What a loooong strange trip it's been.....

I know I know ...If I start something I need to finish it. But if there was a way for me to combine shopping and being lazy and watching TV with achieving one's life goals, then I would be able to do it all... It's been about a month here in Xian and a lot has happened. The cliques began in the first week, and by the second week, the cat fights began. It’s happens when you put 7 women in a two bedroom apartment. The cliques have been interesting; with the young, good looking and highly intense thinking one’s secluding themselves and having deep conversations. Otherwise, this trip has been okay. Living in China is difficult in the manner that it is not a near a first world country, even thought the standard of living is quite good compared to what one would read in the newspapers. Their way of living, well I could live here all my life and never become accustomed to some things. For example, their driving. Like in the States they have stoplights, and street markings, but those seem to be irrelevant in China where the pursuit of getting somewhere is an art. People just make up the rules of the road as they go along. Let’s say you're in a taxi that needs to go right, rather than pulling aside and making a right turn, they would just turn right, even if you are in the left lane. Far left. No taxi driver will turn left in Xian, some crazy rule, but they will drive down the left side of the road to get ahead of a person in front of them. My work, at a mentally disadvantage day care, or as a call it the 'retard playground' has been fulfilling in the sense that I have been able to practice my Chinese. The teacher I worked with was very attentive and kind, especially when she figured out that I had figured out that she was gay. Can you file sexual harassment on a volunteer job? LOL!!! The traveling here has been less than stellar...Not much. I did go see Xian's claim to fame, the Terracotta warriors. As we drove out there, I noticed how many reproduction factories were along the road to the place. As we arrived, I began to wonder if the thing itself was a manufactured thing to increase tourism to Xian.(That’s also the running joke) The entire place was done nicely, just going around looking a pits with clay men and horses. The climax was at the mini market at the end of the road leading up to pits. It was hordes of people harking mini terracotta men, for cheap prices. More than once would you be dragged to their stand, hearing them explain they had a cheaper one and if you bought it, then you be better prepared to fight for your change. They had this habit of giving you the price you wanted but once they had your money, they decided to charge you the price they wanted. A couple of people in my group had to actually go in to the seller's pockets to get their money.
The most exciting thing for me is being able to create a DVD collection for under 500 dollars. I have been finding all kinds of American movies on bootleg, latest and older ones as well as a couple of TV shows. I’m on the hunt for the Soprano's forth season, since I can get it here for less than 12 dollars...Well, there's more to come since I have found an internet cafe.