We’ve only been here for a week but it easily feels like a month. Especially with all of the activities we have been up to, it seems like we’ve been running around nonstop since we arrived and I actually love it. It’s fun walking around and finding a new place to eat at every night and waking up early to get a head start on the day. Since the sun rises at like 4:45, I normally wake up at 6:30 or 7 now and have a relaxing morning and make some some Quaker Oats oatmeal (just add water!) and do a little bit of homework.
I have class from 8:30 to 12:05 and then I have an hour lunch break until I get with my tutor, 金老师、and we talk in Chinese for an hour! My brain is pretty fried by the end of the day. The first day, it was dreadful and so exhausting because I was so out of shape from even just a 2 week break, but now I’m getting used to it.
The very first night, a Saturday, we went to downtown Tianjin and ate dinner at a fancier place in a mall. Normally I spend about 1-4 dollars per meal here but that meal was probably $8. So more expensive compared to what we have been spending in China, but still relatively cheap! Downtown Tianjin has so many shops. Lots of young people are there and huge busses that drive on the big roads and yell “get out the way!”
There are so many cool places downtown so we’re definitely going back. 🙂
The next day we had a tour of Tianjin.
We visited a “water park” and also went to a culture street where I picked up some gifts for friends. For lunch we had noodles and bubble tea. Joan, Daniel and I both went back and got another one after we had finished eating our noodles because it was such a good drink! I think Daniel and I had a kiwi thing but I can’t exactly remember.
After that was karaoke! It was my first time going, and I am sure we’ll go again.