Finally part of the world again!

My flat in Danfeng

Finally, after almost six weeks in China, I’ve got my internet problems sorted out and I should now have regular access to my blog and facebook (at £6 a month to my UK proxy server.) It’s well worth it, though, as I also have access to BBCiplayer and ITVplayer, which means I can now watch the X-factor and see the Christmas Dr Who!!)

Anyway, it’s impossible now to go back to fill in the last month’s experiences so instead I’ll pick out a few highlights in photo form and give the basics in writing of how things are in general. I’ve settled well into Danfeng. I love my flat (small but private – though a kitchen sink would be a plus!) and I like the town a lot. It has far more available food and clothing than I was expecting. I can get almost everything here for daily life (except decent bread – sob!) and in Xi’an, which is 3-4 hours away by bus, I can get books in English (limited choice of course.) One thing that I can’t get at all in China is magazines – I’m missing Delicious and Good Food mags already!

People here are friendly and, as I’m the first white person EVER to stay in Danfeng, they’re pretty curious. The stares are slowly becoming fewer though, at least in the few streets that I use every day (from my flat to the school and to the one supermarket!) I also have a few “friends” which makes me feel part of the town;

- the baker who I buy bread from and gives me a daily monologue in Chinese that I can’t understand a word of

- the hairdresser down the road who sits on a stool outside her shop as she never seems to have any customers but smiles at me every time I go past

- the old, old man who seems to be the foreman of a building site (though I’ve never actually see him do any work) and who keeps beckoning me over – which so far I’ve chickened out of!

I also have two little friends - Han Liang (6) and his big sister Han Yue (8) who appear at my front door every few days with a present for me. Sometimes it’s homemade biscuits, sometimes fruit or nuts and last night it was an omelette in a carrier bag! They won’t take anything from me though, and run away as soon as they’ve given me the present.

I’ve lots more to say, but will keep how my school is for another time.

Oh, and for the buddies who love me, my address is

VSO Kirsten Gould

Longju Middle School, Dan Feng

SHAANXI

陕西省丹凤县龙驹中学,726200

China

Should you have the desire to send me a xmas card/birthday card/Delicious magazine ;-) just copy, paste, print it out and stick it on the front of the envelope!