Hello from Chongqing!

Hello friends! I can't believe I've already been in China for over a month! I've already been through general training, moved into an apartment, started working at my center, met some amazing people, and explored a small portion of my new home.  I'm still experiencing, learning, and exploring everything that China has to offer, but I thought it was time to let you all know what I've been up to. There is so much to talk about and I could go on for forever. To save everyone from a book long post, I have decided to answer some questions from my friends on Facebook! So here we go!


What do I like best about Chongqing?

Let's start with the hardest question first. To be honest, this city is not my favorite. Besides the amazing people I've met and my job, I haven't really connected with it and nothing has really stood out to me so far. To some people that sounds depressing and negative, I know. But that's not how I feel. I have an incredible opportunity to do whatever I want here and learn so much. I'm learning more about what I want and don't want in my life. I'm having a break from the normal routine of western culture. So that's what I'd say is my favorite thing about Chongqing. Not the physical location, but the new mental space available here for me to grow.

How do I like the food? What is it like? Any favorites?

I don't know how I feel about the food yet but it is so exciting trying all new different flavors and foods! Eating here has been difficult for me for multiple reasons.  The menus are all in Mandarin, the food is extremely spicy, and I'm vegetarian. This city loves its meat and spicy food!

In Chongqing, the city is known for a dish called "hot pot". It is a big bowl of spicy broth that you and your friends gather around and cook different meats and vegetables in. I had my first hot pot experience with some coworkers last week. My team leader was very kind and prepared it at his apartment. The flavor was very good but was too spicy for me to handle. My face turned red after the first bite! The spice is like no other that I've tried. Just breathing in the smell chokes me a little. It's going to take some getting used to.

My favorite dish so far is from a little restaurant outside of my workplace. I don't know what it is called because I just point to the picture and say "bu yao la" (basically means I don't want spicy). It's a noodle dish with chickpeas and greens. Yum!

How am I managing with the language barrier? How many English speakers are there?

I'll be honest, it has been difficult but it is encouraging me to learn as much as I can! In Thailand, there are lots of tourists, so locals are encouraged to learn English to help their businesses. In Chongqing, there are hardly any expats living here and even fewer tourists. This means that there really isn't a need to learn English.  I've had to depend solely on using translator apps, gestures, and guessing. Some days I feel like I'm in a big game of charades...and I'm not good at that game! I have learned to say "I don't understand" and I use it all day, every day! Luckily, the people at my work speak very good English and have helped me around!

What is the weirdest encounter I've had with a local?

I haven't had any weird encounters yet but living life here is quite different. Whenever I am in public, I am constantly being watched, having pictures taken of me, parents push their children to come to practice their English with me, and try to talk to me to see if I speak Mandarin. Since there are very few expats living here, when people see a westerner they are confused and curious. I feel like a celebrity and there are paparazzi. It has taken some getting used to.

A lot of people will stop me to take photos and ask me questions. For example, one day I was reading under a tree and I felt someone staring at me. When I looked up, two women were taking pictures of me and squealed in delight when I noticed them. They immediately sat down beside me and began asking me questions in Chinese. I have no idea what they were asking except for when they asked me where I was from and how old I was. They were, however, able to ask me if I was married in English. Seems like everyone is able to here! The rest of the time was spent taking selfies with them. Sometimes this is fun. Other times I feel like a walking exhibit.

What is something I didn't expect about China?

I'm constantly shocked by how people treat the streets here. Men spit on the ground all the time, litter is thrown on the ground, and babies defecate wherever they please. There is actually a cut out in babies clothing on their butt to make it easier for them to publicly defecate. However, the streets remain visibly very clean. Workers are always sweeping and mopping the sidewalks.

What is the toughest obstacle I've faced in Chonqing?

The toughest obstacle I've had has been eating. I am a vegetarian and Chongqing loves meat. I've ordered dishes that don't have meat on the menu, but still come out topped with meat. It's annoying to have to translate everything on the menu and not be able to find anything. Luckily, the people I work with have helped me so much and I've relied a lot on my own cooking. It's gotten easier the longer I've been here and explored more.

How old are the children I am teaching?

I am teaching children from ages 4-18. There are 4 groups based on age and I will be teaching mostly the younger 3 groups. Before coming I thought I would like teaching the older children, but now I think I will like to teach younger children more. The younger children are called "Small Stars" and I to give them stickers and play songs. I like that I get to teach multiple age ranges because it will make work more interesting.

How is air pollution? Am I wearing a mask?

The air pollution is not as bad as I imagined, but it is definitely noticeable. The air is thick and the sky is gray. I don't wear a mask because no one else does here. Maybe if it gets worse throughout the year I might. In Thailand, the people wore masks all the time but yet the pollution was not as bad.

