A good night's sleep did me wonders and I must have been extra tired as I didn't realise just how hard the bed was. There was no softness what so ever and it was something I'd have to work on if I was to continue to sleep well. I have since read that it was Mao that introduced hard beds because it was considered too decadent and bourgeois to have a soft mattress. Some things in China have not changed for the better!
Now some breakfast. Just as well I brought my Aussie survival pack, that is, vegemite, Ceylon leaf tea and some crackers.We needed to get some supplies in and Di offered to take Sue and I shopping at Tescos, a large supermarket, a cousin of the British establishment that sold everything from food, home goods to bicycles. We spent a couple of hours picking up this and that and just enjoying the different types of goods. As Shaoxing is off the beaten track as far as foreigners are concerned we were an oddity and we got lots of stares, some hellos and some smiles. But little kids frowned at our greetings as if we were the men from Mars. I found nearly everything I wanted and luckily the Tesco home brands had English names of products on them, the fresh produce looked very good and there was plenty of variety. I spent about 150rmp about $30 and got a whole basket full of goodies.
Kelly set up the computer yesterday so I thought I should send an email to let Bernie know that I was safe and sound. However my first attempt at using a Chinese computer failed and I had to work out what each command was in English, just as well there were the English letters beside the Chinese characters to indicate what the command was. Di came and helped me set up a Gmail account as it was easier to use than the Bigpond account. It seems it would have been better to have brought a laptop as I wouldn't have to bother with the Chinese but it is a challenge I would battle with for the next few months.
After a quick lunch that I couldn't finish as there was too much food, I went back to the flat and decided to clean the floors before our trip to the Police Station to get our documents in order.
Sue, myself and another Korean girl jumped into a taxi with Kelly and drove firstly to the photographers for our passport pictures and then to the Police Station called People’s Police in Shaoxing. Most government buildings and older blocks of flats in Shaoxing were under six flights because they didn't have to put in lifts and this is how to lose weight and get fit. We trudged up four flights of stairs to a small office where Kelly worked at translating our details into the police computer. It took ages and other people came and waited too. A policeman in uniform came into the office a couple of times and took a few sips from a bottle that I thought was a specimen of some strange insect in formaldihide. It was actually the local green tea where they put whole leaves steeped in hot water and top it up every so often with hot water from a thermos.
Back in a taxi we maneuvered our way back to the College through hair- raising traffic, cars dodged people, people and bikes dodged cars. It's Raffety's Rules, nobody seems to obey any road rules and if the road is clogged ahead, vehicles go around by going onto the other side of the road against the traffic. It was always preferable to take a bus than a taxi as it was safer for at least the buses obeyed the lights.
Dinner was nice tonight and Vicki helped me to pick a dish and how to say no MSG. Vicky was the woman I corresponded with before I left for China. She and her husband Warren had been teaching in China for over 3 years and she was a mine of information. This was the first time I actually talked to Vicki on her own and she was very helpful. We went to a small market across the road at the West Gate of the college and I found some drawing paper and paints that were quite cheap. The fruit sellers and the food sellers came out at night opposite the West Gate with a good array of fruit and tasty snack food. The students mostly bought their food from these stalls as it was cheaper and better. I did try the food a couple of times and it was very good but I mostly stuck to the canteen or cooked some food myself from the array of fresh vegetables that were available.
Kelly set up the computer yesterday so I thought I should send an email to let Bernie know that I was safe and sound. However my first attempt at using a Chinese computer failed and I had to work out what each command was in English, just as well there were the English letters beside the Chinese characters to indicate what the command was. Di came and helped me set up a Gmail account as it was easier to use than the Bigpond account. It seems it would have been better to have brought a laptop as I wouldn't have to bother with the Chinese but it is a challenge I would battle with for the next few months.
After a quick lunch that I couldn't finish as there was too much food, I went back to the flat and decided to clean the floors before our trip to the Police Station to get our documents in order.
Sue, myself and another Korean girl jumped into a taxi with Kelly and drove firstly to the photographers for our passport pictures and then to the Police Station called People’s Police in Shaoxing. Most government buildings and older blocks of flats in Shaoxing were under six flights because they didn't have to put in lifts and this is how to lose weight and get fit. We trudged up four flights of stairs to a small office where Kelly worked at translating our details into the police computer. It took ages and other people came and waited too. A policeman in uniform came into the office a couple of times and took a few sips from a bottle that I thought was a specimen of some strange insect in formaldihide. It was actually the local green tea where they put whole leaves steeped in hot water and top it up every so often with hot water from a thermos.
Back in a taxi we maneuvered our way back to the College through hair- raising traffic, cars dodged people, people and bikes dodged cars. It's Raffety's Rules, nobody seems to obey any road rules and if the road is clogged ahead, vehicles go around by going onto the other side of the road against the traffic. It was always preferable to take a bus than a taxi as it was safer for at least the buses obeyed the lights.
Dinner was nice tonight and Vicki helped me to pick a dish and how to say no MSG. Vicky was the woman I corresponded with before I left for China. She and her husband Warren had been teaching in China for over 3 years and she was a mine of information. This was the first time I actually talked to Vicki on her own and she was very helpful. We went to a small market across the road at the West Gate of the college and I found some drawing paper and paints that were quite cheap. The fruit sellers and the food sellers came out at night opposite the West Gate with a good array of fruit and tasty snack food. The students mostly bought their food from these stalls as it was cheaper and better. I did try the food a couple of times and it was very good but I mostly stuck to the canteen or cooked some food myself from the array of fresh vegetables that were available.
Very smart of you not to eat the food. Knowing you and your notorious delicate stomach you may have spoiled the rest of your stay. On the other hand, your tummy might have - in time - become immured to anything that wasn't cooked in near-sterile conditions. Seriously, the teas, tucker and taxis made a great tale for your first days in the People's Republic.
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