trishaaa in chinaaa

Moving on past vacation mode. Tear tear.

Nanning, Guangxi. The ‘Green City’. Population 1.3 million.

Palm trees. Hints of a blue sky. Tropical, humid summer climate.

Utter chaos on the road. Jay-walking gets rather---interesting. Traffic light regulated intersections are no less dangerous.

Motorbikes, motorbikes, motorbikes (license for trish?!)

Endless shopping strips. WALMART like you've never seen before!

High-rises like no tomorrow. And even more in construction…especially if I can help it!

First few days here were hectic and exhausting, as I had not yet recovered from ‘Beijing-ing’. As I stepped out the comfortable air-conditioned airport, still in a daze from my three hour nap on the plane, a wave of Nanning summer air hit me and I wondered how I would last the summer…which unfortunately ends in October!!! Nothing could ever prepare you for this heat!

Living:

I had originally arranged to stay at my dad’s friend’s condo.

Pros: Gorgeous brand-new place--4 bedroom, air-conditioned, fully furnished, hardwood floors, with a double height living area and generous balcony. Lush gardens in the central park, equipped with tennis courts. "Dep" under the building: in addition to milk, bread, and beer, the “dep” also sells live chickens!

Cons: Suburbia. 45 minutes by bus from downtown. Reminiscent of one of those remote condo developments outside Toronto. I think I would’ve died from loneliness. Or become a serious internet hermit.

Not exactly what I had intended in coming to China for a year... Though I don’t deny that I would have loved the comfort, I just had to be in the city. I wanted to meet people, and really experience life in Nanning. After living four years downtown Montreal, there's no turning back!

And I had nothing but amazing luck! I went to meet my supervisors at work the day after arriving, and I was offered a place to stay with one of them! My friend Xu Ming has a place about a 15 minute walk to work. She has been really awesome, openly inviting me to her place and her life here. She is sincerely worried about this random girl from Canada!

And thus I have begun the unthinkable---work in the ‘REAL-LIFE’ architectural world! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

posted by trish @ 6:19 AM