Tick Tock the clock is moving faster everyday so it seems. I have less than a month to prepare for the newest upcoming adventure to teach in Beijing, China. It's at times like these that I seem to lose my head and forget things very easily. That is why I try to write lists of things to do. A million thoughts and things are running through my head. A friend of mine asked me today if I was excited to go and I said I'll only feel like I'm going once I have my visa and flight ticket in my hand. These are two things that are coming down to the last minute. I need to get a Z visa to stay in China as a teacher to begin with. Once I'm there I have thirty days to convert the visa into a residence visa.
I didn't think China was going to be as strict as Korea when it came to getting a medical before leaving. I was wrong. I still had to do all the same tests including a chest xray, ekg, HIV and STD test. I know I'll have to do another medical once in China which is really frustrating for me because I detest giving blood. I never thought I'd hate doing bloodwork, but my veins are apparently very thin and fine which makes it extremely hard for the nurses to find a vein to jab a needle into me. It took three tries to get blood from me the other day. Three freakin' tries! I still have a huge bruise on my arm where the nurse said my vein dried up, hence her need to poke me in the back of the hand to draw blood. Ouch!
I've been talking to friends of mine that teach in China at the moment and have been getting a lot of great information that will help me. I just keeping wondering how bad my body will take the air pollution which I heard is very bad a lot of the time in Beijing. I am bringing a mask because I don't want to inhale most of the particles that can enter my lungs. Yum yum air! I still need to purchase my international health insurance for emergencies and I definitely know I need that. From what I've read, China is a whole different ballgame when it comes to caring about their fellowkind.
I'm trying not to stress out too much, but I can't help it. I'm thinking of all the things I have to do before I leave, and all the money I owe. I know that I definitely need to stay more than a year if I want to save any money. I'm looking forward to travelling to Shanghai, Hong Kong and climbing the Great Wall of China.
I hope the heck I can get on facebook and this site as many social media sites are blocked in China. I'm going to get a vpn which hopefully will allow me to get on all of these sites. I'd die without facebook and keeping in touch with friends and family.
I'm very lucky that I've been able to talk to people who have taught in China and get their perspective on life in the middle kingdom. Everyone has their own experiences and that is definitely what I am looking foward to. Hopefully it is a good one! I am excited beyond belief and will feel even more nervous and excited in the next few weeks before my departure. Hopefully I don't die of a stress induced heart attack. It feels like ages ago that I was overseas, but really it was less than a year ago now. It'll be almost a full year once I leave again for a whole different country and adventure. Oh my god, am I really doing this? Afterall, an adventure junkie needs a new adventure now and again. :0 !
