Okay I just realized how long this was, I needed to vent. Sorry, I obviously got carried away

Ahhh! I’m still cooling down.  A 45min bus ride turned into a two hour ping-pong game! We were suppose to have one last shrimp fry before Adam and Dantzelle took off. Okay so the journey started at 5:20 I decided to go ahead of Adam and Dantzelle as I didn’t want to sit around until Dantz finished classes. I was half way to Jusco (supermarket) when I realized I didn’t grab the money I had laid out, crap okay just skimp at the store.

I was trying to get ingredients for Easy Almond Roca for the Christmas Party this weekend. I needed to use Katie and Thomas’s toaster oven so couldn’t put shopping off. Chocolate is so dang expensive here. Don’t even try finding chocolate chips so I settled on a Y20 Dove bar got the rest and tried to find a bus direct to the University, this is were all my troubles began.

I should have just walked the extra two blocks and grabbed the 16 but no I wanted to be lazy. I called Katie and she told me the 52 would work but I would have to transfer to the 16 once I got to DongFong Lu, okay I can do that. Well obviously not. As warned the bus went down shady back allies but got back on a main road headed east. I thought it was the wrong street but I noticed that the 16 ran parallel so I jumped off, NEVER CHANGE your answer. That was something I learned in Elementary always go with the first answer second guessing is ALWAYS wrong.

I got off and tried my hand at characters. I knew the characters for South Gate (南门) found the stop four away and waited for the bus. Mind you I take full responsibility for the following adventure but the Chinese sure are not helpful when it comes to directions! Let me lay out what I know, Katie and Thomas work at Weifang University which in Chinese would be Weifang Daxue. They live outside the South Gate which is Nan men. Okay so logically put the two together and you get their stop right?!? Well the bus stop sign had a stop that read Nan men, I assumed (yes I know what assuming means) as Weifang University was a big place in town they were just dealing with gates. I hopped on the bus and asked the Driver Weifang Daxue nan men. He said no and point across the street to the opposite bus stop. The 16’s are tricky here there are two 16 routes both will eventually pass the University South Gate.

That is when I should have gone with my first answer yet again. I knew which direction I wanted to go. So why I was letting someone direct me differently when there was obviously a language barrier is right up there with getting in that cab with a stranger. I crossed the street and looked at the board again okay, I’ll give the driver this much to get to the stop marked Nan men I needed the opposite side of the road but turns out I was reading the wrong stop. I figured this out 15 min later when I realized I was back on the street I started on, back at Jusco. My heart sank, I called Katie to figure out what had happened, that’s when I found out all though it is a University they don’t call it Daxue it is Xueyuan or College! What the heck! So the bus stop I needed was on the original side labeled, Weifang Xueyuan Nan men. What I can’t figure out is why the driver didn’t catch my drift when I said University (Daxue). Daxue Nan men should at least indicate I want to go to a school. Turns out Nan men bus stop is a shopping mall. COME ON PEOPLE work with the foreigner here please!!!!!

I get off cross the street and broad yet another bus. This one was the right one I knew for sure as it was the bus stop I should have just walked to in the first place! By then I was completely exasperated with the whole situation but mostly at myself as I should have just gone with my first instinct.

I’ve come to realize I can gauge my mood by the volume level on my Zune. It is normally at about 6 while riding a bus. By the time I made the final switch I was on 14. 20 is when I buy a ticket for the next plane out of China. Excessive today, yes, hormones aren’t helping anything. To top it all off I missed my stop as I was too absorbed in self pity. So what should have been a Y2 45min ride was Y4 2hour ping-pong game across Weifang. By the time I reached Katie and Thomas’s I was on 16 and then Katie asked for the bread crumbs I’d promised to pick up. Whoops, Katie is just to gracious she was on the ball with a substitution and not a hint of frustration.

