I have had to pinch myself every couple of minutes today. I am in China. Really in China.

We landed yesterday afternoon after a very long day. It was amazing to watch as our plane descended into the thick layer of smog hovering over Beijing and all of a sudden see the city emerge. I was exhausted, had a head ache, hadn't eaten anything good for 12 hours, but I was in Beijing so nothing else seemed to matter. From the newly constructed airport building that put most American airports to shame, we got on buses to our new school. There we sat through a brief orientation session and got to know a little bit about the city. After that all 54 of us stumbled out of the building, bleary eyed, and were greeted by our new families! My family found me and grabbed my luggage, ignoring my protests, and got a taxi. I was amazed as I watched the city fly by me in a swirl of characters and bright lights.
Then we arrived at our hutong. It is a small but charming little house with 5 or 6 rooms. I unloaded my stuff and then my host mom put delicious and unidentifiable food on the table and proceeded to load my plate. It was very good even though I have NO idea what I ate. After that I passed out on my bed, which is a flat board with a blanket over it that is surprisingly comfortable, and slept.

The morning came and I ate some other equally delicious and unidentifiable food. Then my host parents went to the police station to get my residence permit and took me to a bike shop (I will post pictures from that soon). I now am the proud owner of a pink bike that is an inch or two short for me, but I love it anyway. I then went on my bike to school with my host dad, a good 30 minute ride, and was assaulted from all sides by buses, cars and other bikes. It was terrifying, but I am sure I will get used to it soon. Did I mention I can't find a helmet anywhere...

Afterwards we went to school and my host dad dropped me off. I heard all the tales of the other students first nights in China ranging from taking showers with buckets to living in two story houses. It is a big mix of situations.

In the afternoon we went on a scavenger hunt through our neighborhood in small groups and had to do things ranging from using a public telephone to finding out how much getting your hair washed costs. It was exciting, but incredibly tiring. The heat was slightly oppressive and the cloud of smog seemed to grow denser by the minute. On my way home with my host dad I had a little bit of difficulty staying awake let alone being alert enough to navigate the packed roads. Overall, it was an exhausting but wonderful first day in Beijing.

I miss my family and friends a lot, but I have been so busy that I haven't had time to dwell in it. I hope I don't get too home sick... or physically sick for that matter- one person in our group is already having digestive issues...

Until next time,
Julia

Song of the Day
First Day of My New Life By: Bright Eyes