Ni hao,

Well, we are in China.  It has taken me a while to update this blog, partly due to my losing 2 hours worth of entry that I failed to save adequately.  Lesson learned.  25 hours, layovers in Seattle in Shanghai, and we finally arrived in Chengdu.  We had a 3 hour layover in Shanghai and almost missed our flight due to a remarkably slow customs agent (20 minutes per person...really!)  We ran 15 minutes through a monstrous Shanghai airport and reached our gate just in time.  We then proceeded to wait on the tarmac for 90 minutes before take off, due to bad weather in Chengdu.  We flew though a lightning storm that was pretty exciting and arrived safe, sound but exhausted in Chengdu at 2:30 am.  Nancy, one of the other foreign teachers at UESTC (University of Electronic Science and Technology) was there to great us with a smile (tired smile) on her face.  

Our apartment was not ready, so we stayed in a different apartment for the first few days until ours was vacated.  The condition of the apartments were a bit less than ideal.  Rhonda spent much time removing black mold, and other sundry wall and floor coverings in order to make the place more livable.  The next few days were spent traveling to police and health departments to acquire necessary permits, getting x-rays taken for said permits, purchasing cleaning supplies, water, food basics.  Purchasing more cleaning supplies, etc...

The apartment complex we live in is filled with a wonderful array of foreign teachers from different parts of the world including England, France, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, and US.  They have been very welcoming and helpful.  We are making new friends each day.  Pete and Vickie Carrier traveled with us from the US and are part of the BYU Kennedy Center program we are involved with.  They have become wonderful friends and we have leaned on each other during this time of adjustment.

We have been walking a lot.  There is public transportation available, but until we learn the lay of the land a bit more, we find ourselves walking most of the time.  We are starting to use buses more, a taxi here and there, and for extra excitement, a 3 wheeled vehicle that looks a bit like a motorized chariot.  We have also been on their subway, which is very modern and convenient.  Chengdu is a city of 13 million.  It takes awhile to get from place to place.

There are two campuses and they are both beautiful.  Especially the Qingshuehe campus, which is only a few years old.  There are 30,000 students that attend the UESTC and it is rated #3 in the country.  

Unfortunately, Rhonda became ill shortly after we arrived.  She was very sick for several days.  This was particularly difficult in that she was also trying to prepare for her first classes.  She teaches 5 classes.  I was able to attend her first class and was impressed at how well she did.  She was amazing and bonded with the students very quickly.  She responded quickly and effectively to their questions and several unexpected situations.  She was awesome.  I was proud of how well she taught, but even more impressed due to what I understood she was experiencing within herself.  This was not easy for Rhonda.  She is naturally shy and does not like to be in front of a group.  She felt very anxious, not to mention sick, but faced this with great courage.  I admire and love her for that. 

I have been very impressed with the students I have been teaching.  In the admittedly short period of time I have been with them, I have noticed the following:

• They are respectful
• They are anxious to learn
• They are anxious to help
• They are fearful and slow to ask questions or give answers
• They have a great sense of humor
• They almost fainted when I told them I have 12 children (Most are an only child. Very few have one sibling-  China 1 child policy)
• They love their families very much.  I asked them to tell me about their families on their information sheets and was very touched at what they shared.
• They are very intelligent.  

I teach 6 classes of Phd students.  They are very bright.  I enjoyed my first week very much and look forward to sharing more time with these students.

There is much more to share, but I need to go to bed.  I teach 3 classes tomorrow at the other campus and need to be at the bus by 7:00 am.  Here are a few pictures which hopefully will help paint a picture of what we are experiencing here in Chengdu!  

Kent, Rhonda, Vickie and Pete Carrier in front of the Shahe campus (Old Campus)

The day after we arrived, we were invited to attend the welcoming ceremony for new students.  9000 students were welcomed by the school president and administration.  I enjoyed the president's speech very much (yes, it was translated on the large screens)

Cranes within view of our campus.  The other day, while downtown, I counted 33 cranes being used for construction.  There is a lot of construction going on in China!

Here is a typical toilet in China.  They are called "Squatters"  I think you get the idea.  A bit challenging for us folks with bad backs.  This is a toilet on campus.  Thankfully, we have western style toilets in our apartment.  

Here is the toilet in our bathroom.  Cleaning in process!  The shower head is right above the toilet.  Convenient if you want to multitask.  I haven't been that brave.  

Here is one street of the Shahe campus

Rhonda shopping for some fruit from a neighborhood vendor

Our friday night date...we found a McDonalds!!!!!!!!