So I’ve just packed up and left home for the next year or so. I thought it was an awesome idea when I first applied to this program but I think I overestimated my ability to cope with leaving my family.

I miss all of them, I miss the comforts of home, I miss my cousins, my piano and bass, my bed, my room my home and the list goes on and on. Shanghai should have been a warning to me, if I had such a hard time there for only two months what made me think I could make it here for a year.

I’m an idiot.

I thought that this is where God wanted me to be but I don’t know anymore, I’m stressed all the time and when I’m not I want to cry. They say it’ll get better, I really hope it does because so far it really sucks.

It’s so easy to lose track of time here. There are so many things on the go and the people I meet and the place I work isn’t big on being on time (except for deadlines). I’m just not sure what time it is or what day it is either. Quite a big change from having a regular timetable at home.
Also the sun rises and sets really early here. The sun is usually up by 5am and sets at around 6pm.
One other odd thing, I sleep a lot here. At home I’m use to 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Here I sleep almost 8-9 hours every night! I have no idea whats going on.

I spent the day shopping with my parents on Nanging road (i don’t think i spelt that right) It’s a pedestrian only shopping street and it was pack full of people.

On the side streets, there was a small fish shop that sold live frogs, eels, fish and other weird things. I got really grossed out when I saw a girl, about my age, kill a few eels for a guy who bought them for his dinner.

Later on I saw different shop keeper  kill a duck and start to skin in.

Lets just say it was a interesting day for me…

My parents came to my flat today and cooked for me and my roommate David, which was nice. Then another volunteer Clare came over and we watched movies all night.

So in all, a pretty relaxed and chill day (minus the eel and duck killing)

I spent the day with my parents again but this time we went on a tour to a smaller ‘village’ outside of Shanghai. (They call this place a village but its bigger then Edmonton and has a population of 5 million) So we visted a garden mansion, a water village, and a silk factory where I got a new traditional dress made of real silk!!

I also met some nice ozzys on the trip, one who is teaching in Hong Kong right now and her cousin who came to visit her, and another lady who has taught in Shanghai for 4 years and is now heading back to Australia. They were really nice and kept the tour pretty interesting.

I don’t have any really plans for Sunday beyond chilling before I start work on Monday.

Although my mom is coming over to my flat to teach me how to cook fish later!

 Hope it all works out.

IT IS INSANE HERE!

My parents came to my flat today to check out where I was living and they took me shopping at the local mall. Big Mistake. Because it’s labour day weekend it was super crowed and people here don’t hesitate to push and shove and be in your face when they want to get somewhere.

On the bright side I got a new cell phone for really cheap:)

Hey everyone!

I began the day  a little early but I met up with my Project’s Abroad contact Jason, who is also Canadian, and he took me on an orientation of the area I’m living in. There are five supermarkets right beside where I live and a bunch of small little shops that sell everything from buns to fruits to clothes and haircuts.

I also discovered that Starbucks in also super saturated here with 5 within a walking distance of my place. (I’m jumping for joy inside cuz I can still get my coffee fix!)

I met some of the other volunteers here and so far they have all been very welcoming and great. I’m rooming with a German girl name Vicky, and sharing the apartment with three other guys Jamie, David and Ali, all from the states. Jamie left this morning and David will leave within the week. But they have been great.

For Jamie’s last night in Shanghai we went to Yau Ming’s restaurant called YeeHa, and is as Texas Western as you can get in Shanghai. Definitely a weird experience.

We also went to a ex-pat (foreigner) bat call Laris and it was pretty cool. For 13 bucks Canadian I got two Apple Martinis that were pretty good. It might sound a little expensive but Laris is located in one of the most expensive areas in Shanghai called the Bunds.

Taxis are super cheap and so far I feel really safe in my neibourhood with guards almost everywhere. 

I haven’t started my internship yet but I’m looking forward to it on Monday.

Wish me luck!

Miss you all!

Morning everyone! It’s about 6:30 in the morning here and I have been up since 5 because it’s about 4:30 in the afternoon at home so my body is a little confused on what time it is. I unfortunately woke up my roommate who is super-nice and we had a good half-hour long conversation about life here and everything. There is no Internet at the flat I’m living in so I have no idea how often I will get to write on my blog. I will most likely just keep writing on my laptop and post everything all at once a couple times a week. Anyways I put together a little video of what my parents and I had to go through to get here so I hope you like it. P.S the first thing I eat here was green tea flavour and mango Pocky!

Heyhey

So I’m sitting at the Vancouver International airport right now waiting for my flight to Tokyo (which thankfully is only 8 hours )

I just checked my facebook and I wanted to say thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday!! (my parents, who are flying with me forgot)

Anyways flying over the Rockys is always cool, seeing the mountain peeks through the clouds will most likely be one of coolest sights a person will ever see in their lives.

I’ve got some pretty cool video of my trip so far so keep an eye out for it soon!

Lots of love
bye!

I’m going to be an assistant editor of Talk! magazine in Shanghai!!

I’m super excited and I can’t wait to start, although I still don’t know where I’m going to be living.

happyhappy!