So lesson learned always go with answer number one. NEVER EVER EVER change your answer.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?num=1&t=h&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=111339267398628592226.000474994180243f527da&ll=36.682428,119.089469&spn=0.003932,0.006856&z=17

I found my college on Google maps. I’ve flagged some places around town that I usually go, you can view them by clicking on the Goooogle pages in the search box on the left. You might have to zoom out to get the picture to come up.

 I met up with Wendy at 8:40 this morning. The chairman’s daughter and her classmate met us at the at t

 

Wood-Cut station, amazing details.

 

Watching the printing was breath taking, the maticulous efforts that are applied are awe inspiring to say the least.

 

The kites are made from thin sheets of silk. The paint is applied one color at a time let each color dry before applying the next.

 

Bamboo framework, all done by hand from selection to completion.

 

 

 

All the kites are handmade. The large one was Y600, reasonable I felt after seeing the entire process.

 

Yi, me & Yi, the wood-cuts on the door are protective deities to keep evil spirits from entering.

 

Intricate Paper-cuts, handmade

 

"Original" Ming Dynasty home.

 

Yi & me, can you see our personal stoves?

 

Hot Pot, it just might be my new favorite.

 

Driver, Yi & Wendy

 

Lobby, Largest Kite Museum in the World

 

My favorite kite in the Museum. Gold meddal winner at the Kite Festival.

 

An international kite donated to the Museum after one of the International Kite Festivals

 

a Ledgendary kite that is recognizable all over China

 

How many old men do you see? (answer: 3)

 

An aerial of Weifang, really if only I could expereince such a clear day.

 

Cabbage is a winter flower here, it does provide beautiful color in an otherwise dull landscape.

 

I never asked what this particular pagoda is currently used for but my guess is observation.

 

The path ran right along the water, more than once I gave Wendy a scare by walking too close to the edge.

 

______ Park, I just loved the Pagoda.

Today was delightful. From start to finish it was a great.

Well as long as it’s foggy its too warm to snow, right!? It has been a little foggy a few times but when I looked out the kitchen window this morning it felt like home.

Out my Kitchen window. The Cantina isn't even visible.

View from my Bedroom.

At least Christmas will have the same foggy feeling as home. I am learning my weather limits here. If I move somewhere cold again, knock on wood, I want to go dry cold. I think I would be able to handle that better. This damp cold just seeps into your bones and makes warming up a real chore.

I know that by writing this post I relinquish the right to claim that I will freeze to death this winter. I do reserve the right to complain about the cold weather and remind all those at home that it is bone chilling Sibierian winds I must fight daily to survive.

The only reason I'm still here.

  About a month ago people began discussing the coming Winter. It soon became apparent that I was no where near prepared for what was to come. As a California girl through and through my thin blood could not comprehend the temperatures they were discussing nor the wind chill factors they all dreaded. The Idahoans and Utahans in the branch soon took pity on me and began helping me outfit for the winter. Victoria was the life saver, she lent me this beautiful bad boy for the winter. I must admit when she handed it over I almost laugh it was so light. 100% down this baby is. I always thought the only way to get warmth was weight boy was I wrong. Nothing gets past this coat, now if only I could get a pair of pants made of this stuff.  

Outfitted for winter! Still taking donations.

Well I’ve finally hit a few brick walls. I’ve been lucky up until this point not having hit any regulations but this one is a bit harsh. The heat in our building is controlled and will not be turned on until November 16th. Can I just say how relieved I am that I will be leaving for 5 days.

So one of my favorite movies is The Saint  with Val Kilmer, it takes place it Moscow with no heat! I always thought the concept of a city being completely without heat was ludicrous but obviously not. Weifang will be without heat until the officials turn it on. So for now it is just bundling and lots of cooking in the kitchen to get some heat circulating in the house.

My bedroom heater.

Why does everything have to be in Chinese?!?

I haven’t left the building all day but the stairwell sure feels like Siberia so I don’t feel the need to go outside and check the temperature.

