A Smoggy Day in Guiyang Town

Today is the first day since arriving in Guiyang that I haven't had a long list of things to accomplish or lesson plans staring at me from my coffee table.

I got to sleep late, which was good for my tired, jet lag body, and woke up to the sun shining through my window. Despite the smog, I was happy to see that the rain in this city will let up for a while to let its residents enjoy a warm, pretty day.


I'm finally beginning to get my bearings, so I took off toward the supermarket — one of my favorite places to visit in foreign countries. You can tell a lot about a culture from its supermarkets, so I guess it's fortuitous that I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Beijing Hualiang, a grocery store that is about a 15-minute walk away from my flat.

I needed to get some things for my apartment and stock up on yogurt and fruit. I can't handle these red bean- filled pastries that so many Chinese eat for breakfast; they are too sweet and not nutritious enough for my liking.

At one point during my time at the grocery, I stood next to an old lady as we sampled different bulk-sold nuts. While we munched she pointed to a particular type of walnut, as if to help me make a decision without messing with our language barrier. I responded by smiling and giving her a thumbs-up sign. We both giggled and each of us grabbed a bag of the walnuts to buy.

It's strange to be one of the only Westerners in Guiyang, maybe the only one in my section of the city. People unashamedly stare at me for uncomfortable amounts of time and follow me around like they have never seen a white person before. It doesn't bother me though; these interactions are more endearing than awkward. I'm their laowai (foreigner), and I love the unique relationship I get to share with the people in my new community.

All in all, it was a successful day. I finally got Internet set up in my apartment, I cleaned my refrigerator, I bought a new cell phone, I found two new restaurants and a fruit stand near to where I live, I figured out how to work my washing machine (all the settings are in Chinese characters), and I got to interact with some of the individuals who live and work around me.