(re-post from jenderle.modevia.com)Remember how I talked about how traffic is nuts over here? Imagine traveling these roads in a bus. Today we traveled about 4 hours to Wenling on a bus very similar to a coach bus. I say traffic is nuts, but its interesting. I see a whole lot less accidents than I see in the states. We've been here a week and I've only seen one accident. I guess that shows the drivers know what they're doing, and really the speeds are not normally as fast as in the states so it's all safer in general.
We got up this morning and said good bye to the people teaching in other cities. We will get chances to get together throughout the year and see each other again and share stories, also so James G and Jackie can do some more salsa dancing, yeah in China, I know.
Since I don't know much about Wenling yet, I thought I'd share a little bit about Chinese banquets. I've shown some pictures of some of the tables and meals that we've eaten at. I'm adding a few more in the Hangzhou album of our farewell meal. Chinese meals are tremendously different from American meals. We've had a couple with just our group and tonight we ate with some of the officials from the school. When you have groups you get your own room with your own waitress who puts all the food on the table for you, gives you know plates, is pretty much your groups personal assistant. Usually one person orders all the food, so you really don't know what you're all going to eat. Tonight we went to the room and there was some food already on the table. All the food is put on a type of "lazy Susan" on the middle of the table so everyone can share the food and just rotate it around the table. Eating and toasts are started by the host. Tonight all of us new teachers were a little apprehensive and shy. One of the Chinese, who helped us get all our visas, lightened the mood. He cracks a lot of jokes and did a few cheers of "pijiu" with me. Things got a lot easier when our assistant principal showed up. He spoke to us in English in stead of through Uncle Rob. Some of the others could speak English fairly well, but in order to save face they don't do it much so they don't mess up in front of lots of people.
Back to Chinese meals. Food, food and food! There's always a ton of food, and huge variety of food. There was no way we could eat it all but our host kept encouraging us to eat more. The food was great and I got to try a few more new things. After we went back to our rooms and got settled in a little. I'll put up some pictures of my room after I get all settled in. Tonight I'm putting up a few more pictures in the Hangzhou album.
Classes start Monday, but we won't have to teach for about a week or at least later this week. Life in Wenling has begun.
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