Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Qingdao, the city by the sea

Ni hao and greetings from Qingdao!

Well our crew arrived safely to Qingdao around 2PM on Sunday the 27th. The airplane ride was the best I've experienced so far traveling internationally (thank you Cathay Pacific). I got to watch the movies: Fools Gold, Definitely Maybe, Horton Hears a Who, and 27 Dresses. Also, the trip went fabulously well thanks to sleeping medicine. Arriving at Qingdao International Airport was quite the experience. I had TWO GIANT Rubbermaid tubs (80 cubic inches) that weighed 70 lbs. each AND TWO other luggage pieces that also weighted 70 lbs. each. All went well UNTIL we had to claim our luggage and place it on ONE cart and then hand carry it through customs. Luckily I had a small cart only the width of ONE tub so I piled all the luggage on top of one another and had someone hand guide me through the 2 foot wide aisle. As soon as I got to the counter the cart toppled over and all I could do is burst into laughter. I think the Chinese workers thought I was crazy, and I think I was just delirious. All in all, on the other side we saw the smiling faces of other team members and that was the best thing I've experienced in a LONG time.





After loading over 100 pieces of luggage at 70 lbs. we all squished into a bus and headed to our new homes. My roommates (Karen and Amy) and I walked into an apartment that is nicer than apartment I've lived in. WOW-that was a shocker. I am VERY thankful to have my own bedroom AND bathroom (this is CRAZY). After we toured our new home, we found the apartment was fully stocked with food, linens, furniture, and internet JUST FOR US. For those of you that have moved overseas-it is very stressful but to arrive with all the amenities in place is just magical. Here are a few pics of my room and the apartment.




The second day we got to go shopping at Jusco (the wal-mart of China) and just buy the essentials to make our house our 'home'. We found mulitple items and bought a microwave, water cooler, tons of food, and 10 carts full of stuff for our house for under $100 U.S.




Today we took the 104 bus by ourselves to the Baishan campus to our school: QMIS MTI International School. The bus ride is 45 minutes to our school and is located seaside on the side of a gorgeous mountain. I got to see my NEW office and the gym and my classroom; wow, I really am here. I even found out that the school had reserved a certian amount of money so that I (ME) can begin to build a rock wall for the school. Wow, father really had me in mind when he placed me in this position :) ME, they want Me to do my FAVORITE THING (climbing). Needless to say I was beaming with sunshine. After school tours, we had survival Chinese lessons. This was our first 2 hour session of our weekly chinese lessons. It went VERY well and I really feel I've got a knack for Chinese tones. Last, we got CHINESE bank accounts today-we are official. (sidenote: I was able to order food, buy flowers, and ask directions ALL in Chinese today SUCCESSFULLY. IT WAS A VICTORIOUS BREAKTHROUGH!)


It's really nice here-really. It reminds me of Santa Cruz, California on PCH Highway one in California. It is BEAUTIFUL and lush and green and laid-back. It's truly a gem. What's even better is the team we arrived to. Every night someone cooks us dinner, answers our questions, takes us to new places, teaches us to ride the buses, takes us to language lessons, shows us new restaurants, etc. You can imagine how much work they put into us new people and it's SUCH a relief. Thank you father for preparing this LONG before I even could fathom this place and purpose. Love you all! Check facebook for more photos!

Kayla

Saturday, July 26, 2008

On the Road Again

For those of you who missed the memo, I'm moving to CHINA! My departure date is finally here, my bags are packed, my goodbyes have been said and I am out the door-literally. I just wanted to say thank you ALL for your all your hospitality, your support, and most importantly your love. It is SO encouraging knowing that I'm not doing this trip alone. A few pictures of Qingdao...









In other news, if any of you ever decide to move overseas, please call me and I will help you pack. I ASSUMED that I could get everything I need for two years in two giant Rubbermaid tubs. Little did I know that YES everything WOULD fit, but the weigh-in after packing was FIFTY POUNDS OVERWEIGHT. I decided to do this at midnight, the night before my flight (Thanks mom!). So, I had to find other containers to ship my life away in and just settle for paying the OUTRAGEOUS extra-baggage fees.




I just got word today that the Olympic torch has been passed through my city, Qingdao. Here is a pic. below (D.O. please tell me if I'm doing this right).
This is so exciting to me that I get to WATCH the Olympics first hand this go-around. Ok, check back for updates during my travels. I love you all VERY much and look forward to your comments of LOVE.
Here is a fun pic that myself, Kenner, and mom took after our gather. Talk to everyone soon!