The last two days have been rainy and windy. I guess I am just now learning what they meant by Windy city. I feel like I’m back in Rexburg walking home uphill against the wind. My jeans blowing in the wind it is so strong. That is not an exaggeration by the way. So I would say Winter is here but I have a feeling this is just typical fall. I’m NOT looking forward to winter.

I don’t know if the walls are that thick or what but I don’t hear the wind which surprises me, but I can sure see it blowing.

…and I’m beginning to look for loop holes in my contract.

Okay lets be honest, I’m cold blooded. Meaning my internal thermostat is about as good as a newts! I don’t adapt to temperature change well. Okay cold blooded definition #2 probably works for me as well.

Autumn has come and so has the WIND. The weather is still trying to make up its mind so some days are warm others are cold. It has helped me acclimate but the foreshadowing is beginning to scare me. To set the record straight the websites I consulted prior to coming to Weifang were all grossly misinformed! The temperature here WILL drop below freezing and with the wind chill factor lets not give the ‘Feels Like Temperature’.

So lets see what does my contract say about backing out early? Hmmm…oh thats right the a $800-$3,000 USD fine! Okay so looks like I’m going to stick it out this Winter after all.

What ever happened to the promise I made myself, never to live any place freezing. Freezing being anything under 70*.

Lets just say I could get use to this all to easily!

I had two days off this week for the school track meet. I love the fact that the school only tells the teachers of these days off, two days before. Really vacation time just isn’t important to these people obviously. I called Bonnie and asked if she would like to meet for lunch Wednesday, she agreed and suggested inviting Brad and Kelly.

I meet up with them Wednesday for lunch and had a splendid time. I must admit our combined Chinese was horrible okay worse than horrible. Brad and Kelly have been here 8 months and still don’t speak it. So part of me really just wants to give up now. They’ve managed life in China just fine, I know that is not the road I want to take but giving up is just so easy. Anyway back to lunch. Bonnie fortunatly knew some food words and it all seemed to work out in the end, tons of great food arrived and we dug in.

After lunch Brad left to teach a class and the three of us girls went out to explore the city. There is tons to do in Weifang I discovered. They both had a list of places they want to go and things to see. So new goal, stop hiding out in my apartment and get out and see the city.

First new place of the list was the Pets market. Bonnie had been before and led the way, okay, I’m not an animal fan and I even got depressed.

A flea market Pet's Mart

Not your average pet selection.

 

 

 

 

 

Bonnie with the...um...oh yeah they are suppose to be rabbits.

The most horrifying of all the Squirrel.

 

 The condition of the Squirrels were the most horrifying of all. To ease my pain I just told myself the squirrels where on some type of speed to make them hyper for customers. Although in all honesty I just think they have gone clinically insane with their living conditions and have lost it! Can you blame them? Look at the size of those cages they are in. The only reason the chipmunks don’t revolt as bad as them is that their cages are even smaller and they can’t even jump!

 

Okay enough with the depressing Pet’s Ally, I’ve already decided to skip the Weifang zoo. Kelly says these conditions are just thrust upon the few exotic animals unlucky enough to land here. The bears sit in bathtub of water in a cement cell all day and the other cages show no more imagination. So skip the zoo what’s next on the list?

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking the river path and ended at a western style coffee shop in the bookstore. We chatted for another hour and came up with plan! So turns out there is a fair number of Westerners in Weifang we just don’t see each other much since we all inhabit various corners of the city. We’ve decided to form a club. We are going to set up a standing dinner date for the 1st Monday of every month. If we happen upon in Westerner we should invite them to join us. From there we can start planning trips around the city or the adjoining areas. We are hoping that pooling our resources and knowledge of our own areas we will all benefit from a more active lifestyle.

 

I know Dad hanging with Westerners is not going to improve my Chinese but at this point going stark crazy in my apartment doesn’t seem to be improving it either.