first full day in Xian

Today we went to the Bank of China to exchange money, use the ATM, and some people opened bank accounts.  I guess there is some benefit to having a bank account here.  The main grocery store only takes one type of debit card and it was not the one that one student had.  Cash works every where.  I just need to see how much my bank will really charge me for using my card.
I have a better appreciation of what the Chinese students must feel when they first come to ICC.  The grocery store was quite the experience.   Everyone was amazed by how difficult a simple task can be when you have no idea what things are.  You don't know where things are, because you have never been in the store.  Then you don't know how to read,  simple things are not what you are use to, and you cannot communicate with most of the people working there.  I did enjoy the experience.  I know how foreign students must feel.  Tomorrow we have the orientation to the campus.  Students should find out more about where there classes are and what books to get.  I hope I find out what I am going to be doing, where and what time.  I am looking forward to teaching, or trying to teach, Conversational English.  One thing in my favor is that Chinese students what to learn more about America.  I have maps of the USA and hope to use my experience on the ICC science field trips for some of my classes.  I hope I never have to drive a car over here.  I don't know if I could ever merge in to traffic.  He who hesitates is lost.  Everything seems to work out OK but my lord is it a different way of driving than I have ever seen.
I did learn how to do the laundry so I should have clean clothes to wear.  I just hope to get settled in, get organized, and start some type of daily routine.