What are the toilets like?

Everywhere I have been so far have had squat toilets. Malls have been an exception because they will have a couple western toilets in the back. When I was looking for an apartment, I originally was set on getting a western toilet. Only looking at apartments with western toilets limits your choices though. I eventually decided that I would consider a place with a squat toilet. I figured that having a squat toilet at home would let me practice for public squat toilets. Also, I would be living more like a local. Turns out that the squat toilet isn't all that bad, just takes some getting used to and a lot of mental preparation!

Is there McDonald's or KFC?

There are both actually! I haven't been to KFC, but I have been to McDonald's. The McDonald's is quite the same except there are fried chicken options and the flavors of desserts are different.

What are the crime rates? Do I feel safe?

I am surprised to say that I feel like this is the safest country I have lived in. There are few policemen roaming around, I haven't seen any sketchy people, and you are never alone when you are outside. I don't know if it's this way in other cities, but I think a couple things contribute to safety. First, Chongqing is not a touristy city, therefore, there are no people walking the streets to prey on ignorant tourists. Second, I've only been to certain parts of the city. It could be different in other parts. Where I live though, people are too busy living there lives to even think about harming me.


What is the cost of rent and are utilities included?

I have a furnished two-bedroom apartment with a washer and a balcony for 2500 RMB. This converts to around 350 USD. The utilities are not included. Studios are typically 2000 RMB and two-bedrooms are typically 2500 RMB. In Chongqing, rent is paid every three months. So when I bought my apartment I had to pay three months rent plus a 2500 deposit.

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Thank you to the people who sent me questions! I would like to keep everyone involved in my blog posts, so I'm also giving you all the control for the next post! I have some ideas down below and would love for you all to comment on which topic I should write about next from the list! 

Thank you and talk soon! 

Apartment Tour

A Day in my Life

On to the Next Adventure...CHINA!

Hello friends!  After months of waiting, I finally feel that it is the right time to announce my next journey ahead!  Here goes nothing...I'm moving to China!  As few people know, I originally had plans to live in another country.  After weighing my options, China seems like the right next step for me.  Until I went to Thailand, I never considered Asia a place I would consider to live in.  I always pictured myself living my days away in England or Scotland.  Asia still has that sense of mystery and excitement that I am constantly craving that has drawn me back in.

I will be moving to China in June to work with EF English First for at least a year.  I'm thrilled to be living as an expat in China.  Studying abroad was weird because I didn't identify as a tourist but I also didn't identify as an expat either.  It's a weird feeling of just existing in a country for a long period of time.  This time I feel like I will really be able to create a home for myself, learn the language to the best of my ability, and basically start my life in China.

While in school, I unintentionally focused many of my papers on China.  My senior thesis was even on the Belt & Road Initiative.  I never even thought to move to China until I moved back and started thinking about my next step out of university.

My new employers knew that I wanted to be located somewhere I could get into nature and hike so they placed me in Chongqing. Chongqing is in the southwestern part of China at the junction of the Yangtze River and Jialing River and is surrounded by mountains.  It was the capital of China during WW2 so there should be lots of history I'm assuming!  There is a population of around 30 million people.  I have heard that it is a big city but it has a small town feeling.  I am hoping it is similar to Chiang Mai.   It is known as one of the furnace cities of the Yangtze River and stays hot for most of the year.  The city is known for their spicy hot pots...so I guess it's time for me to start loving spicy food!

I am so excited to start this new adventure and thankful for my family and friends for being so supportive.  I cannot believe that I continue to be able to live the life I want.  Not too long ago an old friend was telling me about being scared of getting on a plane.  It made me think about my own life and how different it would have been if I would have let scary things get in the way of what I want in life.  Confronting and beating those obstacles have led to the best experiences in my life.  Doing what you want, in spite of fear, is worth it.  

I hope by continuing this blog I cannot only keep my family and friends updated on my life, but inspire you all to grab your life by the reins and get the most out of it.  Life is meant to take chances, meet amazing people, go on crazy adventures, make mistakes, make the same mistakes again, and learn to grow.  I think the picture above my seat at Purdy's today wraps it up pretty nicely.  It says,  "The world needs who you were made to be.  Be YOU!"  

Thailand - Part 2

Once the fall break was over, I had a week to myself until my dad arrived!  I'm super proud of him and never would have thought he would travel internationally, let alone go to Asia.  I guess he missed me too much!

