Getting to know 大连 Part 1 - Living

Ignoring the bitterness of my previous post, I'm starting to get settled here in 大连 [Dalian].I have a house, friends, the internet [at last] and have registered with the 大学 [University].
The rest of my belongings have yet to arrive and I still can't figure out how to get a Blackberry enabled sim, but things are looking up. I've included some pictures of my flat [and one of Serrena...covering her face] so you can get some idea of my living conditions. My room's apparently the 'small' one, but my room in my first year at Edinburgh was actually smaller, and was considered a good size....

I've also included some pictures of my area in dalian, so you can can get a general idea. It's really hot here atm as well! No British Summer bs, it's been like 25 degrees every day!



The Internet doesn't really like my computer - so don't expect updates too often -_-.  I might have to buy a new laptop the way things have been going. We keep having to call up the landlord's computer-whizz friend, adding a lot of  "对不起"s and "不好意思"s [essentially "I'm really sorry!"]. At least for now I can watch Geordie Shore - why-aye! But anyway, I wanted to regale you with the story of my luggage - it is a tale to be told.

Basically, as my allowance on the plane was only 20kg [nonsense, do people just come to China for weekend breaks?] I had to send some stuff over in another suitcase, weighing roughly 35kg. Now, I was using UPS so you'd think the internationally known, world-renowned company would know what it was doing. However, Edi is moving to China, so we have to make sure things are a bit s*** for at least a week So it was meant to arrive within 1-3 days - if I wasn't expecting the 1, and doubtful about the 3, I at least wasn't panicking when it got to 4 without hearing a peep from them. Apparently our road is pretty hard to find [it's in a sort of compund] but you know, they would call if they were lost right?

WELL, speaking of lost, on Tuesday [day 5] my mother receives a call from the Frankfurt Branch of UPS. Oh yes, Frankfurt Germany. Ain't no Frankfurt in China mate. "Hello, we have a package with no address, but we found your name and number on it, so we thought we would call you for confirmation."
"I beg your pardon?" My mum probably said [we're very polite people].
Turns out the frickin' lorry driver tried to get fresh with my mum [people don't do that - if you saw my mum you certainly would not], telling her not to staple the bloody address onto the suitcase, that a sticky label will be enough. My mum, obviously, protests but eventually backs down [this is a man's life work we're talking about here] and so chaos ensues. It turns out the sticky label bollo-- nonsense did fall off in the end, and my bag ended up lost in translation as well as Germany.

But it's at least in China now [ the Frankfurt man was very helpful - thank God all germans speak English] but now they want a photocopy of my passport faxed to them [i'm sorry, from whence am I meant to procure a fax machine?]. STOP BEING SO SUSPICIOUS AND JUST GIVE ME MY FUCAAAAaahhhhhhhhh....*hrumph* my suitcase. Please. This is all I want. Thank you.

Also, I'm sure opening a Chinese bank account is meant to be easier than it was for me. Serrena didn't seem to find it very hard, but then she is ethnically Chinese. I think they're just denying me [and Holly] because we have different eye shapes.....A least I've managed to find a job [something that's apparently very easy to do, and you get paid a bundle!], but more on that in a more positive post!



As my mum keeps reminding me I've been in China for less than a week, but I'm the sort of person where everything has to be organised either before or as soon as I get to a new place. My flatmates are pretty relaxed about it as well - they've been soooo helpful. But me being me I've come close to my version of a panic attack [sighing deeply and shaking my head repeatedly] quite a few times. I'm not usually a high-strung person by the way. I'm just a firm believer in organisation and have a crew to that effect [yes people still have crews - don't knock it till you've tried it].

So that's just a brief intro to what's been going on so far - there are plenty more stories to be told I'm sure! Next posts should be about uni so far, going out [only been out once but still, it was an experience] and a little note about Taxis....they're an experience worthy of a whole post.

Questions & Comments        ^.^      <<< Can you see how I've become more positive?              xx