Mosquito Bites Galore

This is my fourth and a half day here in Shanghai, and I've already been bitten by mosquitoes and bugs about 6 times. The mosquitoes/bugs in China are different than Taiwan's... in Taiwan, when I get bitten, the bite leaves a small pock with small inflammation. In China, each big is about an inch and half in width and height, and the whole bite swells up with the core hard and itchy. I wore jeans today to avoid scratching my legs and leaving scars, but it was so hard to resist!

Yesterday, the whole day was filled with orientation stuff. I don't even remember what we did, because it just felt like a blur. But, at night, we ate dumplings with our Chinese language teachers. I placed in Advanced Chinese, but I don't feel like I belong there. I can speak the language, but I have difficulty reading and writing. Our teacher is so sweet though, and I think she will definitely go easy on us, since most of us don't have much experience reading or writing Han Yu.

I do recall today, however... this morning, we woke up early to go to more orientation things. I feel like the whole week, the orientation is just repeating what has already been said: don't talk about touchy topics with the Chinese, don't drink too much, stay healthy, and call your parents. Everything else is just a deviation of those topics.

Tonight, we have a banquet with the whole faculty... so I should be taking some pictures. Stay tuned!


One of the cafeterias on campus


The tallest building on campus (nicknamed the twin towers); Guang Hua Building


This is for you, Steven!!!!! Millions (or what seems like millions) of bikes on campus


Cute little kitty outside our dorm playing with a bike... there are a bunch of stray cats on campus


Condom machine?! It seemed funny, but China (like most countries) is facing AIDS problems


Strong Man brand, haha


Our student coordinator, Ann, with the Director of our program, Li Laoxi, performing a skit about alcohol and what it could do to you when you're taking a cab home drunk. Hilarious


Dinner (dumplings) with our Chinese teachers! This is my class; level 401 (Advanced Chinese). There are only 5 of us, and most of us don't know how to read or write Chinese well... haha. We just know how to speak the language!


Activity at night... my group's awesome poster!


Walking to orientation... we saw a cute little puppy! Its teeth were fully exposed... so I was kind of scared it would bite me. But, it was super sweet!


Picture with the Chairman again (except, with a bigger group)! The guy taking the picture didn't realize we wanted the Chairman in the picture...



...so I told him to take another one.