As of today, I have been in China for one month. I'm definately in the honeymoon stage of culture shock still, because everything is still new and fun. I love this place, though. Language classes went really well this week...my teachers are really good, and it's helpful to be able to see the language while I'm hearing it, because I learn a lot faster and more acurately that way. I'm starting to meet some people, too, and really enjoying that. It's very motivating to study more diligently, too, so that I can better communicate with my Chinese friends. I wish I had more time to tell you more of the things that are going on, but it's late here. Sometime I'll write about eating some crazy foods (the special food this week was lung!), or getting my bike :), or spending time with my friends.
I love that I can leave the city and be in the mountains in an hour! Last week I went to a nong jia le, sort of an addition onto a farmer's house that has been turned into a bed-and-breakfast type place. It was so refreshing to be out of the city and see the mountains, and to hear the bubbling creek just outside.
The mattress was pretty much nonexistent...just this little moldy pad of something - I don't really know what it was.