Saturday, January 3, 2009

Fuzhou

Day 2 is nearly over. Technically, I got in last night, so this was the 1st full day of stuff. It's been good. Way too much food, but that's never a problem. Anna's parents are fun, kinda quiet at times (especially when I first arrived), but now that they're getting used to speaking Chinese around me, and figuring out what I understand and don't understand, they speak a bit more to me. Most of the time though, they speak Chinese to Anna, and through her talk to me. She basically dumbs it down for me...

Fuzhou is big and busy. In the middle of the city, you probly wouldn't be able to distinguish between there and Beijing. Granted, there may be a few less skyscrapers, but it certainly isn't lacking in people and noise.

Today I met up with Anna's friend Dingding, whom I helped earlier this semester with her english oral presentation over the IM. We went and bought me a dictionary for 998 yuan (about $150 US), and a cell phone for 680 yuan (about $80). Both very sleak and neato. We'll see if I can get picks up soon.

The cool thing about today was that I saw no other white people. All Chinese since I left the airport yesterday at 6:30pm. Lots of people looking at me, others not seeming to notice. Most of the people we had to talk to (like attendants and waiteresses) were surprised I knew any Chinese at all. The conversation is normally (they say in Mandarin), "Is he from America?", then Dingding or Anna will say, "Ask him yourself" then they all "oo" and "ah" and "you speak chinese?!" It's fun. granted, I still feel like a nuisance since I'm not really that good at the language yet. I understand most everything that isn't technical language (like buying a phone, I catch only very little, talking about where I'm from on the bus is easy).

We had a huge meal at this restaurant tonight, and thus I'm tired beyond my thinking capacity. I'll depict it tomorrow, get some photos up, and all will be right in the world.

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