Hello, Taiyuan!

Once upon a two mornings ago, I woke up to an empty hotel room. Why? Because my roommate was already gone to her new city and it was time for me to be leaving for mine as well. 

It's bizarre to be leaving a hotel and not going back to what you call home. 

Roundabouts noontime, we were being stared down by all the Chinese people in the Beijing train station, ready to be on our way to our new home: Taiyuan (REMEMBER: IT'S "TIE-YOO-IN" NOT "TIE-YOU-WAN")

Bethany.

Upon boarding this train, I thought, "Oh, what a great day to leave Beijing, when it's SO smoggy. Surely we will be able to get out of it and see some clear countryside!" False. We went through a 3 1/2 hour cloud of smog all the way there. I saw the outlines of some pretty funky mountains on the way there, but I can't tell you exactly what they looked like because I couldn't see them. 

We were also provided with the entertainment of soundless TV monitors playing a bizarre American version of Maybe-the-Nutcracker and a Chinese show called Mighty Baby that involved pregnant ladies and babies flying through the air. It's ok that they were soundless, though, because a man directly in front of us provided everyone with the harmonious sounds of phelgm-n-spit. I also decided to brave the bumping, bouncy squatty potty for the first and last time. After that, I needed a foot shower.

Thanks, man. 

Then it happened. 

WE WERE THERE. 

In dusty, smoggy, beautiful Taiyuan. 

We arrived at the school, dragged our things up to the sixth--yes, SIXTH floor--and opened the door to our empty apartment that, to me, resembled an abandoned basement. That's when I panicked. I realized that this is my home until next summer, whether or not I like it or think it's comfortable. And for the next two hours I was about three inches away from tossing my cookies. 

The "before" bedroom.

The porch attached to my room that we use for drying things. 

Furniture.

Big room.

Kitchen/laundry room.

I pleaded with the Father about it and after a time He reminded me that He'd brought me here and that this was my new home. He picked this place out for me before I was born. I'm meant to be here. 

Suddenly I was hungry for dinner again. 

Oh...and the toilet was broken. You can encounter that saga here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151014761226466

Today we walked through the school to visit the cafeteria and went to a wondrous place called "Carrefour" to stock up. And even though Taiyuan has enough dust and dirt to rival Uganda, I really enjoyed the laid-back-ness of the city.

Welcome to Carrefour!

Amazing. The sky looks kind of blue here. 

My suitcases are close to being unpacked. My air conditioning vent is now clean, the bathroom is scrubbed (no thanks to me!), and the toilet is fixed. I have come to terms with the perpetual layer of dust. My stomach is still doing backflips, but maybe as I settle, it will too. 

Welcome home, me!

View from my kitchen around 5 o'clock.