Up and at \u2018em early again.\u00a0 Our bodies haven\u2019t adjusted yet to being on the other side of the world.\u00a0 Day is night. Night is day, etc.\u00a0 Breakfast in the apt.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have to go to McDonalds today, but I did need another ATM visit, and coffee was close.\u00a0 Not really sure if I need cash today, but I don\u2019t want to come up short on necessities, if they don\u2019t take Visa.\u00a0 Not really fond of the hike for coffee and money everyday.<\/p>\n
We meet the bus at 8:30 and are transported to BISS for a tour of the school.\u00a0 It sits in the middle of an old neighborhood.\u00a0 The bus drives down what looks like an alley, with traffic, and out of nowhere appears the school compound.\u00a0 There a four floors, no elevator.\u00a0 Judy has classrooms on the 2nd<\/sup> floor and the 4th<\/sup> floor.\u00a0 Lots of fun on the stairs ahead for her.\u00a0 We meet in a 3rd<\/sup> floor classroom and meet a few more BISS staffers.\u00a0 Then we split up for tours around the school.\u00a0 Our guide is Justin Jarmen, the PYP (primary years program) Coordinator.\u00a0 He\u2019s Canadian, and grew up playing basketball with Steve Nash.<\/p>\n The school is full of workers cleaning and painting, trying to get ready for the start of classes in two weeks.\u00a0 Judy is told that her room somehow was skipped by the painters.\u00a0 They\u2019ll start painting today, but she might not have a chance to get into her room for a few days.\u00a0 This is not good news for someone like Judy.\u00a0 Sounds like a weekend of catch-up is ahead.<\/p>\n After the tours, the new staff have meetings.\u00a0 Family and \u201ctrailing spouses\u201d (that\u2019s me) head home.\u00a0 The school sends someone to help us learn the train system and get home.\u00a0 The train station is about 5 blocks away, on the other side of the 3rd<\/sup> Ring Rd (big freeway).\u00a0 We cross over on a pedestrian bridge and make our way to the station.\u00a0 Seven flights of stairs down and around several long hallways, and we arrive at the ticket counter\/entry.\u00a0 I purchase a subway card and add money to it for future train rides.\u00a0 The train costs 2y ($0.36) for every trip (no matter the distance.\u00a0 Round trip for me to school on the other side of Beijing – $0.70.<\/p>\n We arrive out our station, Taoyangong, which has an access entry in the Capitol Mall near our apt.\u00a0 I have decided I\u2019ve got to get our phones working, so I start looking for solutions.\u00a0 I find an Apple reseller \u201ciSpace\u201d in the mall.\u00a0 There is an employee that sorta understands English.\u00a0 I\u2019m looking for sim cards for our phones, and there is a China Unicomm kiosk next door he tells me (or points).\u00a0 Just try explaining sim cards, phone plans, minutes, and data when they don\u2019t understand English.\u00a0 I\u2019m regretting not paying a little closer attention during our Mandarin tutoring sessions.\u00a0 After an hour or so, I walk away with phones that work (although I\u2019m not sure for how long), and I\u2019ve also paid a deposit on a sim card for the iPad, which I\u2019ll pick up tomorrow.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve heard there is a supermarket in the basement of the mall, and sure enough it exists.\u00a0 I purchase some groceries, and paper goods.\u00a0 Now I learn how much I can carry long distances.\u00a0 I\u2019ve purchased too much and am too stubborn to take a taxi the \u00bd mile back.\u00a0 I finally arrive at the apartment with working phones, groceries, train expertise, and a sweated-out shirt.\u00a0 I am \u201cbushed\u201d.\u00a0 I put away the purchases, eat a little lunch, and nap.<\/p>\n The BISS bus drops Judy around 4:30 and she comes in, weary of meetings, and needing a break.\u00a0 She relaxes a little, and we decide this might be a good time for IKEA.\u00a0 We\u2019re desperate for bath towels, rugs, etc.\u00a0 It\u2019s a 10 minute taxi ride.\u00a0 If you\u2019ve ever been to IKEA, you know that once you\u2019re on the \u201cpath\u201d through the store, they\u2019ve got you.\u00a0 We can\u2019t decipher the Chinese well enough to use the shortcuts, so we see ALL that IKEA Beijing has to offer (and it\u2019s a lot).\u00a0 We walk out, loaded down with arms full of stuff, including a large folding drying rack (no dryer in the apartment), and start worrying about how it will fit in the taxi.\u00a0 We made it!\u00a0 Sacks in the trunk, the two of us and the drying rack in the back seat.<\/p>\n We get unloaded at the apartment, and move it all upstairs.\u00a0 It has been a long day, and jet lag is setting in.\u00a0 We unpack and hit the bed pretty quick, or at least I do.\u00a0 The mattress is so firm that Judy can\u2019t sleep.\u00a0 She moves to the couch until we can get a mattress pad.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Up and at \u2018em early again.\u00a0 Our bodies haven\u2019t adjusted yet to being on the other side of the world.\u00a0 Day is night. Night is day, etc.\u00a0 Breakfast in the apt.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have to go to McDonalds today, but … Continue reading