Navigating

It takes awhile to figure out how to do things in a new location, especially when you're not proficient in the language. I write from Weihai, where I arrived three days ago. I've been occupied with such tasks as figuring out how to use a washer whose directions are in Chinese. There are different quirks to the Internet server we use here, and I'm not always successful when I try to post.

As of Tuesday morning, I am happy to say I have figured out the blogging puzzle. Incidentally, you may send comments, as a friend in Nanjing showed me a way around the "Great Firewall of China," and I can see my own blog.

I live in a residence for foreign faculty, where I have a furnished 2 1/2 room apartment (see above). The dining hall downstairs features Chinese institutional food, something entirely new to me, though it isn't bad. I haven't lived directly on a college campus since my early twenties, and it feels weird because I'm used to more privacy. The facilities are great, especially by Chinese standards. It's obvious these people want to be gracious. There's a small lake in back of our residence (see below), and the ocean is a short walk-- perhaps a quarter mile.