Welcome to China

I was so tired when I arrived in Thailand I got hit in the eye with a taxi door but the hostel was white and clean. I woke up with one day to see Bangkok - and I think I managed pretty well, I hit all the major tourist spots, had a noodle lunch in the middle or a market with a tall dark european and fit in the mandatory thai massage. ouch. A flight this time took me to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province in southwest China. I didn't see much before calling it a night and taking another flight in the morning. It isn't far away but the difference between a bus trip and flying is significant when its up into the mountains. And now i live in Lijiang.... I'm here to volunteer at the local museum. I set it up through people in England and now I'm completely immersed. My only contact here is a student from Eastern China, she'll help me practice my Chinese and take me on outings on the weekends - she's basically my hired friend. My 'apartment' resembles a hotel room, except for the washroom which is a wet room (ie. entirely tiled - basically the room is a shower, with a toilet and sink stuck in). It's right in between a bakery and a supermarket where nothing is what it looks like and I'm constantly guessing. But the walk to the museum is amazing and I can cut through the cities park, a major tourist destination with rivers and temples and beautiful gardens. Its really a beautiful city! I live right on the edge of the old city and the new. The old is filled with tourists from other parts of China, wandering the narrow twisting cobblestone streets to reach points where you can look out over the tiled roofs. The new is bustling with the thousands of people who live in such a small area. Theres lots of bright lights and big signs - but almost No english.