Technology, etc.

I've been having some difficulties with adding pictures, but I'm sure this will be different very soon. The greater difficulty is figuring out how to add a password to my blog because everything uses Chinese script and I have to guess what each link it based on its location. I know the green button allows me to add a post, so I can still do this!

Last night four of us went to the University to find a soccer game. And we found one. We played for about 30 minutes and then tried to get back to our hotel with limited success. At one point we ran about 500 m to discover we were really lost. I asked some people if they spoke English (in Mandarin!) and got some help. Then an English teacher stopped and showed us the way. We were barely on time for the formal dinner and we were very stinky (we just threw on our business casual clothes after all that running in the muggy air).

At dinner we had 3 girls play traditional Chinese instruments (which was cool) and the lazy susan spun slowly as we gorged ourselves on excellent foods.

Language classes have begun and they are very intense. There are 5 people in my class and we are all pretty excited. Most of the class avoids any kind of English, even the explanations of the activities, in order to more fully immerse us in the language. To practice I believe we will be on our own to go out and do things. We will meet our host families very shortly and that will help us practice as well.

Basically, this is about 10 percent of what is happening. There is so much going on that I'm trying to report on things which do not make everyone fall asleep!

Cheers!