my apartment

my apartment building

I arrived in Chongqing on Monday after our swearing in ceremony.  I am now an official PC Volunteer!

The Sichuan International Studies University campus is beautiful and I'm very happy to be at a smaller school.

And, I'm trying to not let my apartment get me down because there are many things to appreciate here.  To make a very long, confusing, and troubling story very short and simple, I will just say that this is the apartment I have:   http://youtu.be/elDNrI1d2eg  I spent the first 3 days cleaning, cleaning, cleaning.

Peace Corps told me to live here.  They told the university that PCVs can live anywhere because we are tough and hardy, and we don't expect much.  They explained that they do not want me living with the foreign teachers; they want me living with Chinese nationals, which is great and fine, except that this apartment building is nearly vacant.  The Chinese teachers live in new apartment buildings that I walk by to get to my apartment building.

one thing to love: my bed has lightning

things to hate: mold and cockroaches, lots of both 

Chinese teacher's apartments

Tomorrow I hope to learn my teaching schedule; classes start on Monday.  I'll be happy to focus on teaching!

I meet with the Dean today, then there's a big department meeting tomorrow.  Still waiting for Internet for my apartment.