Made it to Shanghai!!!!!

Day One: After about 5 hours of sleep, woke at 5:20 a.m Ling Ti is my translator today (Sunshine teaches this morning)  and is knocking at my door at 6:45 a.m. We have travelled everywhere ( Last night and today)  by the school's "car and driver". Feel like a rock star- he waits around the corner and my "translator" for the day phones and he pops up on the curb!

Had to re-do chest X-ray and fasting blood work today.Yikes! Not happy about that needle going in my arm- the "pad" where you rest your arm was covered in past blood stains.Ya' gotta love China!

( Hot, Humid, Sticky, Smelly weather - geez! I had heard it was like this in July/August- but holy man - it's  practically mid-September …..)

Ling Ti tells me it's called "Autumn Tiger"- no kidding!

Then off a Government complex  to gain my residence Visa for the year. Lots of problems here……Ling Ti was so patient, but firm. We finally got a "manager" and the process took 5 minutes after a one hour wait going from wicket to another wicket. ( A security guard made us move up and to the next  chair each time someone went to a wicket. . Rows and Rows of chairs lined up and all of us jumping up and down shifting to the next seat. Comedy material, for sure)

Driver took us to the local mall- ate Japanese Noodles for lunch- then walked to the bank to get my account opened and a debit card. Then walked back to campus.

Ling Ti drove home on his bike ( 1:30 pm. -ish?). I walked back to the mall ( 15 minutes ? tops) - huge - with a carrefoure Department store. Bought $359.30 yuan worth of stuff for my room ( reading lamp, bath towels, power bar, noodles, p-butter & bread, etc)  for $57.03 Cdn- LOVE this place!

Matt- my neighbour on the right knocked on my door. Nice young man from England. Offered to help with my Internet and phone problems……….can't wait to be "connected"

Why is Central China TV ( CCTV) in Mandarin????? I had the "English" version in March 2012!!! BBC is available, but the two-hour news reel runs over and over until the next day.  Currently watching a game show in Russian. The husbands are fat and bald and their wives look starved with hair and clothes that are totally age- inappropriate…..I need a book, the Internet and my Phone!!!!