Update

So I found out that blogs are in fact blocked in China. Basically any site in China where I can express any matter of opinion is blocked. I can still use Google, in which case I would have regular acess to my email. I am also considering instating a letter writing penpal type program, which I would be happy to send people letters, assuming that you would be willing to write me too. I could send out a mass email too, but those are so impersonal, and I crucially want regular contact with all my friends and family. The neighbor boys are already depressed that I'm leaving, as are their parents because it's lots of crazy fun baby sitting they get for a dirt cheap price and I burn a lot of their energy. I told them I would send them lots of post cards already so the boys have pictures they can share at school. May get a little sketchy, though, since my familarity with freedom of speech won't be as exercised. Although, I try to always speak with a cautionary errr to the wind.

In the mean time, I can still use the blog as a way to let all of you know how things are shaping up before my departure. For all I know I may have a friend or something update this while I'm over there with the updates I send them.

As far as what's going on the USA side of the Pacific, I got another email from Byron, the current USA citizen (please note that citizens of Canada, Mexico, Central and South America are all condsidered to be Americans, and it is offensive to them if you are a USA Citizen to refer to this country as America). He suggested that I bring my laptop, in which case I may put together some powerpoints especially since they have the acess for me to do it. I could use computers over there, but the keyboards and program/instructions in Chinese.

As far as the city itself, Huaibei doesn't have much musical events. Sometimes there are performences by students and locals, but nothing like ballet or opera. There is a museum that has some aparently has interesting things, perhaps some of the bronzes we saw described and my mother was salavating over. Also, there is a movie theater, but it mostly has Chinese movies and rarely has foreign ones. He claims that there are some beautiful parks and my apartment will be at the base of the mountain and apparently when I walk out my front door I'll be on a path that leads up the mountain. I think this means will have to bring my binoculars and get an Asian/China bird field guide, if I can find one.

As for banking, I can still access my account online from here, but its more difficult to get cash. It will probably be easier to set up an account with Bank of China, and I might be able to access your Bank of America account through there. Otherwise, he claims that Bank of China isn't too bad overall, just that he's learned its easy to get money into China, but difficult to get it out. The only way I've found to send money back to the States is using Western Union, which may be a problem when I decide I want to come home.

Electronics are easy to buy in Cina (go figure, since most of them are made there). I can find pretty much anything I need, but again this is probably since most electronics are made somewhere in China. However, I had asked him about buying a digtial SLR over there. I have a prototype I will be bringing over, and the one I own is getting old ( my point and shoot has a higher megapixle rating) but he said tobuy it before I come. I don't know though, he did claim that Chinese businesses do a terrible job, and most of the time don't understand the product they are selling and he claims that the Chinese still have yet to grasp the idea of product warranties. I would like some more options in case the protype isn't all that it's cracked up to be the past few weeks (and the lens I was given didn't seem to like the move from warm to cold, since the plastic rim around the lens screws melted/cracked off but still functions). I'm just looking for alternatives in case I decide I don't like it 3 months from this time frame. In the grand scheme of things, I'm thinking of possibly getting my kindle over there, but at the same time, I may want to see if I can figure it out before I get over there, since the intructions would be in Chinese, unless I ordered it from the British Amazon.

There isn't a strict dress code at the school, from his description, it seems like as long as I don't wear jeans, I think I'd be cool. It also looks like there is a taylor in town, who would know where I could get textiles. I think I'll look into updating some of my sweaters before I go over, and I'll bring some of my summer skirts, a few of my favorite t shirts for some casual wear and my usual buiness casual clothes (cordurys, blouses, sweaters, a few blazers...) I'll post soon on how my meeting with my friend who teaches ESOL.