Thursday, September 6, 2001

From: Meg Thomsen meginchina@yahoo.com
Subject: The Rolling Hills of Dengguan
Hello Friends and Family!

I have arrived and settled in the lovely town of Dengguan in southern Sichuan. My new home lacks much pavement but has a wangba (internet bar). Sounds like a perfect mix of technology for me! The road is paved for the block in front of the school, and then for miles and miles, there are nothing but dirt roads and rice paddies, farmers walking to the fields, and thatched roof farmhouses. But then up in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere, one will stumble upon a garishly lit karaoke bar, with it's trademark "OK" lit in giant neon letters. Sometimes China is so bizarre, but I'm enjoying learning its intricacies.

We had a very happy week in Chengdu. It felt like a festival. Bread! Coffee! Corona! Restuarants with forks! If you think that a mug of coffee tastes good in the morning, imagine rationing one jar of Nescafe between seven people all summer. You can imagine the tragedy of it all- me shaking it with non-dairy creamer to try and create a foamy coffee beverage, Brian tying his with a piece of string to the leaky air conditioner to try and make iced coffee. So, after two months of this, that fresh-brewed cup of Yunnan coffee at Grandma's restaurant near the consulate tasted heavenly. We went to Grandma's on a Sunday morning to have brunch. That's right, brunch in China. Toast, hash browns, fruit salad, coffee- it was all fabulous. Then our training director, Neil and my friend Erica and I had this wonderful day of just wandering and exploring the city. We ended up whiling away the rainy afternoon in an old pagoda by the river, talking about everything in the world. It was the kind of afternoon that I'd dreamed about when I decided to come to China, and it was a beautiful feeling to live that dream.

And so now I'm here in Dengguan. It feels good to unpack my backpack, and good to be here in this town. I've spent some time getting acquainted with my new roommates. The entire "Phylum Arthropoda" lives in my apartment, and I've spent a good deal of time with a biology textbook trying to identify all of them. I'm enjoying getting to know this town, and I feel ready to teach. I had serious doubts about this at the beginning of the summer ("Will I ever learn to speak enough Chinese to survive? It took me two days to learn to say 'Ni hao' properly." "Will I really know how to teach?"), and now I definitely feel ready to begin my Peace Corps service. I had a very good training experience, a great host family, and a great trainer (you go, Mary!), and I'm definately excited to spend two years here.

I hope that all of you are well. Stay in touch! I've loved receiving yur e-mails and letters. Here is my address here in China, both in English and Chinese.

Foreign Affairs Office of Sichuan Institute of Light Industry and Chemical Technology
Zigong, Sichuan 643033
Meg Thomsen
CHINA (PRC)

中国· 四川· 自贡四川轻化工学院外事办 邮编： 643033 汤玛丽 CHINA (PRC)

Some of you might not be able to read Chinese text through your e-mail. Within a couple of days, there will be a link to that address on my website (http://ethomsen.com/meginchina). Then you can just print it out, tape it on an envelope and send it, and it will get here much faster! Though since we're the only laowai in the area, I have a feeling that mail written in English will just sort of come to us anyway...

If you'd like any envelopes with my address pre-printed on it, drop my mom an e-mail (et@noblenet.org). She's been very impressive with her Chinese typing skills, and has been updating my website. You go, mom!

For those of you who want to get live updates on Dengguan, give me a bell. From the US, dial 011-86-813-393-0311.

Miss you folks. Hope that all is well and happy in your world. I think of you often, more often than you know.

Lovelovelove,

Meg