Catching Up

So its been awhile since I have blogged, and I am going home in 4 days, so I thought I should update the pictures that I have taken but not posted.

For the last month or so I have been spending most weekends with the Ferny family, which has been great. They are my Chinese family, and whenever I felt alone they were there to play games, watch movies, and go shopping. And they fed me so much food! All of it was so delicious.

Ben LOVES to take my ipod and set my background to a selfie of him. This is just one of many gems I have.

Whoah. Its how I felt after Jinelle was kind enough to straighten my hair.

This cute lady makes delicious street food right outside my school when all the midgets get out for the day. She knows my order, never messes it up, and I have never gotten sick from her!

Riding the K train back to Zhenjiang, I sat across from this cute little girl with her Grandfather. She kept touching my knee and staring at me.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!! I love you Pops, cant wait to see you! 

We played Jeopardy during the last week of classes, and I made the students pick their own team names. 

 

My first time eating Indian food and it was delicious!

                                                   CONFUCIUS TEMPLE

Beautiful Megan!

Another one of my favorite students. In the first class she described herself as "frosty", loves Narnia as much as me,  has a minor obsession with Chicago, and always talked to me before and after class.

My liaison Daisy! She made sure I was all taken care of while here. I will miss her!

To the untrained eye, this may just look like a spec, not worth taking a picture of. However this is the moon. Its kind of a big deal to be able to see the moon as clear as I did that night, I can count on one hand how many times I saw it while living here!

"nothing lasts forever, nothing stays the same."- 5SOS

Currently listening to: "Wherever You Are" by 5 Seconds of Summer

Okay, so I am just going to come right out and say it. Sometimes having cancer eventually brings some perks. 

I am SO happy to say  that come July 28-August 2, I will be having an awesome adventure in Tarkio, Montana (basically Missoula)  where I will be kayaking for free!
Its through this awesome group called First Descents, a non profit organization designed to help get cancer survivors (between ages 15 and 39) outdoors! There are things like rock climbing, hiking, and kayaking, and probably more... I just didnt hear. Timing, location and interest led me to choose kayaking!

I AM SO EXCITED. Words really cannot adequately describe how happy I am right now. I love China, but one thing that makes it difficult for me to live here is the horrid air pollution and lack of trees or water I can swim in. Lucky for me there is an abundance of all of that in Montana :)

Meanwhile in my dreams....

Maybe one day I can be as hardcore as this dude. But that day probably wont come this summer...

Shanghai

So Kaylee unexpectedly had to fly back home to America, and I went with her to Shanghai to help her take her luggage and everything. 

                               

We got to take a G train! Yay! So much faster and cleaner :)

Riding the Metro! Lots of laughing, awkward eye contact with Chinese people, and my cheeks flaming red because Kaylee was embarrassing me.

       

I felt very proud of myself for navigating the subway system in Shanghai. My days of getting lost in a tiny airport are over!

The Shanghai Museum. It was interesting and it was great because I kept seeing other foreigners! One of the things that I thought was interesting is that there was a time in China when the bartering system was stronger then the coin system that was in place.

One of the very first coins made, this thing is HUGE.

Many other countries had their own banking system in place in China. I think this one was Australia?

I was in heaven here. Good ol' western hamburger with REFILLABLE DIET COKE. REAL Diet Coke, not Coke Zero. There is A difference. 

Old Shanghai

      

Friday night I went with my Chinese friend Hao to a bar where foreigners hang out. It was AWESOME. For once I wasn't in the minority! And it was pretty rad because I met people from all over the world. 

Since coming to China, I have met people from:

-New Zealand

- Bangladesh 

- France

-Canada

-Pakistan

- Georgia

- Tennessee

-Ireland

- Russia

- Germany

-Singapore

 And then when I got home from Shanghai, I found out the battery and seat from my ebike was stolen. So that has been hard to navigate, but I will hopefully get it back soon!