one month

I have decided that it is a better idea not to blog everyday because it is harder to recognize changes as a whole if you focus on one day at a time. After having been in China for about a month, it is interesting to look back. We have been to many places in Hangzhou, taken nearly two weeks of class, and taught many hours in school(s). I have became more willing to eat new things, but still hope that I don’t order lamb. I have become more comfortable with being referred to as beautiful, even though it is very awkward at times. And last but not least, I have learned that I must study in the mornings in order to remember all of my Chinese characters (This is not so fun because I have to wake up at 5 or 6 AM). Having said all of this, I am busy, but it is a positive busy. In the states, I often woke up, went to class all day, went to work until late at night, and then stayed up late doing homework or something not so beneficial. I feel as if my “time spent” is valuable, and I have time to do what needs to be done. I think that 4 hours of language is a good amount of time to spend working on the language each day, but through Central we go on excursions, which sometimes make me busier.
The most interesting thing that I have discovered is that the restaurants are very different. I do not think that there are health codes or food regulations even in markets! For example, on Lantern’s Day we bought meat, and it was just sitting on a table in the open! I think that is one reason why the Chinese are so strong 