Introductions

and by the way it is not an aristocratic title

Oh! Silly me!

It is always good to have a voice of sober reason in here, m'lady. Sometimes, in the wee hours of the morning, George will, after dancing merrily with the Demon Rum for hours, start to hunt around for pterodactyls with his boomerang, which was a common enough activity in his younger days. Someone needs to be sober to calm the chap down.

Oh, so there is a greater good being served by my temperance? Wonderful! So, it is not just selfishness that motivates me now! There is something higher and better to be attained.

Quote

and by the way it is not an aristocratic title

Oh! Silly me!

Don't beat yourself up over it. You didn't know...

You didn't know..

Yer right! I really didn't!!

Having met the lovely lady I can affirm that she is indeed a lady most genteel. So it behooves you dodgy dastardly males to be charming and couth in her company.

As to where to go - go west young woman! Head for Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, T, Xinjiang.  The wild places are glorious. Go north - Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia.

Stay away from the bright lights and big smoke.  See the China that will have disappeared in 20 years.

Lotus speaks the truth.  I bicycled from Nanjing to Shanghai 20 years ago this year.  The entire trip was through quiet, agricultural countryside with only bicycles on the road.  No cars, very few trucks.  Only disgusting little inns with outdoor facilities and no hot water to spend the night in.  The air was clean, we saw little outdoor markets along the way.  There were no tourists, no parking problems, little air pollution.  20 years ago where skyscrapers now look old.

  Well, heloooo Kady kate!  I"m Con, the most attra-

Oh, you know DS? 
   Hey, welcome aboard and all that.

HEYO!
I'm Chloe and I'm Chinese , although I've been in the States since the age of 10, so I'm pretty white washed. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Illinois where I'm studying International Studies and French.  I do speak Mandarin, English and French fluently, if anyone wants to converse. I still have my entire family in China minus my mother, which makes me ache from time to time.  My current goal is to make it back to Dalian for the coming summer. At first I wanted to teach in order to reel in some cash (poor college student syndrome) but after reading into it, teaching English sounds really rewarding and like a great deal of fun. Sadly, it seems like a relatively difficult feat to get a job for merely 3 and 1/2 months.  But I might make it back anyways, just to wander and be Chinese (and eat abundantly). After the summer, I'll be studying abroad in Paris for the year.  Both of these prospects make me happy beyond belief.

HEY LADY KATE! FORMER CHEERLEADER HERE! I'm not blond either, but I am a shorty.
p.s. I'm genuinely excited about the French emoticon! and the creepy monkey...

Cheers,
Chloe

Hi Chloe and welcome.  I live in Changchun in Jilin province.  I always have a spare room for travelers and welcome the company.  If you wander the country this summer (and I haven't moved) you're welcome to stop by.  Dongbei is worth a visit.  and enjoy the vistas of China available on this site.  I certainly do.

Bonjour Chloe, je suis canadienne francaise et je te souhaites la bienvenue a notre petit club intime. Je crois que tu vas trouver quelques de nos membres parlent francais mais nous  travaillons surtout en englais en chine.

Welcome Chloe and Lady Kate. Next round is on you both  Post away and you'll get a key to a special Ladies' Lounge where all the best drinks and chipendales are! (and much much more!!!).

Bonjour, Chloe!  Welcome to the NutHouse Saloon.  We are a friendly bunch, and always like to see/hear from new Members.   Grab a  or two and a Toastie and make yourself at home.

Thanks for the welcomes! et merci pour le bien la bienvenue! je deja aime ce petit club, kcanuck.

Thanks for the offer 'shroomy, I've never been Changchun, but I do recall the name from CCTV weather reports when I was young =) and ladies' lounge? yumm

it's finals time here in Illinois. I'm trying to keep it all together, and I keep downing puppy chow. you know, those little cluster of sugar and fat.

anyhow, I think I win the award for youngest member, yes? I'll be 19 in a few weeks woooooooo

At first I wanted to teach in order to reel in some cash (poor college student syndrome) but after reading into it, teaching English sounds really rewarding and like a great deal of fun.

If money is a big issue, consider Korea or Taiwan; both pay better than China.

Nearly all schools here pay Chinese teachers vastly less than foreigners. Which are you? Some places will try to stick you with the lower salary because of your oriental appearance. Others may not want to hire you at all; they want blue-eyed blondes to attract the customers. I don't think either problem is likely to be severe enough that you cannot find a good job, but I'd bet you'll encounter both.

Sadly, it seems like a relatively difficult feat to get a job for merely 3 and 1/2 months....

There are quite a few summer schools that offer jobs for anything from 10 days to about two months in July and August.

Welcome aboard, Chloe.   What Pashley said, but the Chinese blood may open a few doors as well.