Home Sweet Home

Shanghai definetly has begun to feel like home for us. We like our apartment and the neighborhood we live in. We're also meeting many new people and making lots of friends. Erik and I often go to English Corner, which is a gathering of Chinese students who want to practice speaking in English. We've met many people by going to these and they are always anxious to practice their English with Americans.

Erik is now working too. He's a teacher at a summer camp and works many hours nearly everyday of the week. Thankfully, he'll only be this busy for 2 months. In the fall, he'll start his Chinese classes! But he will be able to save much for a travels this year!

Unlike Erik, I'm now working less because my Kindergarden has less students in the summer. It's been a nice change. I enjoy my school very much. I teach 3 to 7 year olds, so it's definitly been a challenge! Like most kids that young, my students are very active and loud. However, most are very enthusiastic about learning English and I'm already starting to see an improvement in their speaking skills. They love to play American games, such as Duck Duck Goose and Red Rover which they've never played before. They also love to sing and learn American songs. It's been a lot of fun teaching them my childhood games. I feel they are much smarter then I was in Kindergarden! Many of my 6 and 7 year olds can already read and write, and their penmenship is better then mine is now!

We are enjoying spending time with our friends. Two more friends from the US arrived here a couple weeks ago and stayed on an air mattress on our floor until they could find an apartment. We had 5 people in our small apartment for awhile! It was fun though, nice to spend so much time with good friends. We are looking forward to another friend arriving in August. Also, a close friend of mine is considering moving out here. I hope she does!

This month should be fun as more friends arrive, Erik and I will soon be paid for the first time, and we get the opportunity to bum around Shanghai more. There are still many places we have not gone yet, such as the waterpark, and I know Erik is anxious to go to the zoo. So it should be an eventful month!

Home Sweet Home. Our apartment is on the top floor, the second window.

Celebrating Tony's birthday by eating dinner at a Japanese restuarant.

Celebrating our one year anniversary by eating at a Brazillion BBQ. Our friends will soon be opening a Brazillion restuarant where they promise the food will be even better!