Home Sweet Kunshan!

It's been a few days since we've posted but we've been very busy setting up our new apartment and exploring Kunshan. Beijing was fun but we can tell that Kunshan is more the type of city we would want to live in. It's much smaller and prettier with lots of waterways and public parks. Not to mention the clean air! You can actually see the sky and feel a breeze. They say it's hotter here than in Beijing but we much prefer the higher temperatures over the stagnant smog.

We took the high speed train to Kunshan from Beijing on Tuesday. It was about a 5 1/2 hour ride but it didn't seem like it. The seats are much larger and more comfortable than on planes and you can get up and move around anytime you want. You can even move from car to car and there is one car specifically for ordering food and eating. All in all, it was a very comfortable ride. I would take a 5 hour train ride over a 2 hour plane ride anytime, especially considering you'll spend an additional two hours at the airport going through security and other nonsense. None of that at the train station! When we arrived in Kunshan, we were greeted by the director of my school who took us to the campus and showed us our apartment. It's a surprisingly spacious one bedroom with a separate living area, kitchen, bathroom, and laundry area. We're very pleased with the accommodations! Our first night here, the campus secretary showed us around the area and took us out to dinner. She also pointed us in the direction of a grocery store and supermarket where we can do some shopping for household items.

Since our first day in Kunshan, we've basically just been exploring the town and setting up/cleaning our apartment. The grocery store is about a half mile down the road. It's not a bad walk but most people at the school have electric scooters or mopeds that they use to get around town. They are not nearly as expensive as you might think so we are going to look into getting one soon. We may also look into getting bikes. Kunshan isn't nearly as big as Beijing or Shanghai but it can still be a long walk to get anywhere. Buses can be confusing and cabs are expensive so we definitely want to look into alternative means of transportation.

We are still getting our bearings around town but we're looking forward to exploring and seeing everything Kunshan has to offer. We are also very close to Shanghai and Suzhou, which are both major cities and we want to explore there as well. We are actually headed to Shanghai today to do some sightseeing and eat at some cool restaurants.

Till next time,

Hunter and Chelsea

The train was going about 185 mph so it was hard to get a good picture, but the country side got progressively prettier as we moved further away from Beijing. It was cool to watch the countryside change the further we went. We saw beautiful mountains, rice patties, huge farms, and a range of cities, towns, etc.

 It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the seats are definitely more comfortable than on a plane with much more leg room. 

 The entryway in our apartment! 

Our kitchen includes a refrigerator/freezer, a washing machine, and a water cooler. You can't see it but the sink is on the other side of the kitchen. Drinking tap water isn't exactly recommended here. Even the locals drink only bottled water, or tap water that has been boiled first. The school provides us with replacement jugs for the cooler.

 This is our living room. Came equipped with a kitchen table, couch, and TV! The curtains are hideous...currently trying to find some replacements.

Nice king size bed. It is rock hard but we will find a mattress pad soon. Also want to find a new comforter and curtains for this room too.