My first weeks in China have been successfully completed and I've managed to accomplish the following:
1) Have 3 job offers.
2) Sweat constantly due to the extreme humidity :(
3) Stay out until at least 3 a.m. on the weekends.
4) Splash around in a Chinese water park.
5) Eat frog, pig brain and "street meat". (I was served chicken feet too but I couldn't manage to try that.)

My flight to China was pleasant and went by pretty fast. It was nice to have a layover in Zurich and stretch my legs a bit but in general Swiss Air was a comfortable way to travel. I arrived on time in Shanghai and was picked up by a driver who delivered me in one piece to my hotel. We nearly hit two pedestrians but I quickly learned that reckless driving is completely the norm. People, bikes, cars and buses basically ignore normal traffic rules and do whatever they want, normally without looking to see if anything is going to run into them.

My hotel is pretty nice although I had to move rooms due to mosquitoes. The staff is very nice and accommodating. The worst part is the bed which is incredibly hard but luckily I can fall asleep on pretty much anything. The hotel is located on Shi Quan street which is one of the main streets in downtown Suzhou. It's famous for its shopping, restaurants and bars... what's not to love?! It's wonderful to only have a couple of blocks to experience fun nightlife, plus its completely safe!

Suzhou can be broken down into three sections. SND, Suzhou New District, downtown and SIP, Suzhou Industrial Park. SND is the newer part of the town and lots of Japanese live there. However, its rapidly growing and there are already many Western restaurants such as T.G.I. Fridays which I ate at on Saturday. The downtown area is in the middle and is historic. The buildings are only allowed to be 6 stories high max. and it is dirtier and very crowded. SIP is the western area of the city. Westerners live here and it seems like almost all the large companies are located in this area. The streets are very wide and there are tons of apartments. It also has a 2 yr old lake which is a popular location for the Mister Softee truck. Right now they are building a giant ferris wheel (think the London Eye) and a roller coaster by the lake. It should be completed in October!

Basically life here is like living in any city. True, I don't know the language but people are very nice and helpful. When in doubt I just smile and try to make hand gestures until the point gets across!