First day!

 I summed it up briefly in my past blog entry, but I'm breaking it up for the sake of ease.

I was supposed to visit the study abroad coordinator, but I got mixed up and went to the wrong building. I eventually made it, but I almost got lost trying to take a shortcut around one of the pools. This dude noticed me stop and stare, like I do when I'm confused sometimes, and walked up. I showed him the map and pointed, and he spoke in Chinese, I responded with one-word answers because I felt so brain-dead, and he asked me where I'm from in English. And I think that was the extent of his English (attempt-meter), but he seemed happy I understood him. I really do wish more people wanted to practice their English on me, so I'd feel less stupid speaking Chinese... people understand me, but when they respond I stand there with a dumbbb look. 

Later today I was chatting on Skype with Bolt between my trip from Trust-Mart and picking up my cell phone when I heard someone open the door to my dorm; in walk a man and a woman. My response: "Uhhhhhhhhhh." I of course couldn't understand everything they were saying, but since they were pointing at my heater, and put tools onto my desk, I assumed they were there for maintenance (since the heating unit in my room is broken here as well). That was fixed quickly enough, but I think my embarrassment at our inability to communicate made the (very nice) man embarrassed too - or maybe it was because he needed me to move the underwear contraption off of the clothesline so he could fix it ("Bu wo de"). I don't know. lol

How random, though. What's also interesting is that the employees here live in a building just off the side of the dorm - almost like slave quarters. 

(And, I still don't know my own cell phone number, but when I see one of the other exchange students with a phone, I'll ask to call them and see.) The more I walk around campus, the more I wish I could share. I want *someone* in my family to come see how vastly different the world can be.    


More interesting things that don't fit anywhere:
The people-that-beg here... they were outside of the Tex-Mex yesterday, targeting Westerners. As many homeless people as I've seen, they make me feel particularly awful. I saw about 3 old women on one block that approached us quickly and held out bowls as we passed, looking extremely sad. And not the sad that takes effort or stories, like some of the con-people in Baltimore or DC. I was too unfamiliar (with currency) and uncomfortable at that point to even attempt a hand-out, so all I could say was "Dui bu qi" and "Buhao yise."