First off, we didn't really know which direction to go. I don't know which way is north and south in this city, let alone where we want to go. I'll have to study a map sometime soon... But we just decided to start walking. We found out about a half hour later we had gone in the exact wrong direction of where we wanted to. It's hard when we can't even really ask the bus drivers if we are going in the right direction. The girl who has never been out of the country ever kept saying things like: they should just know English, it's the easiest language. Why don't they understand we just want to go to walmart. Everyone should know what the word walmart means. We are Americans, can't they guess where we want to go? I was a little annoyed by those comments at first, but then I remembered she's never been out of the country before. I still remember my experiences in Italy when I was shocked there were so many people that didn't speak my language that even existed. There are even moments now when I catch myself thinking, I can't believe I can't communicate with that person walking down the street. I just don't say it out loud any more.
But I digress. We started walking the wrong way and with a lot of charades, a girl that knows about 20 words of useful Chinese, and an address or bus written out in Chinese on a phone we finally got on a bus that would take us in the direction we wanted. Which is when we noticed that direction happened to be back up the street we had walked down half an hour before. 
The bus driver was kind enough to let us know when we should get off though, to catch the next bus we wanted. We got on that bus, and tried to ask the driver if we were getting on the right bus. He had no idea what we were asking, and he had to drive, so he kind of stopped listening to us. Basically he was helpful until the light turned green.
The bus driver was kind enough to let us know when we should get off though, to catch the next bus we wanted. We got on that bus, and tried to ask the driver if we were getting on the right bus. He had no idea what we were asking, and he had to drive, so he kind of stopped listening to us. Basically he was helpful until the light turned green. But there was a girl on the bus who spoke English. She said she was studying English at the university to become a tour guide. She had been shy to approach us because she wasn't confident with her English, but it was much better than anything any of us could have done in Chinese. She offered to go with us and try to find walmart, and the shopping center but she needed to drop a computer off at a friend's house first. We all got off the bus together and she started to call her friend. Meanwhile another guy on the bus who knew a little English pipped up and started telling us where we needed to go. The girls who were doing most of the talking kept talking like they were all offering to drop everything and help us for the rest of the day. At one point I pipped up asking if they really wanted to join us for the rest of the day. The guy agreed to join us, but I still can't help thinking we hijacked his day, and most of the girls didn't even think about that.
Our friend Jerry, who navigated us to and from Walmart.
I've just begun to realize how many fewer pictures I'm taking this adventure. I'll try to be better, but when I can't use my phone and since I haven't started carrying my camera around, I don't think about it. Also, I can't get my email to work on my computer, so the only pictures I'd be able to send will be on my phone for now. But this is all a side note.
Walmart was in the bottom of a 5 floor mall. It was HUGE!!! You couldn't see one side of the mall from the other. Wait, I guess all the malls in Arizona are like that. But they are normally only 2 stories tall. This was 5, with a Walmart in the basement. I bought some snack foods: lays chips in weird flavors and milk in a box, and Oreos with weird flavors. The oreos taste like medicine and are disgusting, but the cucumber flavored chips were yummy!
Getting home was easier, since we only had to change buses once. But that one time was crazy. We got off the bus and finally got "China" as we all expected it to look like: vendors on the street blaring music, so many people everywhere. And the best part was they all thought we were a novelty and wanted to take pictures of and with us. We have already all adopted the peace sign pose, which fits in perfectly here.
Just so there is proof I was here. Thats what the selfie is for anyways, right?
We haven't quite mastered the bus systems in one trip, even though we have taken 4 different ones throughout the city. The best part was that they all cost 2yuan, and so even taking 4 buses we only spent about $1.25. And when we get more efficient, it will cost us even less. Sometimes I can't believe how cheap everything is compared to how much I pay in the states. They give us a 15 yuan allowance for dinner, and I can spend about 10 and get full, which is a little less than $2. But I have to keep in mind that I will be here for a while, and to pace myself for the big stuff. Hopefully beginning to learn and know Chinese will help me save money! It's fun to use charades to get around, but really I'm just so frustrated and embarrassed that I don't know Chinese.
Last night my roommate and I went out for dinner on our street, and then bought fruit at the fruit market. There was a bit of confusion at the market, like there always seems to be around us. But there was a guy there buying fruit who straight up asked us-in perfect English-why don't you know Chinese if you live in china. We have the excuse of only having been here for 4 days, but that's a flimsy excuse in my book. I'm chomping the bit in anticipation, and listening to everything, hoping to pick it up fast. Today's impromptu lesson from our fellow Chinese teachers was 1-10. I should go practice now. At least for a little bit. 😉
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