I’m really trying to update my blog at least once each week. Easy, no?

Well, obviously it’s not for me. Posting new things, finding things to post, is not a problem at all. I must have more than 50 topics I’d love to write about right now, about my new friends, the weird happenings, the Chinese people’s mini-trends (too tight, see-through ankle socks – need I say more?), the food here, the place I live in and so on.

The largest problem, however, is that the internet in my apartment isn’t stable. While I’m writing this, I have absolutely no connection and haven’t been online (unless you count checking my email on one of the school computers) for four days. (Edit; Posted two days later.)

Abstinences? Yes. Much? Oh yeah.

Tomorrow will be the fifth day without internet, and tomorrow the internet-fixing people MIGHT come. Like both today and yesterday. I’ve been two evenings, from 6 and out, at home so far, just waiting for those slow pokes. The internet hasn’t been good while I’ve been here either. It came and went on it’s own accord during the first three weeks – and now, one day after my one month anniversary in Shanghai, it has disappeared completely. Even though there were internet-fixing people here just two weeks ago. Anyway, during the last few weeks, we’ve only had net access in the afternoon. And the net is slow. Really slow.

Enough complaining though, I know I’m being boring. Just a small heads up for the people who are planning on studying Chinese, Japanese and other languages whom usually doesn’t use romanised letters (for other than making foreigners understand easier, that is) is going to take more work than you think. Getting used to the characters takes quite much time, and so far I see most of the characters the different teachers write on the black-sorry-whiteboard as ants.

They might as well have been ants – I’m almost not able to read them at all. I’m getting better, of course, but the teachers have so far been expecting us to pick up the Chinese characters just as fast as the pinyin. And while the pinyin doesn’t exactly go fast either, the characters are really difficult to recognize and use – until you’ve seen them more than 50 times before. Of course, you might be incredibly gifted with the ability to learn at rocket speed, but if not it will take much time to learn. Let’s just say that I’ve always been fast when it comes to learning everything from languages to maths, but when it comes to the Chinese characters I so far feel dyslectic. From speed number 10 to 0 in less than a month. I’m not trying to scare anyone, it’s really fun to stay in Shanghai and learn Chinese (even the characters) but it’s nothing you sail through gracefully. Oh my. I sound really pessimistic. xD

Languages = Love. But it does take quite a lot of effort. And you just can’t go out drinking on every weekday, no matter how much you wanna.

Honourable mentions;
Rose tea, free Shanghai city magazines, Stieg Larsson and his Millenium trilogy, spicy & good looking Chinese food, Norwegian chocolate, the old room mate, the new room mate, new friends and the school’s computer room.