use your imagination...

I'm cameraless. I'm pretty sure it got poached off me in Beijing before I left, either that, or I'm a complete idiot. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.

But it's alright, the lack of a lens between me and my surroundings is probably a good thing. Last night was my first night sans a drinking extravaganza. 张永军 (Zhang Yong Jun) and I went and got dumplings at a restaurant.

张永军 has been my keeper of sorts, taking me to meals, providing me with medicine, and even putting me to bed, to make sure I got all the rest I needed. We speak to each other in Chinese and English, and at meals the dictionary goes back and forth quite regularly.

It turns out, as of now, I'm teaching English. I guess I'm probably the only one surprised by these turn of events. When I told Chinese people that I was moving to Ningxia to work for an NGO, they were shocked. How could I not be teaching English. It's clear to me now that if I want to do something different, I need to acquire some skills. The speaking-Chinese skill included.

So I sit at my desk from 8 to 12 and from 2:30 to 6, writing lesson plans and bettering myself. I mean it's only my first week, so who knows. I believe things will heat up further into the summer, so right now I'm enjoying myself, trying to get adjusted.

The people here are salt of the earth, and I feel lucky to be getting such a genuine experience.