Baoding --- After Shanghai, I guess anyplace would have seemed rural...but was not prepared for the Eastern Bilingual School which was to be my home for the next 10 months.  After taking the Baoding exit off of the highway from Beijing we turned on to one of the main drags in Baoding.  Bao-Vegas is the most appropriate term --- similar to the Vermont term, Rut-Vegas to describe Rutland.  Over the street are rainbow arches that are lit up and blink at night in all different colors.  Even in a relatively rural area the buildings (not high beauties mind you) were still aglow in neon flashing lights.  The China Life Insurance building was especially brilliant and at first glance, I thought it might be Trump Tower.  Maybe you can work the blackjack table while signing a policy.

We turned off the main drag and headed to the school....lots of very very run down structures and lots of farm fields.  My teaching partner and I were at a loss for words as our van drove along.  Our jaws were still slack upon seeing our rooms...calling them Spartan might be generous.  Two rooms (3 including the bathroom), a desk, a chair, a bed and a nightstand.  White walls, ceilings and a tile floor felt a bit like a sanitarium...when was Nurse Ratchett going to show?  We do have TV and a computer which thankfully has internet but turns on/off at random to my delight.  TV has 1 english station, so I am learning my chinese from Kung Fu movies and the many many versions of American Idol that exist here.  Have made the rooms home and have made it past the culture shock. 

One other thing that must be mentioned is the smell.  Not sure where it comes from, what causes it, how it can manage get through locked windows, overcome several air fresheners and be tasted upon waking up in the morning but it is if nothing else, unholy.  It makes me long for the good ol' S.D. Warren paper mill.