Today we’re at Arsilan Aka’s place. It’s one of the houses here in Urumqi that we can get reliable web access, though we still haven’t figured out how to get the internet to work on our own computers. It’s a little annoying, but this will have to do for now.

I do have to admit, though, that the lack of internet access doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it did in France. There’s just too much going on around here for us to worry about such mundane things. Like I said before, the amount of family here is amazing - they’re everywhere. It’s amazing to me how there are always people around to help with any kind of problem we may have, and most of the time they take care of things before any kind of problem even becomes apparent.

I guess since I grew up in a family that’s been completely isolated (culturally, linguistically, geographically), - it’s always been my mom, dad, Camira and myself alone in the world - that the idea of a big family now is still amazing and terrifying to me. It’s completely wonderful to have so many people who care about me on this level. It’s strange and great to see and get to know all these people who knew me when I was little and can even tell me stories about my parents as children. But at the same time, it can be a little overwhelming to go from a family of four to family of 80+.

But overall, Urumqi has been great so far. There’s always something new to do, to see, to eat. I’m having a lot of fun. And if nothing else, this is an amazing way to put off Real Life for awhile longer. :)