Expat(s) in Mianyang

Yesterday, the girls and I decided to explore a little bit and see if we could find the bar that the British man from the day before had told me about. We found it easily enough, and it seems like a cool place so we’ll probably go back there. We’d already eaten dinner so we each ordered a pint of beer and talked with the owner. It was very early so there was not anyone else around.

I’ll take everything I heard from the owner (whose name, apparently, we never learned) with a grain of salt, but we learned a lot of very interesting things about Mianyang. Apparently, it’s actually one of the wealthiest cities in Sichuan. So much for our volunteer service…the school we’re working for is actually doing quite well. Part of the reason why Mianyang is doing so well (despite the earthquake of 2008) is because it is one of Chinese’s centers of technological development. In fact, Mianyang is the city in which China developed their atomic bomb.

The owner was curiously particular about life in China – he has his meals made specially (in other words, he doesn’t eat Chinese food), and he does not speak any Chinese. At all. Yet he’s lived here for a decade or so – and he hasn’t left the country in six year! Six years! Without speaking any Chinese…

He’s the first foreigner (other than the volunteers that traveled with me from Shanghai) I’ve encounter in Mianyang and I am very surprised that someone so resistant to, well, living the China life (if I can call it that), is living here. According to him, there are about 100 foreigners living in Mianyang, which has a total population of about 5.2 million Also, there aren’t really any Western tourists that come through here. No wonder I’ve only seen one other foreigner.

Anyways, it’s about time I give some visual representation of the Palace:

My bunk is on the bottom. Ricki's up top and every time she climbs up there the bunk sways precariously....it doesn't seem the most sturdy of contraptions, but it's held true so far.

We have no shelves or closets, so the empty bunk above Martha's bed is now a shelf.

My night table. Well, the only night table. Just bought those massive water guns today with Josh, and had an epic water fight in the park with a bunch of kids.

We don't have hot water or mattresses, yet we have two computers with internet. Strange. BTW, the book is a Young Man's Guide to Late Capitalism. Dad passed it on to me and it's so good! Definitely recommended.

Our toilets. I think the photo speaks for itself.

Communal showers. Same as above.

Wide shot of the whole bathroom (except toilets). We will never be lacking in sinks, although I think about half of them are broken.