The past 36 hours or so have been HECTIC - so much update you with! Saturday morning got off to an unusual start…after checking out of my hostel at 7.30am (urgh) I went straight to Saul's apartment, picked him up and took him to the local hospital, which thankfully is only a few blocks away. He's been really ill for the past week or so, and we decided it was finally time we did something about it. I have to say, I was impressed. Going to hospital is never f...

So let's go back to Thursday afternoon. I left Saul's to head back to the old town to collect my (hopefully all sorted) iPhone. I almost wept with joy when it was handed back to me all perfect and shiny and pretty and when we put a sim card in it and it WORKED. I'm just so useless when it comes to sorting his kind of stuff out, so the relief was enormous. For those that don't know already, my Chinese number is: +86 159-6321-9508. Add me on whatsapp/facetime etc, ...

So - got to Qingdao safe and sound in the end. My flight from HK was delayed a bit which was a bore, but I met a nice old man called Bob who bought me a Starbucks, how nice. Got to my hostel around 1.30am and checked into my all female 6 bed dorm, and attempted to go to sleep to the sound of THE LOUDEST SNORER I HAVE EVER HEARD. I woke up all sweaty and confused, but after a quick shower headed out to start my day of organising. Now, for those you know me, you'...

It's so odd that this whole year abroad thing is finally happening. It's one of the reasons I chose to do a language - I'd been looking forward to this bit for years... but then suddenly it crept up on me and BOOM it was time to leave everything behind and set off to a foreign (weird) country for a year. In typical 'Ellie' style, the weeks running up to leaving were an odd mixture of a number of emotions. Let me explain...1) Friday 16th. SAD. Left Edinburgh/Owen....