Cat Cafe with Maura

I have dreamed of going to a cat cafe ever since I heard about them.  I had no idea this cafe existed until I saw it on my way home one day.  Maura and I went to this cafe called "Catmosphere" and the inside was decorated in an outer space theme with cats.  The staff were super friendly and took such good care of the cats.  The cats there weren't just normal cats, each one was beautiful and could be on the cover of the next Cat Fancy.  There were over 20 cats and as long as you purchased something, you could stay and play as long as you like.  I ended up becoming a regular there for the rest of the semester. 

http://www.catmospherecafe.com/

Cooper is my favorite.  He was the oldest and preferred to spend his time on top of his box.

Dad Visits Thailand

For his first two nights, I had him stay at the Squirrel hostel behind my dorm. The first morning I woke him up early to go get breakfast at a 25 baht omelet stand near my dorm.  He was very apprehensive at first because it is a dingy, little shack with flies all around.  I'm used to it at this point and haven't gotten sick from it yet, but I understand his worry.  It was his first dose of Thailand.  He ended up loving the omelet like everyone else!

I showed him around campus and made him walk to school with me. I left him with a few hours to explore by himself. I thought he would be too nervous to try and talk to people but he was the exact opposite.  He made friends with the owners of the hostel and explored the neighborhood to strike conversations with other people.  Proud daughter moment.

For the rest of the day, I showed him some of my favorite temples and cooled off at the mall.

The Maya Mall

Inside Maya

Dad loved the spirit houses and almost took a
 picture of every single one he saw!

The view from the mall

The next day we woke up super early to catch a flight back to Krabi.  Even though I had already been, I had to take him because I knew he would love to see all the wildlife and islands.  The first day we took an island tour to go snorkeling.  Dad was like a little kid seeing all the fish that he never thought he would be able to see in the wild.  His favorite was seeing clownfish hanging around their anemone home.  The last bit of the tour is supposed to be a cookout on the beach as the sun is setting but a storm hit us.  We ended up having to jump on a bigger boat and have dinner there.  I wish dad could have had dinner on the beach, but I liked changing it up.  The last thing we did was jump in the dark water to see the bioluminescent plankton.  It was so cool to see the plankton while there was lightning flashing all around us!

On our second day in Krabi, we went on a jungle tour to see a hot spring, emerald pool, and the Tiger Cave Temple.  After a long, full day the day before, we were both already tired and had a long, but fun day ahead.  We started at the hot springs which, to be honest, weren't that great.  It was just a small pool with a large crowd.  Instead of getting in the pool, we explored the surrounding jungle.

Next, we went hiking to see the Emerald pool and swim in a much larger hot spring.  I've seen a lot of beautiful things, but the Emerald pool was unlike anything I'd ever seen.  I've never seen water so blue and trees so green.  It was almost hypnotic.  I didn't ever want to leave.

Before heading to lunch, we hopped in the hot spring.  It was so nice and warm.  The only problem was that there was five fish that would not quit taking turns biting me!  I didn't know fish would bite and I did not like it!  

Me trying to act cool while fish are attacking me.

Our lunch was probably one of my favorite meals that we had while in Thailand.  I wish that I could replicate it at home like I have been doing with my other Thai favorites.  

The last portion of our tour consisted of 1,237 steps to reach the temple at the top of the summit.  It was much more difficult than it sounds.  Some steps were practically straight up like a ladder!  Dad got to see his first few monkeys along the way as they came out of nowhere and slid down the handrails.  After almost an hour, we reached the top.  The view was beautiful. On one side who could see the city and ocean far away.  On the other side, you could see endless rows of steep mountains trying to hide in the fog.  

Our descent took almost just as long as the ascent.  More monkeys were waiting at the bottom and were running around to grab tourists bags in hopes of finding food.  I don't think dad believed me when I said how crazy the monkeys were.  Once he saw how they would tear into anything they could find, he understood my fear.  

On our last day in Krabi, we spent it relaxing by the beach and got a massage before the plane ride.  Our trip was in the down season in Krabi so the streets and beaches were practically empty of tourists.  I felt like I was Mary Poppins hopping into a beach painting for the day.

My dad's adventure in Thailand was not over!  He spent the next week with me exploring my new home in Chiang Mai.  Like me, there was only so many temples and markets he could go to before they all started to blur together.  I had to start getting creative.  

I think one of his highlights in Chiang Mai, besides seeing me, was going to the cat cafe in Chiang Mai.  We went twice and spent hours there.  

Back with Cooper

On one of the days I didn't have class, we had breakfast at a popular expat cafe called Basecamp Cafe.  After, we hiked all the way to Doi Suthep temple.  I had heard my friends talk about this hike being quick and easy.  I didn't realize they were talking about another temple that was about a 1/3 of the hike up to the temple we went to!  This hike was so steep all the way up and was a total of 14 miles.  It was hard but so worth it!

