Impressions

I can't really describe my first impression of Nanjing, because I arrived at midnight after a full day of traveling. Every reaction I had to China was completely simultaneous. But even if I hadn't arrived so late, Nanjing is a lot to handle. China in general is a lot to comprehend. There are so many new things that happen every day and I think to myself "I'll get used to it." I was forewarned about the spitting, the smoking, and the shirtless (exclusively old and heavy) men. I expected the hilariously misspelled and confusing t-shirts with English slogans, my ineptitude at using chopsticks, and the fear-inducing traffic. What I didn't expect is the actual environment of Nanjing. The city is so green: there are trees lining every street and there are often plants and flowers in the dividers.  Before a thunderstorm, the sky looked like green glass, like Iowa pre-tornado (I'm sorry, pre-tornado warning) and then turned pale pink. Although I am yet to experience Nanjing nightlife, I got a sneak peek of the electric jungle of pulsing neon lights that is the Light Art Tunnel on Hunan Lu. The nighttime colors are brighter and more varied than New York and Milan—and they create a hazy energy that looks like it's about to implode in the center of the road.

Sophie and I are leaving for Hefei today to become certified teachers. I think our Nanjing adventures will really start when we get back in a week. I am not sure what the internet situation will be, but I am bringing my computer for lesson planning purposes so I will try to post. China doll is hopping on a train to get trained!