A pencil skirt, panty hose, and a squatter.

(I don't know why my pictures are refusing to upload. Are you interested enough to just read? )



It's the littlest things here that make you feel good. Like using a squatter (because western toilets are damn hard to find) while at school in your teacher clothes. You try it in heels.
Obviously everyone keeps asking me if I like it in Shanghai. I'll put it in writing before I start to doubt myself, I like it here! I do, I really do! That said,
This place sure tries hard to wear ya down! Constant movement and noise and all of it incomprehensibly busy. Crossing the street is a challenge to the death every time with cars, bikes, and motorbikes that hardly take lights as a suggestion. Getting in and out of the metro is like there's a fire on your ass every time. Everyone is talking or honking and I can't understand a word of it. No, that's not true. I can pick up standard greetings, 1-10, a few random phrases and "American" měi-guó rén (literally: people of the beautiful land-obviously).
Not to mention my 26 periods of class a week. Oh, 26, you say, no you have no idea. 24 periods are with 1st and 2nd graders in classes of 42 students. That's 1008 little kiddos staring at me, yelling in Chinese, or blatantly ignoring me. The other two classes are a 3rd grade class and a 5th grade English Club. How do you say exhausting in Chinese?
What else is different about China you ask?
Well, the food. The food is so drenched in oil I could drown it (my skin is). No one cooks at home. Literally the stoves are never used and fridges are tiny. Street food carts reign supreme and I do, truly, love them. Noodles or rice with all the fixings you want? Veggie and tofu skewers? Steamed buns and dumplings? Soup made to your liking? Yes, please. And all for under one US dollar.
The smells. Shout-out to Zhoujiazui Lu where I lived my first two weeks and experienced some of the worst smelling streets of the city. Garbage cans are again a weak suggestion; as is peeing in bathrooms rather than the streets. Now this doesn't happen on the main streets and typically with only little ones, but ew.
T.I.C. yall. This Is China. A phrase you hear every expat mutter four times a day.
But hey, the goods: I'm learning some Chinese, making money, making friends, experiencing CHINA (have you?), and gettin great street cred as an ESL teacher. There is honestly great beauty to be found in this city and surrounding area. I promise to share it with you.