China by way of the Doctor’s offices

Ok, so I’m not a medical miracle, but it does have a catchy ring to it. We’re a little off my once a week posts but last week was a slow one full of anxiety. This week and the next one are full of doctors visits. I have been doing my best to tackle all these hurdles and problems when they appear so I thought I might as well cram my appoints into a week.

Today was a visit with a general physician. My usual Doctor is indisposed for the time being so I had to see a new woman and I was worried things wouldn’t go well. But, amazingly, things went great. This leaves immunizations @ the Health Department, the Dentist, and the Optometrist.

An equipment update is also called for. My Passport arrived last week so my Chinese Visa application is in. I’ve also purchased a leather Passport wallet. Perhaps the most important item is my Intro to Chinese book. One of the students going in the trip has offered to tutor me over Skype for the next few months and I am indebted to her.

On a final note I’ve been thinking about where I’d like to travel in China. As far as I know we’ll be going to Beijing, and to see the clay soldiers. I know I’d like to see the Great Wall also. Any suggestions would be appreciated as I want to see as much as I can.

Willie Nelson and Ray Charles had Georgia on their minds. Me, I’ve got China on my mind.

Over the past week things have been moving forward. By today I’ll be registered for my classes, two language classes and one history class. I had my final yesterday and now I can say, with both excitement and anxiety, my next class will be in China.

My mind seems to be focused on the little things so far though. I had a dinner last night with my Hangzhou group and two Chinese students from Hangzhou. To my delight I found out I’ll be able to goto the local Starbucks for coffee and wifi. This, however,was the only positive detail. I’ve been told Zhejiang University does not have wifi in the rooms, on the other hand they do have electricity meters to ensure I don’t go over my allotted usage. Oh, and the washers are free, the driers on the other hand are nonexistent.

Probably the thing I’m most looking forward to is the food. Street food, tiny restaurants buried down an alley, haute cuisine, and Chinese KFC are all on my agenda. I’ll be sure to pass along the good, the bad, and the ugly experiences I have. My brother-in-law Tyson, with a huge grin on his face, was kind enough to point out the upsides of the “dysentery diet” he’s seen from his time in the Middle East. So I’ll be sure to pack enough over the counter stomach medicine and travel packets of toilet paper to last four months!

Lastly I’m starting my hunt for the essential little things I’ll need while in China. This week brought me a “Clip Safe” travel pouch that attaches to my belt, Dad donated a great Swiss Army knife, and a more rugged case arrive for my iPad. If you have suggestions on what I’ll need abroad PLEASE feel free to leave a comment.

Zhiweiguan 知味观•味庄 Restaurant, one of the oldest in Hangzhou.

Where to begin…

At this point in my life I have decided to veer off the “boring” path and dive headlong into some excitement. For those who do not already know I’ve been taking classes at Valparaiso University going on two years. It has been a long time coming but I will finally finish my Bachelors in History, as my first experience with college in Dayton was more a social experience and less a scholarly one.

Valpo offers a study abroad program in Hangzhou China and when I first heard of it in January it struck me as interesting, but not something for me. Over the past four months I’ve found out more about it and became more interested. One day out of the blue I was talking to my History advisor about China and it hit me. I’d really like to go. After a couple days of thought and testing the waters with my family the choice was made. Tim is going to China!

Zhejang University Main Gate

Since that faithful day a myriad of decisions and questions have arisen. How will I afford it? Is it safe? Can I psychically and mentally survive four months in a foreign country? What do I do about work? And most importantly how do I charge my iPad? Slowly the questions are being answered and the decisions are working themselves out.

So that’s where I am at now. Stay tuned for more of my trials and tribulations leading up to August 24th and then of course my experiences in China.

Tim