Part One: The First Week

Welp, I suppose this is the blog. After some fussing and indecision about how narcissistic or genuinely neat this might become, I've decided to pull the trigger on this ol' bad boy. While this isn't my home territory as far as innernet fun goes, I think it could be a good way to get away from facebook & whatnot, and perhaps give myself an opportunity to reflect on what I've seen & done. Writing isn't really something I've done much of, I never kept a journal when I was younger (I hated reading my own words), and I wrote a grand total of 6 essays during post-secondary. Even so, I'm finding it quite relaxing (especially with some palatable jazz & alcohol) so I might just keep on it and not cut it off. So here goes; the Macau Interlude: Part One

Arriving in Macau last week has been an experience unlike any other. I say that because I've been abroad before but I haven't been so worn out. After being processed at the airport, waiting for 20 minutes for my baggage before I realized I was at the wrong terminal, and being picked up by a friendly Birminghammish fellow named Dan, we exited the airport only to be be hit in the face with a wave of 30-degree moist-as-oatmeal city air (My body was certainly not ready for that). Since then, I've been around town a bit, eaten out once or twice, and wandered into a Casino to meet some fellow teachers for drinks. I even managed a hospital visit this week, after a bout with something that really did not agree with me (how rude). Overall, it's been a very damp but interesting learning experience, professionally, physically and personally.  Without further ado. Adeo. Adeuo. Audo? Audi? Achoo. Without any more words, here's a few pics I snapped this week to give you an idea of what this place is like. 

Many people here ride scooters around the city. Being a busy city-state packed into 30 square km (making it the 5th smallest country in the world), compact vehicles are the way to go. Surprisingly, there's not so much traffic that it makes transportation inconvenient or unpleasant (public transport is well-used throughout the city).

About half of the dedicated street parking spots look like this, lined with scooters, mopeds and bikes. I'll get my hands on one once I learn to ride (and on the opposite side of the road no less).

The climate here is, well, quite something. With temperatures orbiting 30 degrees, 90%+ humidity, and frequent rainfall, there's plenty of plant life in the city (the same cannot be said of critters, where even bugs have a hard time finding a home). I plan on focusing a future post on some of the plant life & geography of Macau. "ʷᵒʷ ˢᵗᵘᵃʳᵗ ᴵ ᶜᵒᵘᶫᵈᶰ'ᵗ ᵗʰᶦᶰᵏ ᵒᶠ ᵃ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ᵈʳʸ ᵃᶰᵈ ᵇᵒʳᶦᶰᵍ ˢᵘᵇʲᵉᶜᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵇᶫᵒᵍ⋅"

Most of where I am (Northern Taipa) looks like this. Lots of tall apartments with shops on the ground level. There's also a constant smell of city/sea/food mixed into the air. It's not bad, but not particularly fragrant either. Just a smell. Learning my way through the maze of the city (and Macau proper, the main part to the north of where I am), is my challenge for the next few months.





Looking back on my first week, I'm really excited that I've got the opportunity to work here and explore all the fun things that life has to offer in such a different place. While this week has been tough to get settled (in more ways than one), I think there is a cool challenge in this major upheaval. I still miss my friends and family, but working that into my life is part of that challenge. In the weeks to come, I'll show you around the city, talk about the school & class, and maybe even include a little bit of food here and there pour MANGIA.

Thanks for taking the time to check in. You'll hear more from me next week when I get some more pictures & see some more things.