Planes, Pollution, and Helpful People

 Hey, everyone!  We made it!  We landed around 10:45pm last night.  I am not able to express how happy Amanda was to be off the airplane!  Our flight went up through Canada and made an arc that looked like the flight just went over the globe to the other side (for those of you who have been wondering and asking what route the flight would take).  Upon arrival, we packed the provided mini-van with all our (TONS of) stuff and headed for the hotel at the clubhouse of our companies living quarters.   

My senses are overwhelmed.  My eyes keep trying to focus...everything looks blurry because of the pollution.  The hotel (apartment building, school, WORLD) has so many foreign smells that my nose is in over-drive. 

Mandi and Jonathan (2 friends we know) have been invaluable.  I am so thankful I can learn from their experience!  Today, we met our roommate (she's from Africa), saw our apartment, decided who would take which bedroom and made a shopping list (cause we are our mother's daughters).  We also did some shopping!  Now, we both have phones with minutes, subway cards (enabling us to ride both subway and bus [we've ony ridden bus so far.]) and we will share a blow drier and a hair straightener.  Amanda was really happy to have found the straightener!  (Well, Mandi's gesturing found the straightener.) 

It has been quite the first day! 

Keri

(yes, I am blogging retro-actively) 

Our flight went North over Canada and over to the other side of the world. 

Mandi and Jonathan were very helpful during our first few days in our new home.

Packing everything in the taxi that came to pick us up. 

A view of the elementary school from our hotel room in the Living Quarters clubhouse.

Same view of the hotel (a few days later)  It rained and the rain moved out the pollution.  THIS is what the view should be!  See the difference.  Pollution is UGLY!

We had a plethora of things to do to do in those first few days.  Food, towels, beds, bedding, curtains, toiletries, phones, and so much more to buy......oh, and payday is not for another month!