Qingdao is a nearby city in our province on the coast. It was the first trip we took after moving to China. We hopped on the train eager and excited, but unprepared. When we arrived in Qingdao we made the mistake of taking a "taxi" to the hotel. The man drove us in the wrong direction and then insisted on doubling our rate to get us where we needed to go. Drew had a word with the man and ended up getting us to the hotel at the original rate, but it was a lesson learned to onl

Our first week in Weifang, Macy, Wade and their friend Jasmin took us around the wetlands. The wetland are a big park in our city, which would eventually become one of our favorite places. Macy and Wade were seniors whose internship was to aid us in our first semester on campus. We became really close with them while in China. #diary #China #weifang

#China

Winters have been pretty rough in China. The air quality gets really bad, so there are weeks we don't even leave the house due to "hazardous" air. When the air quality is bad, you can just feel it! You feel sluggish, you get headaches, and the kids asthma will start to act up. After another day stuck inside, we decided we needed to get out, so we booked train tickets that departed just 2 hours later, to Zibo, China. Zibo is a small town in our province (4.5 million, half the

Our last day in America, and our first day in China. I knew we were in for quite an adventure, when before our plane even touched down, I had, for the first time, tried sashimi and tofu. I had no idea how many adventures awaited. Our travels to China went fairly smoothly, although for a solid 2 hours Grant cried on the plane (but can you blame him? It was such a long trip). We went over with a group of people teaching English, so we were able to herd our way through the airpo

On Thursday night we found out Drew and I didn't have any classes on Monday, so we decided it would be a perfect time for a much needed weekend getaway! We decided on Qingzhou, a small town (less than a million!) in our province. Qinzhou is known for it's it's beautiful "Chinese-looking" mountains and ancient buildings and villages. Drew and I thought it would be fun to surprise the kids by having everything packed, and not telling them about the trip until we left for the tr

This morning Drew and I didn't have classes, so we thought it could be fun to spend the morning together and make a yummy breakfast. We woke up, headed straight to the market to get some ingredients, and headed back home to start cooking. We bough fresh melon, fresh kiwi juice, and the ingredients for banana pancakes. I was especially excited about this idea, because I thought that banana pancakes would be something that would taste like home, that could be made here in China

Most days we spend as much time as we can out of the house. We go out to lunch, we go out to dinner, and in between, we look for new places to eat and parks to explore. We've run in to wetlands and amusement parks, and found all sorts of cool things, but sometimes you just need a day in. That was today. We decided we would get take out and watch a movie at home all together and just relax. I didn't realize how much I had missed TV, and how deprived I was for entertainment in

In our town I've seen many fisherman. They hop in little fishing boats, or wade into the water, patiently waiting for fish. They need these fish to survive. To make money or to eat. Without patience, they would have nothing. They are flexible, willing to wait out the storm or follow the fish. They adapt in ways necessary to provide for their families. They are still and content. Their faces are kind, and their eyes tell stories of a life worth living. If there is one thing I'

A while back I wrote a blog post, A day in the Life: Small town addition and I thought I'd update, and do a day in the life, China addition. Now that we've been in China for about a month, we're starting to have more of a schedule. Throughout the week Drew and I will teach classes and take turns with the kids. I work 3 days a week, and he works 5. I typically have 1 class on each day, but on odd weeks will have 2 classes on one of my teaching days. Drew will teach anywhere fr

After arriving at our new apartment and unpacking, I was overwhelmed with emotion. It was our second day in our new place and I was panicking. I cried myself to sleep and couldn't understand why I talked myself in to moving to China. Why did I think this would be a good idea?! I was so out of my comfort zone. I didn't know how to order food at a restaurant, go grocery shopping, or even use my microwave because everything is in Chinese! I cried and felt so home sick. I wanted

When we first got to China, we spent a week in Beijing with all the other foreign teachers from China Horizons. During that week we toured sites and participated in training for teaching as well as dealing with culture shock. One thing we went over was the fact that you were going to have to go through hard things, but it sounds so much cooler if you add "in China" to the end of your sentence. It's all about embracing the experience and having a good attitude. For example, in

Last night, we were really craving some American food, so even though our paycheck wasn't coming for a few more days, we decided to splurge and go to pizza hut. The Pizza Hut here is one of the fanciest restaurants in town, don't laugh, it's actually super fancy! We hopped on our E-bike, and headed to the mall, where the Pizza Hut is located. We find ourselves at this mall almost daily, because it's HUGE! There is always something to explore there (learn more about the mall h

Sino Mall is where we spend a huge chunk of our time her in Weifang. China has some AMAZING malls, and this place is seriously HUGE. Your first three floors are shopping, the 4th floor is food and games for kids, the basement is a grocery store, and thats just the indoor portion! There's a hotel smack dab in the middle along with a little amusement park and a long row of street vendors outside where you can get anything from candied apples to little puppies. One reason why i

We've had a couple of haggling experiences, since moving to China, and were also given a quick briefing on haggling during our China Horizons training. So I thought I'd share the wealth and give you 5 tips on haggling in China: #1. ONLY OFFER PRICES YOU WILL PAY Don't give a price if you are not willing to pay it. If you start haggling and the price you offer is accepted, it would be rude to to back out. With that in mind... #2. START LOW The Chinese vendors will make you fee

We went to an acrobatic show in Beijing, and it was absolutely incredible! Aside from the Great Wall, it was my favorite attraction we visited in Beijing. It was comprised of a variety of 10 to 15 minute acts that appealed to all different audience members. There were women balancing plates while walking on each others heads, motorcyclists in a cage, and parkour guys flipping all around and through hoops. I honestly enjoyed every act, and a few of them really had me on my toe

The name for the Forbidden City in Chinese is Zijincheng, which literally translates to "purple forbidden city". Purple, "Zi", refers to the North star, which the ancient Chinese believed to be the home of the Celestial Emperor. And Jin Cheng translates to forbidden city, which is a reference to needing the Emperor's permission to enter or exit the imperial palace. The construction of the Forbidden City was completed in 1420 AD and took 15 years, over 100,000 craftsmen, and a

Tiananmen Square is the first sight we visited after arriving in China. It’s the World’s largest public square, and measures around 1,500,000 square feet. Tiananmen Square has no connection to ancient Chinese history, like most sites you visit in China, but is connected to some significant protests and events in modern Chinese history. Kind of like Americans going to visit Washington D.C., many native Chinese people come to visit Tiananmen Square. For some of these people, it

We made it! We are finally here, and TOTALLY exhausted! Arriving in Beijing was so exciting! The first thing we noticed upon arrival was the humidity. Drew and I are odd, and like humidity, so it was a comforting feeling. We gathered our bags, and looked for a place to exchange money. Since we came over as a group of about 30 people, all with the same company, we were able to use each other as guides to navigate around the airport and find ATMs. Once everyone had everything t

Although we are going to China to teach English, we'd be crazy to not explore the sites around us! So we've decided that once a month (maybe more, if finances allow) to take a big trip to one of China's famous National Parks, historical, or cultural sites. We can't wait to immerse ourselves in the culture and beauty. After scouring the internet, and taking to friends, we've come up with our Chinese bucket list that we hope to accomplish while there! Ainscough Family China Buc