Today is the first opportunity for Judy to meet some of her colleagues at BISS.\u00a0 We wake up around 4:00 am. and straighten up a few things.\u00a0 Around 6:00 am, I head out for breakfast, and to try out an ATM.\u00a0 I\u2019m very curious if we\u2019re going to have a cash flow problem after yesterday\u2019s issues with Visa.<\/p>\n
Tried several ATM\u2019s before I found one with some instructions in English.\u00a0 It worked.\u00a0 We have access to money!\u00a0 Relief flows over me.\u00a0 I grab breakfast at McDonalds and head home.<\/p>\n
At 8:30 am, we meet a BISS staff member outside our apartment.\u00a0 Several other new teachers are in the same complex, and we all head out to meet the bus.\u00a0 Bus shows up and we are off on a Beijing adventure (actually just a shopping trip).<\/p>\n
The BISS new teachers are interesting.\u00a0 Three are from Australia, one from Spain, two others from the US, and one from Japan.\u00a0 Like us, they\u2019re new to the city, and anxious to get settled in.\u00a0 We arrive at Metro supermarket.\u00a0 It\u2019s a big-box store similar to Sam\u2019s or Costco.\u00a0 Cash only.\u00a0 We have an hour to shop.\u00a0 We start scrambling for mops, brooms, cleaning supplies, rugs, towels, misc. kitchen utensils, and even some food.\u00a0 Two full carts later, we push out the door, and head to the bus.\u00a0 Bus drops us off on the wrong side of the apt. complex, and we have a long walk with tons of stuff to carry, too much for one trip\u00a0 Complex guards watch our stuff, and we start shuttling it to the room.\u00a0 A few sweaty trips later, it\u2019s all in.\u00a0 We quickly eat a bite, and head back down to meet the bus for the afternoon trip.<\/p>\n
The afternoon trip is to a \u201cwet\u201d market, where they sell fruits, vegetables,\u00a0 meats, etc.\u00a0 We buy a few items, fruits, and some sausage for sandwiches, and head back to the bus.\u00a0 We are returned to the apt. with instructions for how and when to get to dinner.\u00a0 We put away our purchases, continue to work on organizing the apartment, take a short nap, and get ready for dinner.<\/p>\n
We meet downstairs with our other UHN (apartment name \u2013 10 buildings, all shaped like either a U, H, or N.) new teachers and walk to the restaurant for dinner.\u00a0 It\u2019s fairly close to the apartment, down a few alleys, and we\u2019re there.\u00a0 It\u2019s a genuine Beijing restaurant, serving Peking Duck.\u00a0 BISS has large room for all the new staff and families, and the administrative team.\u00a0 Adminstrators are from India, US, New Zealand, Australia, Maylaysia, Greece.\u00a0 Everyone is introduced and welcomed, and we eat a GREAT dinner.\u00a0 It\u2019s served like a family buffet with bowls and plates on a lazy susan in the middle.\u00a0 So much food!\u00a0 The duck is actually eaten on a small dough pancake.\u00a0 It reminds me of a soft taco.\u00a0 It\u2019s really good.\u00a0 Kung Pow Chicken is my favorite.\u00a0 After dinner, we walk back to the apt. and begin to prepare for our first weekday activities.<\/p>\n
Before bed we begin to experiment and discover that Facetime works, so it\u2019s lots of fun to begin to make contact with everyone back home.\u00a0 Our phones don\u2019t work yet in China, but BISS gave Judy a temporary cell to use for the first month for local contact.\u00a0 It\u2019s nice to see familiar faces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today is the first opportunity for Judy to meet some of her colleagues at BISS.\u00a0 We wake up around 4:00 am. and straighten up a few things.\u00a0 Around 6:00 am, I head out for breakfast, and to try out an … Continue reading