20 Things Before 21

In China I have a lot of time on my hands after teaching where I get to relax. I don't have a million things on my mind that I could be doing. I should get ready for class, but if I decide to procrastinate that like I usually do, then I can read, watch movies, or walk around town. That is one major thing that I have noticed about being here-is that I don't have a million things on my mind. And I love it.

So being me, i've made a bunch of lists and this is one I had a lot of fun with. You should all do one, especially if you just had your birthday. I thought i'd share mine with you to give you ideas and so you can help me accomplish them.

20 Things Before 21

1. Visit the Great Wall

2. Go in a hot air balloon

3. Upgrade to a MacBook

4. Get eyelash extensions

5. Read the Book of Mormon

6. Paint a picture

7. Learn to play an Ingrid song on the piano

8. Paint every fingernail a different color

9. Go salsa dancing

10. Find my perfume scent

11. Read "How to Win Friends and Influence People"

12. Find more vintage cameras

13. Buy a large map and put all the places I want to go

14. Find antlers and spray them white to hang up

15. Go to a yoga class

16. Fly a kite

17. Find a job

18. Make a Sweet photobook of China

19. Be a better blogger

20. Write in my journal

Day Two in Shanghai

 

  

Picture 1) Our hotel room with a glass bathroom. We got close that night.
Picture 2) A carnival swing ride we happened upon
Picture 3) & 4) The underground lighted tunnel that took us across to Pudong Island
Picture 5) The Worlds Largest Observatory Tower
Picture 5) The view from the top

We loved Shanghai and we can't wait to go back especially since it is so close to us. Any reccommendations from people who have been here?

Day One in Shanghai

The leather pants LOVED Shanghai. This was the bus we took for two and half hours while listening to people coughing up a few lungs into their bags.

Me, Caitlin, and Jill on Nanjing road, the huge shopping district in Shanghai. Luckily cars couldn't drive there- so we only had to worry about the trams running us over.

Paris of the East. The buildings looked straight out of Europe-only when I saw the Asians did I remember what Country I was in. This is on the Bund, overlooking the river and Pudong.

This is the YuYan gardens, they were traditional tea houses and shops.

Nanjing road at night. I loved the lights and all of the people. This was some of the girls first time in a big city and it was so fun to see their reaction to all of the people.

We explored Shanghai on our own, with only "The Lonely Planet" China guide book as our guide (which I would suggest for anyone traveling). It was a huge confidence booster to realize we can get around China on our own and be safe.

Happy Friday!

Half of our group is sick so we're spending the weekend relaxing with movies and maybe venturing to downtown tomorrow for some more pastries that we are craving.

Exploring Ningbo

I found Titanic! Leave to me to fly to China to buy it for 1.50 instead of 40.00 on Amazon.

The buddah statue in Ningbo

Photo taken by our wonderful tour guides David and Mike from church

I found it! I haven't gone in yet- I do have some self control people.

The river funs through the middle of the mall, and what a better place to go fishing? I thought so too.

Ningbo Tian Xi Square (downtown) at night, it reminds me of NYC so i'm basically in love. I can't wait for Spring when the lighted fountains go off like Belagio.

A cute shopping center we found.

Take notice of the matching pajamas. You bet my parents will be getting some of those as their gifts.

Ningbo at night. It is breathtaking.

The boardwalk, who knew there were palm trees? Fun surprise.

Getting to explore Ningbo was so much fun! It is the size of Farmington to Provo and contains three times as many people as Utah's entire population. The people are so nice and willing to try to help us around with their "english." Teaching is getting better everyday and i'm trying my best at it.

Hope your week is awesome, take a warm shower for me!

Love

Megan Anne

The Right Place

They ride these scooters everywhere- notice the gloves attached. And sidewalks are a perfectly acceptable place to drive them too.

Me and Caitlin at a festival outside of the mall we walked to.

We bought cotton candy, that tasted like peaches/fish, and we possibly overpayed way too much for it.

A local chinese kid helped us order along with pointing- so we got peach oreo shakes accidently?

The house where we went to church, it was on a little island surrounded by water.

Happy Birthday Mara!

On a side note: the rocks on this Island have speakers in them so whenever the government comes they play creepy music the whole time.

I slight feel like i'm in hunger games.

Me and Caitlin doing the signature pose in some bamboo shoots.

The people here are so nice and love to say "hallo" and love to take sneaky pictures of us.

I'm still counting it as a success if I go to sleep after nine- and i'm getting use to eating rice at every meal.

Funny note- at the mall they play American music and yesterday they played Christmas music all day- I am in the right place I tell you.

The Pink Room

My roommate Jill in her tewobear sweatshirt bought at the market

Our room: where we keep the heater on all day and the door closed so it is a sauna. But that is literally the only warm place in China so i'm happy!

Our front room. No couches? Frost on the window? Sure.

The drains don't work so whatever goes down comes out on the floor.

And it slightly looks like chainsaw masacre....

Our washing machine- still need to try that.

I'm not kidding. The squatter. We finally found a sit down toilet 2 bus stops away that we may travel to if necessary.

The deathly showers. (notice the HP reference Jules) Ice comes out of them instead of water, so that makes for a quick way to get 7 girls showered. Supposedly there are three hot water times and we've tried them all with no success.

Our courtyard.

We have a fridge,  microwave, watercooler, and an explosion of pink.

It is such an adventure. I know it sounds bad- and it may be- but it is just making me appreciate everything even more. I learned to use chopsticks very fast once I realized that was all I could use to eat. They are amazing with them, it is unreal. Basically I sleep from 8 at night to 4 in the morning. We went to the mall, which helped us all out a bit. Everything is so cheap, i'm in heaven. And we are moving to a new apartment in a few weeks so that will be nice hopefully. The whole school is gated in like the great wall with guards, so that makes me feel safe, but somewhat unsure of why it is necessary. For my mom- we have a purified water station in our room so i'm only using clean water.

I'm happy we found:

A track

Tennis courts

&

Oreos

I know it will take so much adjusting, but I also know I am growing so much everyday.

Thanks for everything!