Honey, I'm home!

The all powerful and mighty hotel key card

I have created this blog primarily for friends and family, who are curious about my life in Shanghai. Unfortunately, due to a 12 hour time difference and a job that requires me to work weekends, I have a very limited window of time for chatting with people back home in the states.  I'm starting this blog a month after being here, but giving you the play by play from the beginning....

Upon my arrival in Shanghai Pu Dong Airport, I was greeted by a man holding a sign that read "Natalie Craig", THANK GOD! My biggest fear was to arrive in China without a means of communication (no Chinese sim card) AND little Chinese speaking ability. Even though I knew the company provided transportation to the hotel (which they also provided for 2 weeks free), I still worried that no one would be waiting for me.  The greeting was short and before long I was being whisked away in a beat up looking taxi, praying that I was headed to the right place.  We proceeded to the hotel in silence (the driver spoke ZERO English), and might I add the ride was about an hour long!  It cost only 200 RMB which is equivalent to about 30 USD (I hadn't exchanged any money and was so thankful that the company prepaid for it). Reality sunk in as I lugged my two large 50 pound bags and 25 pound carry on up to the front desk, when I was confronted by a friendly Chinese man who immediately said "no English"... fantastic.  Somehow, we managed to get everything settled through what seemed like an endless game of charades, and I found myself in my room.... but WAIT. No air conditioning!?  Oh there was air conditioning alright, but you had to place your key card into a slot which turned on the lights and the air conditioning (this I figured out after 30 minutes and 2 trips to the front desk).  Next on the list, how the hell do I access the wifi and work the television??? Well I never did figure out how to work the television even after 2 weeks, but I sure did figure out the wifi (again with help from the front desk and a mix of gibberish and hand gestures). My very small and cozy (emphasis on small) room was my home for the first two weeks in China. Although, I wouldn't call it ideal or homey it did the job and gave me somewhere safe to sleep and shower as I searched for a suitable apartment..... many humorous and interesting events took place during my first two weeks in this hotel (hooker cards I received under the door every night and being yelled at in Chinese by the maid each morning for throwing out my own trash in the hallway trashcan) but there's no need to get into all of that right now....

The evermore confusing remote 

The tv I never got to work.... :(