Your play as a Pandaren begins with a brief explanation- the Pandaren home, the Wandering Isle, has begun to move erratically and is now in danger- what that danger is is not specified, but is going to be revealed to you as you progress through the quests here.

Speaking of quests, you gain one just by launching your new character: Much to Learn.

This is perhaps one of the simplest quests possible- it requires only that you speak to Shang Xi, the first of your many trainers, who is sitting before you on a small bench.  Accept this quest, and then walk up to him and speak with him.

He will begin your training with a new quest- .

Your first task is to head down to the nearby weapon racks and obtain a Trainee’s weapon.  You must then equip the weapon, and return to Shang Xi- not the most extensive or difficult of tasks, to be sure.  Do so quickly, as you have many other tasks to complete here, and lollygagging about isn’t going to help you any.  The weapon racks are downhill from Shang Xi, in the direction he is looking- you can take a small shortcut by jumping the rocks instead of following the path, but the half-second you may gain isn’t really important in any degree.

With the weapon (the staff, should that be your weapon, bears an uncanny resemblance to a rugbeater) equipped and now visible on your character, you return to Shang Xi, who tells you next that he needs to evaluate your skill so that he knows how he needs to train you.  In this case, the evaluation requires that you head to the training targets down near where you got your staff, and destroy five of them.  You can use more than that if you like, but it’s not necessary- you may find it enjoyable, though, and it can be neat to watch your new Pandaren attack things- particularly if they are a Monk, striking with bear hands and rugbeater.

Return to Shang Xi again, and he will give you a minor compliment, a silver coin, and a pair of bracers as you have completed the quest ‘The Lesson of the Sandy Fist’.

This starts you on your third quest, ‘The Lesson of Stifled Pride’, which requires you to find the Huojin and Tushui Trainees, NPC Pandaren that wander the nearby training yard, and defeat six of them in combat.  This is intended to give you practice at facing moving, living opponents, who carry danger to your person- as opposed to sandbags, that might be hazardous if you strike them with your head but otherwise are completely inoffensive.  The reward is a belt and another silver coin (and progression further through the quest line).