She has safely arrived in Kunming, Yunnan province, and here is her first email:

Hi mom and dadda,

I’m here! The Internet is really dodgy in my apartment and I have to write an email and then walk around the room before I can send it. I’m going to go to a cafe today, but we think because it’s a mac the system isn’t that comparable.

I had a very interesting flight. I cried as soon as I reached my gate and tried to hide it, but couldn’t. I had so many Chinese people staring at me. I loaded on the plane and slept almost the entire flight. The tiny Chinese man sitting next to me fell asleep on my shoulder and I was too lazy to tell him to move. It was pretty cute, except his breathe was STANKY.

In Hong Kong I met an Aussie fellow who was coming to Yunnan to film and document a ten-day charity bike ride through rural China, run by non other than the Jane Goddall Roots and Shoots Beijing. I helped edit some of the pamphlets for this charity bike ride last year during my intern. I really want to go on it, but I have class starting in a few days. Anyways, he was very nice and taught me all sorts of stuff about my camera. Small world.

I arrived and got picked up by Josh’s wife Naoko who is Japanese and lived in China for at least ten years. She is fluent in mandarin and English. Very nice. She moved me into my apartment which is two bedrooms and Naoko’s office where she treats patients during the week. I live with a 40-ish German lady who has been a TCM doctor for years. Everyone here is already a doctor, practiced for years, and is now brushing up on some skills. For example, the man who moved out of my room just before I arrived is name Brody. He’s a crazy Canadian, huge beard, strange necklaces, big round glasses, and a loud distinct laugh. He’s dyslexic and told me about how hard it is to study, well anything, being that way-but in particular TCM. He is here learning emergency acupuncture. What to do if someone is bleeding severely, or going into shock etc. It’s quite amazing the people here. And most of all they are all so excited to have me just starting. Brody just went on and on about how this is really going to change my view of well being and life. I told Bridget (my housemate) that my back was hurting and she starting rubbing acupuncture points in my leg and hand. About five minutes later my lower back felt much more relaxed. I could get used to this.

My room is really nice. Big, wooden floors, little nook to read next to my large glass window. The view is of many other apartment buildings and the mountains that surround Yunnan. I always hear traffic, but it doesn’t bother me. The air is clean, the sky blue, and people seem much happier than in Beijing.

I met up with my friend, Tai, who was my RA in Beijing. He’s living with two other friends from the States and they are all teaching English. They live about 15min bike ride from me, right next to the green lake. The green lake is what I remember most of Kunming. It’s a decent sized lake, the color of jade, that has many different islands, walkways, and platforms. Basically it’s a haven for all Chinese past times. Tai and I after getting delicious jiaozi (dumplings) and a one hour massage for five dollars, walked around the lake. Everyone was there. Grandmas and Grandpas were gathered around in every corner playing cards, Chinese checkers (different from the star shaped board we know), playing instruments (a lot of reed flutes), dancing (country, unusual line dancing, and some sort of hand dance), loudly debating about something, and of course staring shamelessly at my blond locks. It was extremely crowded. Some of the gatherings were no less than 100 people, but they all were just sitting, listening, relaxing.

The pace of life is much more layed back, and even though there are high rises and many people, there is still a village feeling. There are very few foreigners and the ex pat community is not an isolated bubble like in Beijing. Most foreigners speak mandarin, and are here because they WANT to be part of the community. They are not condescending to the locals the way so many butt heads in Beijing were. I’m already getting to know the woman who sells roses outside of our complex, and the guard who watches the bikes.

The diversity among the people is amazing. Most people are dressed in comfortable clothes, a t shirt and jeans. Very few are all dolled up and wearing heals the way Beijingers were. The people themselves all look so different, and in my opinion are much more beautiful than Han Chinese. South Asian is very exotic. Some have freckles, some really dark skin, and they are on average much shorter than Han Chinese. There are quite a few Tibetans around, and they are not hard to miss. They are dressed the same, but there faces are so distinct. Darker skin usually and wider faces. Of course I’m not sure, they could be a mix of other bordering countries as well. Some people are wearing traditional minority clothing and it’s beautiful. I believe they are some sort of Tibetan group. I’ll let you know once I do.

Yunnan is the best place to be in China if you want to travel. You can take a bus for thirty US dollars to Vietnam and probably cheaper to Burma. Tibet is just above me, and I’m just itching to get up there. Sichuan is practically free. I’m going to have some good weekend trips. Tai and I are already scheming, and I’m trying to get Dana to come visit.

My first Tai Qi class starts Sunday morning, and my full schedule starts Monday. I have a few days now to buy groceries, explore, read, do college apps, try to fix my Internet, and get a couple more massages:)

I hope everything at home is good. You guys are so beautiful. I’m such a lucky girl. My last dinner was amazing-I’m still nibbling on the brownies. Take care of Phoebe, and I hope Snakey had a smooth ascension to her next life.

Lots of Love,
Rach