It has taken longer than I anticipated to write my first entry since being in town.  This is due to the restrictions on the Internet and that Facebook has been banned here.  Although Google has not been completely banned they are not in good standing, so logging on is impossibly slow, and you generally time out before actually getting on.  I've solved the problem with a VPN, which basically acts as though your computer were in another country.  In my case, Denver, CO, USA!  It was easy to download the program for doing this, once I knew which one to use.

We arrived an hour earlier than expected on Monday, and were surprised at how empty this major airport was.  As it turned out many flights had been cancelled over the weekend to accommodate military exercises.  However, I haven't heard of anyone having any difficulty getting in or out.  We were met by the school's HR staff and they quickly got us and our many bags into a car.

When we got to our apartment we were handed keys and found the refrigerator stocked, and sheets and blankets on the bed.  Rather than head directly to be, we tried to stay up until our usual bedtime.  This meant Kieran went more than 24 hours without sleep!  It took two nights of no more than 2 hours of sleep before our internal clocks were able to adjust.

We were picked up by a driver first thing Tuesday morning to be taken for our medical exam (required for my work visa and Kieran's visa as a dependent).  Once there, we were given locker keys, white robes and blue, plastic slippers to place over our shoes.  Once suitably attired, we were whizzed from one room to the next for:  blood pressure reading and listening to heart and lungs, EKG, X-Ray (of the torso), a sonogram, blood work, and an eye exam.  I'm not sure how or even whether I will learn the results.

Our Ayi (literally means "auntie"), Xiao Wan started work Tuesday afternoon.  She is absolutely amazing!  Not only does she do all of our cleaning and laundry, she handles workmen (we had a leak), runs errands like buying the correct sim card for Kieran's phone, and gets fapios for us.  A fapio is an official receipt for purchases.  Although you may have a receipt with the name of the store printed on it, like in the states, it doesn't count for reimbursements.  For that you need a "fapio".  This requires that you go to a separate counter and get a separate piece of paper with the total price and a red stamp.

Xiao Wan also cooks, although we haven't had a chance to sample her cooking yet.  I've asked her to plan to cook Chinese when she does cook as we want to learn about the food here.  Frankly, eating local foods will also be less expensive as Western items are imported and much more pricey.  A box of cereal costs about $10.00.

We have done a lot of eating out, both alone and with other SAS staff members who have been very welcoming.  There are many restaurants within walking distance including Chinese (of course!), Indian, Thai, American, Japanese and Mexican cuisine.  There are also a number of grocery stores, a few that specialize in Western foods.  Carrefour is much like a Walmart or K-mart, and you can buy quite a bit there at the most reasonable prices.  It is a huge store and can be a bit overwhelming on your first visit.

Xiao Wan took us to Ikea on Wednesday.  These are very popular in China and and are expanding in this country.  Many people go there to get a meal in the restaurant and spend the afternoon browsing.  There were people sleeping in chairs, and just hanging out on living room displays as a family group. I had never been to one before and was grateful for a guide.  The store is set up like a maze and it is easy to get lost amongst the displays.  Then if you buy large items that need to be delivered, you need to get the fapio I mentioned earlier and go to a separate counter to arrange for delivery.

Wednesday afternoon we went to the "Fake Market" next to the Science and Technology Museum.  This is underground and connected to a subway stop, and it is a virtual rabbits warren of clothing tailors, watch sellers (let me show you whats in here...), silk, shoes, technology, etc.  I picked up a huge painting (maybe 3x3 ft) that fits wonderfully in my dining room for about $90.

I finally went into school on Thursday and Friday to get my office set up and to begin getting ready for teachers.  The school is busy over the summer with millions of dollars in renovations going on.