Day 5

I spent much of the day reformatting the parent handbook for the new school. I thought it would be quick, but it ended up being a big project. Curses to Microsoft Word for their formatting rules! So, I was feeling a bit cooped up. I went for a 3 hour walk around the city and found the best location I have seen yet. It was in a park full of hills and I climbed up to the top of one hill that had a spaceship like structure on top. The view was wonderful! I could see many trails all through the hills for future exploration, and could see the yellow sea in the distance with the shoreline speckled with little fishing boats. It was really beautiful! It was funny to walk on the trails as well because people would come around a corner not expecting to see me, and would look at me and then burst out in surprised laughter. It happened many times. I put up some pictures from the hills today. It is funny how many strange cartoony statues I saw up there, when I would want to see more traditional structures

Everything else is going well. This job's benefits seem to keep getting better and better. For example, I just learned that I will be getting a ten dollar a day stipend for meals while I am at the hotel. Interesting since two meals are free already, and dinner can be had for a dollar. But I'm not complaining! Also, Brian told me that I will be paid beginning on August 1st as stated in my contract, even though my first day of teaching is Sept 7th. (Granted I am doing some work now, but at my leisure) Finally, while things on the street are cheap, things inside the hotel are expensive. I had my laundry washed and pressed today and the bill came to $30. I was scheming ways of washing less laundry, and was then told that the laundry bills will be paid by the school as well. Oh, one final piece of good news is that the entire 40 acre school grounds, including the teacher apartments will be wireless in addition to lines for connection in each room.

What else? I am practicing my mandarin. Mrs. Chen told Ying Li in Mandarin that I am happy and fast at lunch today. "Fast at eating? " I inquired, confused. "Fast at learning new sentences," Ying Li explained. Then Mr. Philip said that he thought it would be a great idea if for lunches I only speak mandarin as a way to practice. I told him maybe in three months, but definitely not now!

Mr. Philip and Ying Li are the only two people who speak fluent english. Mr. Philip is a chinese-american friend of the owner of the school, and lives in Los Angeles. Ying Li grew up slightly north of Dalian, is about my age, and spent two years in London. Other than that, David is one of the schools two drivers, and speaks very limited English. Everyone else in the office basically does not speak English, although they might understand a few words. I think this is good though, because with two many english speakers around me, my learning of mandarin would be much slower. I have had the opportunity to practice new words regularly out on the street though.

OK, I'm sleepy from all my walking today, and going to sign out. Good night all!