Wechat is Life and Other Essential Phone Apps

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This post is all about apps for my phone that I have found CRITICAL and mostly about WeChat…how China functions. WeChat is an app where you can message people, pay for almost anything and make posts like on Facebook. You will not find a person who doesn’t have Wechat. The messaging side is similar to WhatsApp where you can make free phone calls, however WhatsApp is blocked in China (without a VPN). In order to use the wallet feature, you really need a Chinese bank account which can be challenging to get in China for a foreigner without a work visa. You also need a local number, local address (not a hotels), your passport and sometimes your work contract. I use the back ICBC because it is internationally recognized and you can wire money to accounts back home. Also, there are branches everywhere and most have at least one person that speaks English. The wallet side of WeChat I assimilate with the popular app Venmo where you send money back and forth to people. China, especially major cities are moving away from cash.

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Make Green Tea

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I was pondering about how to start this post last night while I was madly pedaling away at my spin class. This spin class was my first chinese exercise class where my instructor looked straight out of a lululemon catalog and had the overly peppy personality to match. Chinese techno and pop music was being blasted in the background while I tried not to fall off of my bike and heard the Chinese versions of “YMCA” and “Ice, Ice Baby.” At one point the instructor had us doing body rolls while pedaling. I was very confused. Story of my life right now. I am mostly confused.

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First Days in Shanghai

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Hi friends!

Well, it is now day four in Shanghai and what a few days it has been! I landed after the easiest flight ever where I had a whole row to myself from LAX to Shanghai Pudong Airport. My driver picked me up and deposited me at my hotel where I settled in. The next morning I immediately started exploring the city, using the metro system which is very intuitive, easy and reliable (so far). It really puts American transportation to shame!

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Latest Book: The Newcomers by Helen Thorpe

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The latest book that I have finished reading (there are always several that are ongoing) is Helen Thorpe’s latest book The Newcomers which my mother gave to me. I started reading it in the gym, between classes and finally finished it the other day! Helen Thorpe is an incredible journalist that wrote the book Just Like Us which I read in high school about four Latina girls and their journey in school. There is a personal connection I have to Thorpe’s first and most recent book as they are set in Denver Public Schools and I attended Denver East High School. I had a vastly different experience in high school and this book opened my eyes to the hidden challenges refugee students are having as they transition to life and school in America.

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Shanghai Bound

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I have exciting news that this coming August I will be moving to Shanghai, China to kick off my next chapter! I graduated this past May with a degree in Anthropology and certificate in TESOL and am headed to Shanghai to teach English, experience living in the country I was born and travel around one of the most beautiful parts of the world. This has been my plan for several years now and I was fortunate that this past year, my university started a certificate program for TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).]

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City of Cenotes

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There were so many memorable parts of the trip (as you can tell), but I can truly say that visiting and swimming in the cenotes blew my mind. It is such a unique part of this area of Mexico and there are over 9000! The water is crystal clear, chilly and something that I would go back to explore more of. A lot of them have become commercialized and require a guide which I think is important so that people don’t damage the formations. We went to three cenotes: Carwash, Sak-Atun and Aktun-Chen. All three were different and something that made for a great afternoon activity!

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The Ruins of Riviera Maya

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If you go the Yucatan/Riviera Maya area of Mexico, I hope you take advantage of visiting all the archaeological sites and ruins that are spread out everywhere and truly awe-inspiring in their history and size. Of course Chichen Itza is world famous as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but there are several others that I think are worthy of visiting and one that rivals it and was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

 

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Road Trip: Yucatan Peninsula

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Happy New Year to you all! I sit here in my apartment staring out at the snow coming down and can’t help but wish I was back in warm and sunny Mexico! During winter break, I took a week-long trip around the Yucatan Peninsula, spending most of my time in Tulum and Playa del Carmen. I rented a car and drove around and truly had a wonderful time with my sidekick ;). Back in September, I booked flights and accommodations, did a little research and pretty much winged it day-to-day. I thought I would break up the trip into three sections/three posts and give you an inside look on my experience in this incredible part of the world. This first part mostly is about food…my favorite thing.

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Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and the Great Solar Eclipse!

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In the last few days, the weather has been cooler and I can feel the fall breeze coming in. Fall is my favorite time of the year and while it means that it is one of the busiest times of the year for me, it is also one of the most beautiful. Before I transition completely into fall mode, I wanted to look back on an amazing trip this summer to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone that I took with my mom and one of my best friends, Meggi. My mom has always wanted to go to Yellowstone and started talking about this trip years ago, as due to the popularity of the park, reservations need to be made way in advance if you want to stay at the old lodge. We happened to book our trip a week before the eclipse by chance and quickly changed it when we realized the date of the eclipse and that we would be in 99% totality in our location! And let me tell you, it did not disapoint one bit; in fact it far exceeded all expectations I had. I would hear people say that the eclipse was nothing special and that it was okay. Well let me tell you…seeing it in totality was absolutely magical!

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