I feel like I’ve been in Jishou for over a month. After arriving, settling in, mass cleaning the apartment, doing Wild China laundry, beginning classes, and going to town everyday, Jishou is starting to feel like home. Everyday brings new smells, foods, and faces as well as many that have already become familiar. Here is what a walk down what we call “food street” to the mall typically looks like:

I leave the girls’ apartment with my sunglasses on and my fan in hand, ready to brace the Jishou heat. A group of enthusiastic students strolling outside with open umbrellas in hand to shield them from the sun greet us outside our apartment. As I make my way outside the University of Jishou gates, I wave at the fried rice lady and her 3 year old daughter who yell “hello!” right back at us. I continue walking, careful to stay on the sidewalk and avoid drivers in their trucks, motorcycles, or cars who don’t think to stop for pedestrians and aggresively honk their horns. As I walk past the chicken killing shack (yes, it’s literally a shack with a cage full of chickens and two women who kill the chickens on the sidewalk) I hold my nose and avoid looking that way. As I continue making my way past food stands, fruit vendors, and the stores and hair salons lining the street, a plethora of smells ranging from a repulsive garbage smell to delicious steamed dumplings enter my nose. I then stop at the stop at sevencup to pick up some 3 yuan (about 50 cent) boba tea as I continue my journey into town.

Meanwhile, throughout this whole walk, I am being stared at by babies, children, adults, and old people who marvel at “the eleven” (yes, we’ve been  referred to as the eleven by some local townspeople) Americans choosing to spend their summers in Jishou. Random people yell “Hallo!” (that’s literally what they sound like when they say hello to you), eager to show off their English to you.

But despite the dozens of stares we receive and language barrier that I face, I feel completely welcome in Jishou and have come to embrace the people, places, and food. I’m still working on getting used to the dirty streets and interesting smells, though…

With lots and lots of dumplings and smiles,

Miryam