So, I made it here to China. Long journey. The plane ride was nice. I flew first class from Denver to San Francisco and it was very nice; I had a wide seat and lots of leg room. However, my carry-on was too wide for the overhead bins, so the flight attendant had them check it plane side to be picked up in Beijing! The food was actually pretty good. I had a chicken salad and some sort of chili cheese soup. The lay over in San Francisco was short, so I only had time to quickly buy gifts for the people coming to pick me up at the airport.
Business class on the Air China was very nice. The seats were the ones that stretch out and recline so that one can sleep comfortably. The screen was also fairly large. The food was also quite good, at least for airplane food. But the movie selection was the best. There were so many on-demand movies and television shows that it was impossible to get through all of them. I ended up watching about four movies and sleeping. I also received a complementary vanity pack that included a toothbrush, toothpaste, a brush, mouthwash, earplugs, sleep mask, and lotion. I also got a pair of slippers, which I am also using now around the apartment and pajamas! They are nice, but are too hot for the weather right now. Perhaps when it turns cooler I will use them.
Once I landed in China, the fun really began. Beijing International is a huge airport but the international terminal is relatively easy to figure out. Customs were also easy: you are either a "foreigner" or a "Chinese national." Riding the tram was also an experience. Like the trains in Japan or NYC during rush hour, everyone just crammed into the cars and it was very hot and stuffy all the way to baggage claim. At baggage claim, I got all of my luggage and had to wheel it around to where people could meet passengers. I found the Qufu liason, Andy, and I met up with Makenzi, one of the other teachers here. We hung out for a while, taking in the airport and people watching. After a while we met up with Andy again and had our first meal in China: an airport noodle restaurant. I had a noodle bowl with beef strips in it. And it was very good. After about an hour, Jeremy, another teacher, joined us for some noodles. Whilst we three waited for the fourth and final teacher, Matt, we people watched some more and bought some drinks. I got this grape juice water, which was good.
After Matt arrived, we all piled into the van and went to the hotel. We stayed at the Zhong Xie Hotel, which was an hour away from the airport. During that time, I could tell that my respiratory system was not used to the air, as my chest got tight and my eyes were burning. It has been two days since then and my eyes are just now getting better.
But anyway, on our way to the hotel we passed some shops and so we four decided to go back and look at them. They were mostly restaurants and local hangout areas. But we bought four-600ml beers for fourteen yuan, which is about two, yes two, dollars. That is fifty cents a beer. Something like that in the states would be well over seven or eight dollars for one!
The hotel itself was nice, we each got our own rooms. The beds though, I have noticed, are a lot firmer and thinner than in America. Nonetheless, because I was beyond tired from over twenty hours of travel and running around, I fell asleep immediately.
Business class on the Air China was very nice. The seats were the ones that stretch out and recline so that one can sleep comfortably. The screen was also fairly large. The food was also quite good, at least for airplane food. But the movie selection was the best. There were so many on-demand movies and television shows that it was impossible to get through all of them. I ended up watching about four movies and sleeping. I also received a complementary vanity pack that included a toothbrush, toothpaste, a brush, mouthwash, earplugs, sleep mask, and lotion. I also got a pair of slippers, which I am also using now around the apartment and pajamas! They are nice, but are too hot for the weather right now. Perhaps when it turns cooler I will use them.
Once I landed in China, the fun really began. Beijing International is a huge airport but the international terminal is relatively easy to figure out. Customs were also easy: you are either a "foreigner" or a "Chinese national." Riding the tram was also an experience. Like the trains in Japan or NYC during rush hour, everyone just crammed into the cars and it was very hot and stuffy all the way to baggage claim. At baggage claim, I got all of my luggage and had to wheel it around to where people could meet passengers. I found the Qufu liason, Andy, and I met up with Makenzi, one of the other teachers here. We hung out for a while, taking in the airport and people watching. After a while we met up with Andy again and had our first meal in China: an airport noodle restaurant. I had a noodle bowl with beef strips in it. And it was very good. After about an hour, Jeremy, another teacher, joined us for some noodles. Whilst we three waited for the fourth and final teacher, Matt, we people watched some more and bought some drinks. I got this grape juice water, which was good.
After Matt arrived, we all piled into the van and went to the hotel. We stayed at the Zhong Xie Hotel, which was an hour away from the airport. During that time, I could tell that my respiratory system was not used to the air, as my chest got tight and my eyes were burning. It has been two days since then and my eyes are just now getting better.
But anyway, on our way to the hotel we passed some shops and so we four decided to go back and look at them. They were mostly restaurants and local hangout areas. But we bought four-600ml beers for fourteen yuan, which is about two, yes two, dollars. That is fifty cents a beer. Something like that in the states would be well over seven or eight dollars for one!
The hotel itself was nice, we each got our own rooms. The beds though, I have noticed, are a lot firmer and thinner than in America. Nonetheless, because I was beyond tired from over twenty hours of travel and running around, I fell asleep immediately.