Let's Get Physical, Physical...

Well, I had my Chinese physical. It's a requirement to be able to stay in the country. It was quite an experience. X-ray, EEG, ultrasound, bloodwork, and the usual weight, height, blood pressure stuff. Not a big deal except there weren't any doors on the rooms, just curtains. And there were a lot of people, all trying to cut each other, so people kept trying to push their way in by peaking around the curtain and talking to the drs. A very awkward and embarrassing thing when you're half clothed on the examination table. We, as in the the Chinese and I, may never be the same again. I'm hoping to not have to do that ever again.

After the physical, a couple of friends and I decided to go shopping on our own. This was the first time I went out without someone who knew the city or Chinese. I have to say, we did pretty well. We found our store, bought our stuff, communicated a little, and made it home. Too bad when I got to my complex, I realized I'd forgotten my keys. I had to wait an hour and a half for the roommate to get home. Not a big deal just irritating. And the thing is, I have no idea where my keys could be. I've looked everywhere. It's like the walked off on their own. I'm sure they're around here somewhere but there are so many boxes, I may never find them.

While waiting for my roommate, I was able to walk by the beach today (my apartment complex is right on the Yellow Sea). A little stinky but really pretty. It's totally different than the Atlantic Ocean. I mean, it looks like an ocean, with the waves and everything, but way out in the distance, you can see mountains and little islands. Really cool. I took some pictures and I'm in the process of getting them uploaded here.

I'm getting a little more settled in. Learning my way around, getting a routine at home. I'm figuring out that everthing just takes a little longer, it's a little more complicated. A good thing to learn being the impatient person that I am.

Some side notes...

• I found a good place for Western food. I don't really need it yet, but I know in a couple of months it'll be a nice treat.
• This afternoon was my first time alone since I got here. Very nice.
• I think I'm only going to have two preps this year. Amazing. Both (MUN and AP World History) are going to be very time consuming classes so it'll be very nice to have extra time to get ready for them.
• I've found out where I'm going for my MUN (Model United Nations) classes this year. I'll tell you more about the class at a later date but here's a list of the places I'll be traveling to- Seoul; Beijing; Singapore; maybe Hangzhou, China (near Shanghai); and then we'll host one at our school. These trips were planned by last year's teacher so I'll get to plan next year's conferences. Anyway, I'm very excited.