moving, BSB, and class.

Moving is hard work when you live in a foreign country and don't have a car. Yesterday was spent with dear fave Brit Steph helping her with her move to the great city in the North. (Shanghai).

We dragged her things down the road, hauled them onto 2 public busses, then managed our way around the train station only to find there were no more return tickets. Therefore, I could not aid her in the journey, (I had to be back in HZ by last night because of needing to continue to attempt to register for classes this morning).

Hauling huge-ass luggages is no joke when there are asians staring at you. At one point a migrant worker was counting up her bags while I waited for her to buy a ticket at the train station. 'Hi,' I said to him. 'She has too many things,' he said condescendingly. 'Foreigners have a lot of money,' is my standard (snotty) response.

ha. Maybe life would be better (and easier) with less. Helping her made me dread the day I finally leave this land. Lord knows I'll be sending 800 packages back to the US. Can't live without my Made in Chi.na crap!

We had 2 hours to kill before she was off on the bullet train, so we sat in KFC at the window seats and played a game of, "wave and smile at random people to freak them out." I love that game. Some people wave enthusiastically, some people pretend to not see us, and some people double take like they just saw a ghost. Love it. So entertaining.

Contemplating life while moving:

Stuff, stuff, stuff, stuff stuff...

Hangzhou train station - always a blur:

Today was particularly exciting because it involved the discovery of a framed Backstreet Boys poster circa 1997 (says the reciept)! This was found in my friend's newly rented apartment. Baller. This is proof of how awesome Asia is. Still idolizing the BSB.

As we were admiring the newly found treasure, this photo fell out the back of the poster frame. It seems to be the "funny" photo for a highschool class - circa 1997. Awesomeness.

Today was also awesome because I am officially signed up for PhD classes! After 2 more hours in the office, lots of Chin.ese yelling and a little secretary shouting, "no more foreigners!" To which I replid, "Don't be afraid of foreign people!" - I am now officially enrolled in classes.

This is my schedule - can you read it? Ya...I can't either. :/ hahaha.

I begin class Wednesday afternoon so I still have tomorrow to chill and mentally prepare for the Chi.nese beating I'm about to take. Because I passed that dreaded Chi.nese test (whooo) I'm enrolled as a 'regular' student, meaning I will be treated as one of the Chin.ese, sitting in classes taught entirely in Chin.ese and being the only whitey in the room. Bring it.

I'm packing my red lipstick for the first day. And maybe will put a Backstreet Boys pin on my bag. You know...for cultural immersion's sake.

walk slow. xoxo.