Brief Slideshow of My First Week

My first view of Shanghai from my taxi ride from the airport

It snowed my first full day in Shanghai! My group of trainees went inside a restaurant for lunch and it snowed for a bit when we came out. It didn't stick or last very long, but everyone was very surprised!

Went on a walk on my first Saturday in Shanghai with five other people. Vicki (on the left) and Delous (on the right) were trying to direct us on this adventure. I'm not sure i have ever walked so far in my life, but we definitely have some stories to tell from that day :)

Orientation Day for Disney English. Eileen was in charge and she was a crack up. It made what could have been a very boring day much more enjoyable.

The ten story mall down the street from our hotel. It can be very crowded during peak times of the week.

After a few days of nonstop Chinese food, we were ready for some Western food at Burger King. Pictured left to right: Candice (South Africa via England), Jennie (UK), Delous (Tennessee), and Laura (Florida via Columbia).

A beautiful garden inside of Zhongshan Park down the street from our hotel.

Laura and I explored the park one day last week. It was a nice reprieve after being in the city with all the buildings and traffic. I could actually hear birds chirping and see plant life.

Had dinner with my friend Delous one night. He had been craving duck and he invited me along to this restaurant he had found not far from the hotel. It was quite good actually. A little rich for my taste but good. He also had me try eating lotus plant which I was not a big fan of because it didn't really taste like anything, but I did try it :)

This is my friend Liz from Washington state. She is one of the girls I will be living with in Shanghai.

This is my friend Vicki from Cork, Ireland. I love to listen to her talk because she has a great accent. She is a fantastic storyteller also.

We had academic training Wednesday through Friday last week learning all about what we will be doing at Disney English. The teaching methods include lots of modeling, hand gestures and using tons of realia. Michael was my partner in crime for much of the week. Here we are representing "grandpa" during a lesson. Michael is from Ireland originally but has lived in Newcastle, England for years so his accent is fascinating as well.

Breakfast is included in our hotel stay so I take advantage of it every morning. I'm not a big fan of breakfast normally but this is the only meal I don't have to go out and "hunt" for during my day so it has fast become my favorite meal. Pictured here is scrambled eggs, yogurt, dumpling, steamed bun with custard inside, a roll, orange slices, and hot water.

On Friday we were sent out to visit some actual Disney English centers to observe classes in action. This is the center I will be at during my stay in Shanghai. It is called Jinqaio Center. I had a great experience there and had a great first conversation with my LLD (Language Learning Director) who is essentially the person directly over all the Foreign Trainers which includes me. We get to visit again on Monday afternoon and I am looking forward to going back!