What were you grateful for this week?
CoCo! (Delicious Chinese drink and tea shop). 

What was the most challenging part of this week?
The most challenging part of this week was probably getting my kids to focus and actually do their homework! 

Tell us about a “wow” moment you had this week. 
A wow moment from this week was probably when I went down and played bouncy balls with the kids outside of their apartment complex. I was not required to play with them that night, but I really wanted to because we all just have a blast together! I also think it helps them feel more comfortable around me and trust me as their teacher. We all were very energized and were laughing so much. It was an amazing night. 

Tell us about your week! 
This week was awesome! I definitely did a fair amount of shopping! There is a massive mall a five minute walk from my apartment complex. They have an H & M, which happens to be one of my all-time favorite stores! Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, haha! I need to be careful and not spend all my travel money there…At the mall, I went into a spa and got a manicure! It was really cool because I made friends with the lady at the front desk! She was incredibly sweet, and we exchanged WeChat’s. We are going to do something together soon! One of my greatest passions is meeting new people, and I have found traveling to be one the easiest/funnest ways to do it.

 

A few days ago, my friend A and I went downtown to visit the Shanghai Tower (one the tallest buildings in the world). Unfortunately, we ran out of time to go to the top of the building, but instead we decided to explore the mall around the tower. It truly blew our minds. It was by far the most extravagant mall I have ever been to. Each and every store was high-end. Stores like Gucci, Juicy Couture, etc…. were all we saw…The mall was several stories high and had beautiful marble floors! A and I felt like we were dirtying the place just as we walked around, haha! Of course we didn’t end up buying anything at these stores, but we did get some amazing ice-cream at one of the shops! You will never guess what flavor?! It was jasmine blossom raspberry-pomegranate, and it was completely to die for! A and I were both in heaven! It tasted just how a spring blossom smells! But it was totally balanced out because of the raspberry and pomegranate add-ins. Slowly but surely, the cuisine here in China is growing on me! I am excited for this coming week! Hopefully I can check out some more historical places.