First Impressions

I'll be the first to admit that I was very uncomfortable when I first came to China. Not only was I in a COMPLETELY foreign environment, I was also going through Jase withdrawals (give me a break . . . I got engaged less than a week before I left!)


DISCLAIMER:
This is not an accurate portrayal of China in it's entirety. 

But I like to tell it how it is . . . so here it is in gory detail.

The entire group of China Horizons teachers met in Beijing, where we spent a week seeing the sights before we were sent off to our respective towns and schools. We stayed at a hostel . . . in an alley. An alley that was full of things I've never experienced firsthand:

• Slime
• Filth
• Putrescence 

Boo. Boo. Rubbish. Filth. Slime. Muck. Boo. Boo. Boo. (Random side note.. did you know that the official name for that character is "The Ancient Booer?" Ahhhhmazing.)

In all seriousness, those words are actually pretty accurate. The streets were lined with garbage, and the entire street smelled a little like DEATH. I just wish I could bottle the smell, so all of you could understand what I'm talking about. It's unfathomable. 

Other oddities:

Children (and adults for that matter) go to the bathroom whenever and wherever they please. On the street? No problem! In front of 5 American girls trying to eat lunch? Naturally! If there is something wet on the street, it would be best if you didn't assume it's water . . . cause it's not.

Men love walking around with their shirts pulled up. Still trying to figure this one out. 

Everyone spits. We're talking  big fat loogies. And 90% of the time they don't look where they're spitting (aka my foot.)

Now for some visuals . . .

In case you were wondering, the answer is yes . . . that is a car driving on the sidewalk. 

Until next time :)