on the ground in changsha

well. here i am! uneventful travel for the most part, except for not retrieving my luggage in beijing to bring through customs. the airline attendant at logan airport assured me that i could check my bags all the way through to changsha, but alas this was not the case so i arrived in changsha sans baggage. what a perfect introduction for my chinese colleagues who very enthusiastically welcomed me at the airport, as i have maintained my spaciness even overseas! my bags were delivered to me today from the airport, very conveniently...so i am all set with several changes of clothing, thankfully.

was promptly whisked away by car by the dean of the nursing school, along with 2 research colleagues, to an amazing authentic chinese meal. they had asked me if i wanted to eat western or chinese food, and i of course delighted in the idea of authentic cuisine.

i have been welcomed so so warmly. had much assistance moving into my accommodations on the central south university campus. i have a very comfortable bed, an air conditioning unit, a bathroom and shower, and a television. and internet - i am in fact blogging in my room! and my hosts provided a very thoughtful welcome pack including necessities such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, hangers, and laundry detergent...all things i need anyway but was offered without asking.

woke up feeling energetic this morning, met many wonderful and welcoming colleagues at the school of nursing here, and registered with the local police station as a long-term foreign visitor. ate a wonderful lunch out, dining is such a delightful community experience here. dishes are shared, there is an amazing variety (and i have several taste-tester volunteers to protect me from excessive spiciness that would scorch my naive tongue!), and i think portion sizes are actually appropriate, compared to our enormous meals in the US.

fatigue hit - hard - after lunch. i napped briefly, then rallied for a photo shoot with some of the masters in nursing students here. i was even clothed in a cap and gown from central south university, with the tassle of my cap on the right, as i have not yet graduated as an MSN student. perhaps i will need to return to changsha next spring to participate in graduation exercises! post photos i returned to my room, where i slept soundly through most of the afternoon and evening, eventually waking back up just before 9 pm here. enjoyed a light dinner of mangoes and small sweet buns. am now fully awake at 11:45 pm, and kicking myself for not forcing myself to adjust to the local time.

tomorrow will bring discussion of my project here. yes, i do have an academic purpose here, in addition to adventuring! much excitement awaits, and i have been eagerly anticipating my time here for a while. i think i may still be in shock that i am actually here and starting my project.

okay. will learn how to use digital camera and post images, as i know that's the most interesting!

cheerio,
erin