China update!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, busy being super adventurous in China! :) Hopefully you guys understand! ;P

Things I love about China this week:
1) unexpected hotel stays-completly paid for.
2) yummy fruit platters
3) karaoke with drunk Chinese men
4) New friends from America
5) scooter rides with cute boys (checked off my bucket list)
6) Cute new shoes and dresses:)
7) Hair long enough to do cute braids:)
8) Official bond t-shirts
9) bunny nails
10) taxi rides
11) teaching my favorite little king :)
12) Dinner with allen:)
13) fancy lunch dates with the wife of the bond owner
14) Daisy one of our coordinators.
15) Skype-ing my dad:)
16) getting one of our vacation plans approved:)
17) Going to the gym:)
18) ultimate Ping pong
19) Present shopping
20) I love China!


Things I don't like about China this week:
1) Not skype-ing my mom at all this week
2) Anxiety from who knows what
3) Failed plans


The things I love about China out-weigh the things I hate:)

I will try Skype everyday now, sorry its been so long! and pictures will be on tomorrow! they are just not uploading right now! :)

Day 43: Bye Kyle:(

The other girls had to teach today so me and Nikki cleaned the apartment to get ready for the new girls who are coming tomorrow, after that we watch a movie and then when it was 6:00 we went to pizza-coffe with Kyle, since its his last day with us, we had a super fun time and talked and laugh and then kyle did the sweetest thing and paid for all of us! :) It was so unexpected, we then went back to our apartment and played games and talked for awhile! We are going to miss Kyle so much! He is such an incredible person! And im so happy that he was able to be our head teacher even if it was only for a short time! Hopefully we will still all hang out often!

I am so nervous for everybody else to get here tomorrow, everybody is, but im just in this great routine with all these awesome people that I love and they love me, so im excited but nervous for all these new faces to show up! I will let you guys know how everything goes! Hopefully everybody is super nice! Wish me luck! :)

Day 42: Big Kids

I skipped writing about day 41 because we really didn't do anything, But today I had to teach at a different place, thats still bond but bigger kids go there. And it was SO SO much fun! The oldest kid was about 11, they where just so much fun to teach I just played games with them and also taught them how to jump rope and taught them different songs you can sing while jumping. And They loved it! I can not wait to be a teacher! :) They where so big though! either that or im just super short, most of them were as tall as I was! They loved me and thought I was super fun!

Day 40: cute cups and Scary face masks

Do you see how cute this cup is?! It says "Go toward your dream" I love it so much! :)

I bought these little tablets that said face wash on them! and you just add water, well I did that but it turned out to be a cloth with eye and mouth holes cut out! super duper creepy, me and sarinna put them on and then went around pretending we were monsters:) Fun Night:)

Day 39: Award Ceremony

 Kyle, Sarina, Nikki and I had to go to an awards Ceremony for some of the students who received awards for speaking amazing english. The ceremony was from 1:30-4:30 We were bored out of our mind by the end of it. Afterwards Nikki, sarinna, and I went downtown to take a look around and to get something to eat! It was a very fun night:)

The light from outside made sarinas face all squished in the picture! We had a good laugh about it! :)

Passing out awards:)

The tinniest little kitty:)

They have amazing dessert everywhere in China! :) 

Downtown Lights:)

Day 38: Two blind men

"T-cha, take my picture" Bosco you crack me up.

I was anticipating a kiss on the cheek instead I got a lick to the face:P

Last day of summer session! Im praying that most of these kids will be back for fall semester:)

Today kyle took pictures of us playing with the kids:) This little guy is Robbie! He is so cute! and every morning he runs up to me and gives me a big old hug! Love him to pieces! :)

This is Eason! he is the wiggliest little guy ever! He just can not stand still! When he sings is voice sounds completely British! it is so cute and funny! :)

Robbie and I talking, I think here he's laughing at me because im on a little bike;P

 Sarina and Nikki and I went and got massages, it was interesting...they took us to this room where all three of us where together, and then Two blind guys come in and i guess Being a blind massages person is super popular in China. It was super interesting!


After our massages we went and ate at Pizza coffee and just talked for about 3 hours, I love Sarina and Nikki so much! As cheesy as it sounds I feel like they completely accept me for who I am, and they love me for it! I can be myself around them!  I am so grateful for them:) 

Day 37: Holly's Lost days

 After school today Sarina, Ashley, and me and one of our Chinese co-ordinators, Mary, went to the post office to buy stamps.  It was super easy to get there because Mary was there to help guide us. But on the way home we got way lost, we ended up on the complete opposite side of where we are living, so frustrating, people were yelling at us in Chinese, and honking at us, and I just felt like screaming. after about 3 hours of being lost, we finally made it home safe and sound and only semi hating each other. (I'm kidding, though I did just apologize to them in case I was being grumpy and rude;P)  My first bad day in China, and it wasn't even that bad.



Now to lighten the mood, enjoy these adorable pictures of some pretty cute kids:

Jayden! He's two! But he is learning so so fast! Every time I walk into the classroom he say "good morning teach-a!"

Bossco! Every day when he goes and washes his hands he puts soap on them and then runs and shows me and Courtney his soapy hands and he laughs and laughs! :) 

Eason! :) He is always singing and dancing! :)

I had the chance to name this cute little girl, so I decided on the name Emmy:) After my lovely sister:) Her parents wanted something unique! and they ended up loving the name!:)

This is king! He is so so cute, but so so clueless, he walks around with his head in the clouds and is ALWAYS wandering off, I love him so much though! Such a cute little boy! 

