A week in Changchun, Jilin province

Learning
This past week I've been hanging out with Mark and some of his students who I befriended.
I've been learning from Mark how to become an English teacher, something which will be an asset once my funds get lower. ark let me stay at his place for a week which was really great, but his Chinese girlfriend was very jelous since she isn' allowed to stay at his house, and so last night I stayed in a hostel. Mark and I usually started our day out by watching a movie and then went shopping or else to school. After work we would watch another movie which I loved because I haven't had a chance to watch many films on the trip so far.

Bright
Last night I went out to dinner with this cute boy named Bright or Helongfe which means flying dragon. I kind of asked him on a date, but was really surprised when at dinner he said that he was in his last year of high school,since I met him at an adult night school. Ahhhh. I asked a youngin out. He's very handsome though, tall and a square jaw type thing you know. Well, later on I learned that he's actually 20, but in China when you're born you are 1 and when you've lived for a year you're 2 years old and so he's 19. After dinner Bright, his best guy friend and I went roller skating at this indoor place. The skates were so tall and the boys were falling all over the place it was hilarious!! Bright helped me to find a hostel and I gave him a smooch on the cheek.

Snowboarding!
Today I went snowboarding! A few days ago I was hanging out with this Chinese girl named Echo and found a burton snowboard shop. The owner said that they have a group of people who go snowboarding on the weekends and invited me to come. It cost $20 CAd to go, which is pretty reasonable since I had to rent everything and he gave us a ride out there. It was Freeeeezing and I didn't have the proper clothes to wear but I had a great time. I spent the time with a girl named Crystal. She told me that most Chinese spend all their time studying but she has a problem with her liver...and so she had extra time to come and snowboard lol. Didn't make much sense to me. Also, she said that school hours are from 7AM until 8PM and then after school there is homework to do until 12AM, plus they go to school 6 days a week!!!! Monday-SAt.

Tonight, Bright and I are going to hang out again and I'm quite excited to see where things go. hehehe.

What to do?
I'm in the midst of trying to decide where to go next. I keep on changing my mind. I think that while I'm up north I may as well go through inner Mongolia on my way back West. I think that I want to spend my Christmas in Thailand or Laos and so I need to make my way West and South. I don't know if I want to go to Xian where the teracotta soldiers are because I heard it's not much of a city and the soldiers aren't all that. Well we'll see what happens. I think I'll stay in Changchun 1 or 2 more days. I had some business cards made up calling myself an 'English Consultant'. I think I want to set up either in Yunnan or Sichuan province and find myself some clientele after Christmas. Maybe tomorrow I'll make some Posters too.