China, where we discovered the bank had NO DOLLARS available till Thursday.  I was devastated because I was originally going to send money on Friday but realized that I had lost my bank card (the second time I have lost it, first it was stolen with my wallet and now I think I just misplaced it).  Luckily, there was this sketchy guy listening and he said he had American dollars to exchange.  FiFi and I were reluctant so he gave me the $250 and said I could send it first and then come back and give him the RMB amount.  Me and FiFi were shocked that a Chinese man would trust us that much.  It took us awhile to agree (as both of us were freaking out about being criminals and dealing under the table ---> hilarious to watch I am assuming), but in the end I was desperate, so I took the money to the Post Office.  When they were putting the money through the checking machine, both me and FiFi were holding our breath.  Once the money cleared we both jut started laughing in relief.  As we left and started to head back to the man, FiFi told me it is very rare for someone to just give the money and trust you to return.  We found the man and gave him the money. I asked him if he worked with other foreigners and he described a few of my friends (that is when I realized this guy was who my friends called the Dollar Man).  

Side note:  seeing Man of Steel tomorrow in 3D!!! (2nd movie in China)

After the bank I walked to the pharmacy where I usually get my insulin medicine.  The lady who works there

recognizes me and always knows what I want, so it's quite easy for me.  Today, however, they told me they didn't have any (my brain was like: "What is China out of everything I need?")  Before I moved to my second apartment I went to another pharmacy where I used to live so I took a TukTuk to the other pharmacy and they still recognized me and they had what I needed (this pharmacy was the one that filmed me for a news clip, they were like "Oh! Get the foreigner in the video.  Even foreigners shop here, we are that awesome!")

All in all today was a crazy day and it's not even finished.  Every day is an adventure and that's what I love most about being in China!  2 months before I start my new adventure in Anhui Province/Hefei City, China.

Sunset in China
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