Begin at the Beginning

So, I realize that it's been almost 3 weeks since my arrival here. However, something about my training has me wanting to start my blog in China in chronological order. With that, please get comfortable with a nice cup of oolong tea...we have a lot of catching up to do!

Day 1: Shanghai Hustle: the discovery of coconut milk!

The 13-hour flight from PDX to Narita, Japan went smoothly. Well, except for the rollercoaster ride of a landing. But I digress. My classmate/safety buddy Sara and I shared three seats among us so we converted the middle seat into a well-utilized end table. Our fancy airplane even had wood floors! The Narita airport was much cuter than even I expected and I was taken in by the gift shop and heated toilet seats. Yes, that's right folks, heated toilet seats...

Arriving in Shanghai around 9pm, all 15 tired, hungry, and sweaty travelers (or maybe I was the only sweaty one) rolled ourselves & our luggage straight to our fancy Shanghai hotel. Honestly, it had one of the nicest entryways I’ve ever seen. My “buddy” (safety first!) and I had comfy robes waiting for us in our room, which also happened to come complete with lovely bedroom slippers. After settling in, we walked to our first Chinese convenient store where we discovered what would become the group’s non-alcoholic beverage of choice: Coconut milk!