upon my Shanghai arrival

Arrived in Shanghai a few days ago. For a while there, I thought I was about to go crazy already when I wasn't able to access my blog from here but now I'm alive! Yes, I am back! You see, I wanna chronicle this particular chapter of my life. Every single teeny part of it. And so I got dismayed when I wasn't able to access my blog. But happy now coz last night Cheng, my roommate, told me about this oh, so wonderful way to access FB. And then I thought maybe I can also access my blog and tada!! here I am.

Anyway, more on Shanghai now.. Shanghai is big! It really is! It's also very cold! I am starting to think that there is really nothing much to do here. Or maybe that is also affected in part by the fact that my school is an hour away (almost) by subway from the city. But I am nevertheless excited. Excited to go explore this city on my own as well as with friends. Maybe, just not so much now when the weather is still very harsh!! It gets cold, then very cold when it rains, chilly when there's wind which happens almost everyday!

Fudan is really big. Somehow, saying that still feels like a big understatement for me. The first time we walked the distance from our dormitory which is inside the school to our building, Guang HUa Lou, it took us almost an hour! Now, on the third day of school, it just takes us 30 mins. That is the distance I walk everyday to class. I usually walk this with Sigh (my only classmate from GBF) or with others whose schedule is like mine. Earlier, I didn't go to class in the morning and so I walked on my own. It was okay. Give it a few more months and I'm pretty sure I will really be used to it already. This week, by the way, is what I would like to call, my "Shanghai settling in" week.

Class is okay. I got placed at Level C. I have no intentions of going down to B or up to D anymore. I am fine and happy just where I am. I know my Chinese is not so good, but I really, really, hope to improve it this time around. Hopefully, this time, it's for good le!

My classmates are mostly old students of Fudan. There are only 2 of us Filipinos in class. Which, I'm guessing, is also good as we are forced to converse in Chinese whenever we are inside the class which happens most of the time now given our schedule.

My schedule is one of the best among my fellow scholars. I get my afternoons free on Mondays and Thursdays and mornings free on Wednesdays. On Fridays, I have no class except for our GBF Lecture series at 3. Yes, I plan to attend this class provided I am lazy to go travel that 45 minute, at the very least, subway ride to downtown Shanghai.

Now it's almost 6 and it's still very cold. A few mins. from now I will wash my socks as I have none anymore! I have already bought a China sim, a laundry card, and so much more settling in stuff! Plus, I opened a China account yesterday! I feel so happy, all these makes me feel like a local living here in Shanghai! Soooo local that until now, I still haven't opened the pile of Shanghai maps I got at the airport as well as during our orientation! But in my mind, I know that truly, I am here to enjoy and make the most out of this experience! And by enjoy, I definitely DO NOT mean getting fat!!!