China!

I arrived in China on Saturday at about three in the afternoon. Since then I’ve been in a hostel with other YFU students. There are five students from Germany, one from Ecuador, one from Hungary, one from Thailand, and a girl from Hawaii. Everyone is really nice, and I feel really special because everyone comes to me with English questions. So far at this post arrival orientation we’ve played some games, discussed expectations, and learned a lot about Chinese culture and family life. I’m still in Beijing, but I haven’t really seen much. Our hostel is in a hutong, and so the surrounding area seems pretty neighborly. There are lots of families eating on the streets together next to local shops.

Tomorrow is the last day of my orientation. I will then take the train to Tianjin where I will meet my host family. I will have a two-week language course, and school starts on September 1^st.