One of the last things we did together was take a Thai cooking course.  We both enjoyed the course much more than we thought we would!  We started at a market where our instructors show us the ingredients, where to find them, and what their purpose in the recipe was.  After that we went to the kitchen and started cooking.  When I booked our course, we got to pick which recipes we would like to make.  Dad and I made sure to pick all different recipes from one another. My favorite dish I made was massaman curry.  We had a great time and made new friends throughout the day.

I am so proud of my dad for stepping out of his comfort zone to visit me.  I would have never believed that he would get on a long-haul flight, especially to go to Thailand!  Since then, I believe he has gotten the travel bug like I have!

Chiang Mai Lantern Festival

About a week after my dad left, it was time for Chiang Mai Lantern festival.  The festival is unique to northern Thailand and the releasing of lanterns represents releasing all your problems and bad luck away and is a symbol for new beginnings.  A lot of people will actually write their problems on the lanterns to watch them float away.  They also release floating baskets in the water as an offering to the river goddess.  Many people put money in the baskets and you'll see children collecting the baskets the next morning out of the river for the money.  

This was one of the many times that a camera cannot capture the actual scenery.  It was beyond magical.  A lot of the foreigners had trouble lighting the lanterns and properly lifting them in the sky.  As you can expect, that causes problems.  There were quite a few lanterns that caught fire in the streets and lanterns that fell into trees.  Nicha and Duang were able to show us how it's done!   

Duang, me, Danelle, & Nicha

Hmong Hill Tribe

One of the classes I took was called "Highland Ethnic Peoples" and was about the tribes in Thailand.  The class had multiple field trips, but our trip to visit the Hmong tribe was the most memorable to me.  We had to submit a research paper about the tribes for our final.  Our paper could be about practically anything as long as it was about the tribes in Thailand.  Our field trips were a chance for us to ask questions and do outside research. My research paper was on the implications of tourism and whether it was ethical or not to visit the tribes. Most of the tribes are refugees in Thailand and do not have Thai citizenship.

Elephant Sanctuary

I never thought about going to an elephant sanctuary, but when my friend Maura offered me her ticket, I couldn't say no!  I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.  

Before carrying on with my adventure, I think it's important to mention a few things.  When traveling in Thailand, it is important to travel responsibly and respectfully.  I cannot express how important it is to do your research before paying to have any experience with elephants.  Many companies say that they are ethical but still let people ride the elephants, beat the elephants, and do not properly care for the elephants.  Elephants are very smart and empathic animals.  Please do not ride elephants or support companies that treat them poorly.  

With that being said, the Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary took exceptionally good care of the elephants and you could tell that the elephants and caretakers had a great relationship with one another.  Leah and I got to feed the elephants hundreds of bananas and walk right alongside them. 

Once we were done feeding and petting them, we led them down to a mud pit to rub mud all over their bodies.  This protects their skin from the sun and bugs.  Leah and I got into a mud fight with the caretakers there.  After, we washed the elephants and ourselves in the creek.  Our previous mud fight turned into a water fight!

The elephants knew where the bananas were when they wanted a snack.

Last Few Days...

My program had a final dinner with everyone at a beautiful location around a lotus pond.  It was bittersweet to say goodbye to everyone.  

We didn't become friends until after fall break and our first time hanging out was trying to find a
police station. Thanks for still being my friend after I talked about cannibalism in Vanuatu all the way home.  

These two are CRAZY.
Always down to have a good laugh and not take anything seriously.

I owe my survival and sanity to this girl.  She's the best of best!

Rabia is the perfect person to go have dessert for dinner with or try McDonald's
in Thailand for the first time and order practically everything.
 She was always so supportive and down to explore.

My last day was spent with some friends at a cafe, spending time in Old Town with my roommate, and walking around the market with Nicha.  It was hard to grasp that it was my last day.

Drake aka buddy ole pal aka the next big wildlife photographer.
He can find practically any animal in the forest and take some unbelievable photos.  

The very intelligent and funny MJ.  I'm still convinced that she lives at Basecamp cafe.
She was ALWAYS there!

The last day with my roommate, Mariela!
We practically chased down the coconut ice cream lady all day.

My hostel had just gotten this cat that day and the cat was too scared to let anyone touch her.
  The staff was so surprised to find her purring while asleep in my arms like a baby.
I guess I'm a cat whisperer?!

My best friend while in Thailand.  I owe my survival to her.
 Nicha helped me any time I needed it and was most importantly a great friend.
 Thank you Nicha.

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It's been 5 months from being back and I still wish to be back in Thailand every day.  I miss my friends, the blazing sun, and smoothies at the ready.  I'm taking time to enjoy my life in Kentucky now.  I've been living most days in Purdy's and spending the rest with family and friends.  I have had a crazy and amazing life so far.  I have been so fortunate and I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.