Week 3 of my stay in China I spent in my hometown province of Tianjin. I am learning more and more Chinese phrases as the days go by as well as to write my name in Chinese characters. Although there is bad pollution in this city, it is very nice. I did some shopping in a place known for shopping malls and major stores “Binjiangdao”. I needed to buy some clothes for winter because coming from Miami I am not prepared for the cold weather whatsoever. A couple sweaters and two pairs of boots will set me up for the at least the first two months of cold. The Chinese students that I take classes with have informed that during the winter the lake on campus freezes and it draws all the students to run and play on it. Snowmen and balls of snow are also a favorite. I for one have never seen snow so it should be amazing that my first time seeing it is in China. I am preparing for my trip to Hong Kong and also have volunteered myself to participate in a class of a couple of Chinese students that want to practice their English. The class does not have a professor, the students just come in and talk to me about whatever topic they wish to discuss. The objective is to get them to break out of their shells a bit and just speak English more freely. We will see how that goes; I am very excited to know what they question me about. I got a haircut in a tiny salon down an alley that looked pretty decent. I absolutely loved my haircut and the price I loved even more. J Tianjin is full of western bars and places to see and shop for authentic, typical Chinese medicinal herbs and teas. I tried one tea that was delicious and it helps with your digestion. So yes I have laid off the coffee a bit but not all the way. Who knows, maybe by the time I leave China I will only be drinking tea.
Your caffeinated tourist guide.
