I saw locals in several parks playing the flute this week. Hearing their music made me feel very peaceful and really enhanced my experience in these beautiful parks. I thought that it was pretty generous of these musicians to share their talents with fellow locals in return for warm smiles and appreciations from the listeners.
One of my favorite activities is walking around and getting to know my new city better. During these walks, I typically buy food, explore grocery stores to figure out where I can get the best prices, make a note of restaurants to try and photograph important landmarks.
Last week I started classes, so most of my reading has been based on assigned texts in the syllabus. I read about China's history and it's government's policies that have shaped how the country has developed from an agricultural/rural population to a more urbanized nation.
I have been a soccer player since I was very young and still love to play. In China, soccer is pretty popular, so I have been able to play a few times already! I mostly play with guys, some of whom are old enough to be my dad and who don't speak much English. I keep up with them well and they are often surprised by my performance.
