'Ello

Hello all,

I moved to Lixia district in Jinan, two weeks ago, from Boston. I'm an interactive designer, and I'll be teaching interactive, web, and graphic design as well as English.

I won't start teaching until probably September 1st, and I've got too much free time. I'm trying to learn Mandarin, but it's slow going. I'm feeling a bit helpless and limited. But, I know it will only get better.

I'm looking for friends, and if anyone knows of good Mandarin classes. I like hiking (is that even healthy, here?), culinary adventures, live performances, a moderate amount of nightlife, and generally experiencing new cultures.