What's new...

Sorry.

I haven't updated my blog in about two weeks now. Sorry. I got myself into a routine that unfortunately left out blogging. But I'm starting a new routine this week that will allot more time for getting online and being in more contact with friends and family back home.

So, since we've been apart for so long, and I have been in China for almost 3 months now, let's discuss "What's new?"

Two weeks ago I went to the zoo with my preschool class. It was a pretty typical zoo with some atypical occurrences. There is one part of the zoo where the tour guide takes you in a van through the animal enclosures to let you get an up close view of the animals in their habitat. There are Jurassic Park gates enclosing each animal to ensure that they stay from each other. For example, to ensure such things that the lions don't get in with the bears, and the tigers don't get in with the adorable little spider monkeys. Well, the gates didn't work. As our bus was going through the gates, a cheetah got into the gazelle enclosure and we got an ultra rare showing of watch the jeep chase the cheetah out of gazelle land.

Also, they actually encourage people to throw food at the chimpanzee, just as long as it's not self prepared, which could make the animal sick. I watched for 15 minutes and the ape really had a thing for cookies and gatorade. It was kind of cruel how people threw food at this chimp, but he didn't really seem to mind as you can see. He's actually holding his hand out and asking for more.

Overall, it was an extremely fun day and my kids really seemed to enjoy themselves.

My apartment in starting to come together nicely. I've pretty much devoted my last 1.5 paychecks to getting furniture, internet, paying utilities, cooking stuff, food, and everything else that would make an apartment more then just 4 walls and a ceiling. Now that I'm pretty much all settled my next paycheck goes exclusively to Christmas gifts for friends and family back home.

Like I said, I'm starting a new routine and I am going to be touching on a lot more topics in the postings to come. (Food, restaurants, clothing, shops, weather, and other cultural tidbits)

Things Ezra has learned...

1. It's extremely rude to say bathroom. You ask for the xi xo che (hand washing room).
2. My Chinese name is Gao Fei. Given to me by my Chinese teachers for two reasons. It literally means Fly High, because I'm so tall. And also, when you say it, it sounds like Goofy and apparently I remind them of Goofy when I'm playing with the children...
3. How annoyed I get when someone stands in the middle of the escalator rather than on one side to let people pass.
4. There is this tiny apple that looks like a crab apple that people absolutely love here. I'm not a fan.
5. Persimmon's are gross. They're like the mutant child between a tomato and an overripe peach.
6. People will push, shove, yell and pretty much do everything except draw blood to get that last seat on the metro train.
7. Gun ownership is illegal in China.
8. If my mom could see me riding a bike through the city, it would probably give her a heart attack seeing how close other bikes and cars actually get to you.
   

Talk to you very soon.

Love,
Ezra