Day 36: Glitter Glue:)

My personal chef in China;)

Yummy eggplant:)

I was getting real tired of me and Nikki's door being plain and boring, so I brought home glitter glue and paper from the school and we had a decorating party! :) Our door is now beautiful!:) and we found someplace to hang our flower crowns:) 

Day 35: Postcards

I have found something I love! I love writing postcards! so so Much! Probably because there is such a little space and you don't have to write a whole lot;P

Do you see how freakin' cute this post card is!? He lives in Washington, so being super clever (I kid) I chose to draw a umbrella and clouds:)  

Its so relaxing to color and write to my friends and family just little snippets of my day:)

If you would like to be post card buddies!  (I'm not lame! I promise!) send me an email with your address! and Ill send you my China Mailing address! (though I cant promise you it will get to you next week ;) ) 

Email: hlmitzel94@gmail.com make my day! :)

Day 30, 31, 32, 33, 34: Yangshou Adventures:)

I hope you guys are ready for a very long post;P Lots of pictures, and tons of stories:)

We left at 6:30 PM on Thursday to head towards Yangshou! It was about a 13 hour bus ride and we were on a sleeper bus, which are the most nasty things ever, they smell and your "bed thing" is so so small and cramped, sleeping pills were my best friends for that ride. ;P

This girl stole my seat and we got in a huge argument and then the driver told me to sit in the seat next to my original seat so she good sit in my seat and then five seconds later she talks to me like we are best friends. Oh Chinese you crack me up. 

I said "smile Nikki" and she gave me this face;P 

Disgusting sleeper bus!

right off the bus at 6:30 in the morning! and I see this beautiful view! :)

I love these people so much! They are so fun to be around and I am always smiling and happy around them! :)

Ali, Nikki, Courtney, ME;), Sarinna! 

Our beautiful river cruise boat:)

"Dr. Seuss Mountains"

Beautiful! 

Have no clue what this is called but the little things in side are nut type things! it was okay not the best thing I've tried in China! 

My kind of little store! :)

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The first street food that I tried! Spicy tofu! SO GOOD!

Every time I meet someone new and they ask where I'm from, I say "Arizona!  The Grand Canyon state!" Nikki always makes fun of me for saying it! :P and I also always say "Take a risk!" whenever someone asks my opinion on something they should buy or try! :) 

Wall of quotes!:)

My best friends in China:) 

coconut juice fresh! :)

The most delicsous donut we have ever ate! 

Sarina awkward photo #3 ;P

Awkward #4

yummy passion fruit!

All of us went to a kissing fish spa! It was so freaky! I could not stop laughing! :)  It felt like pins and needles on the outside of my feet! My feet are so smooth now! :) 

So so so busy at night! I have come to the conclusion that umbrellas are the devils invention. I have lost count on how many times I've been poked in the eye by a freaking umbrella. They are so annoying. 

Best Friends! :)

We biked to the mud caves and it was so so fun. I bike the same way I drive though, my hand was on the break the whole time and I was always the last one in line;P better safe then sorry;P Do you guys like my nerd strap? ;D

We did the biking and mud-caves on Saturday and we just walked around town on Friday! and all day Friday me and Nikki saw these beautiful flower crowns but we just never stopped for them, then on Saturday on the way to the mud-caves me and Sarina where way behind everybody else and we saw a person selling flower crowns so I told I had to stop so I could by one for me and Nikki, and Sarina said "what if she bought two one for you and one for her?"  I told her I could take that chance! but once we caught up to everybody Nikki did buy me one! :) I was so happy and please that she thought of me!:) she ended up liking the ones I bought better so we wore mine and gave the other two to Ashley and Ali, and bought two more for the other girls:) I love the crowns so much! :)

"Make a kissy face Holly!" *makes kissy face" "THAT is a fish face!" (Nikki)

Best China Friends:)

We finally got to the mud caves! They where so cool! very very smelly! but really neat to do! we played in the mud for about an hour and then we went to the hot springs which was so so nice! :) 

Group Picture! :) with three random people we didn't know;O

On Sunday we were going to go to the rice terraces but we just didn't have time before the bus came to take us home so me, Nikki, Kyle, and Ashley took a cooking class! It was so so fun! The Lady who was teaching us (Cathy) took us to a real Chinese market and showed us around to and told us what certain thing were, and then she said "okay now we are going to the meat section if you don't want to come you can stay here, or if it becomes to much come back here" and I went because I'm in china and you have to take risks (;P) so I went and I saw cages of birds and bunnies and I'm like okay its just birds and then I saw a skinned dog hanging, and then I heard the barking, there was probably about 20 dogs back there in cages, me and Nikki had to run out of there right then, we both had dogs and we just couldn't take it. 

Cooking stations! 

We learned how to make eggplant, beer fish, and beef and mushroom! :)  They where all so so yummy! and I know have the recipes for them! as soon I get home to Arizona I will be making my family traditional Chinese meals!:)

Eggplant

Beef and Mushroom

I love hostels so much! This hostel the staff was so so helpful, and it was so cute! loved the colors and the shelving! :) I met so many awesome people this weekend! I met a man named Ross from England, and he was super funny and nice and he hung out with us quite a bit! and we got to know him pretty well! and then I also mat another lady from california who was about 55 and she decided she wanted to teach abroad so she did! and she loves it! I was so grateful that I had the chance to talk to her about it! From someone who actually has been in it for awhile and knows what she's doing! she said its so worth it! Its helped to talk to her! because doing ILP i already knew I really want to teach whether t be back home in the states or abroad! but knowing abroad is doable has really opened up my mind to that possibility, I just know for sure I will be a teacher though! I Love it so much not to do it! :)

the view from top of the hostel!

"look dreamy" -Nikki

Thank you Yangshou! This weekend was so incredibly fun! :) I will never forget it! Such a beautiful place that will forever hold some of my most dearest memories! :)