No Tampons in China...

I have faxed my contract to my new boss in China, and I am in the process of filling out the paperwork for my visa.  There is so much on my to do list now that I have found out about my offer.  I have never even owned a passport prior to the job offer.  

Some fun facts for packing…no deodorant or tampons in China!  After doing some research, I found out that because of their diet and genetic factors, Chinese people don’t emit the same odors that we try to cover up.  If a city in China is heavily populated with foreigners, deodorant is easier to find, but it will still be difficult to find the popular brands we commonly use here in the States.  

Also, due to the culture and misunderstandings about tampons, pads are the preferred method of feminine hygiene.  Tampons tend to be much more expensive or even difficult to come across in China.  Well I don’t know about you guys, no pun intended, but I’m not sure I will be able to part with my feminine hygiene tools.    

As of right now, after training, I will be in the city of Changchun.  Changchun is the capital of the Jilin Province.  In red is Changchun and the orange is the Jilin Province.   

 

These are a couple of Google images of the city:

An Itch

About three weeks ago, I had an interview for a teaching position in China…exactly…CHINA!  I was raised in Small Town,Texas and moved to Small Town,Georgia at the age of 17.  I have always had a passion to travel and see the world, but simply couldn’t afford it.  Throughout college, I drooled at the opportunities to study abroad that other students could afford and I couldn’t.  So, I did the responsible thing and finished my four years and started my career in Georgia.  I am now 27 and have been teaching in the same school and the same grade level for five years.   

After two years, I was already “itching” to get out and see the world.  So, I get the courage to tell my principal I am applying through the Department of Defense in hopes that she will approve.  Unfortunately, I didn’t even land an interview.  I settle for another year of traditional teaching in Small Town,Georgia.  The next year…here comes that “itch” again…so I consider simply enlisting full-time into the military and leaving teaching behind.  However, I find out that I won’t be shipped until the middle of a school year...my principal would never be okay with that one!  So, I put my “itch” on the back burner again.

Now, where am I?  Still in Georgia, but on my way to China!  I found out tonight that I have an opportunity to teach for a year in China…yes…CHINA! I still cannot wrap my brain around the idea.  My feelings are insanely mixed up right now, but I know that to a certain degree, my “itch” will finally be satisfied.