A trip to Shenzhen and a week cut off.

Wednesday 25^th September

It’s been some time since an update but with the 70^th anniversary of the PRC coming the Chinese government have been putting pressure on VPNs meaning internet contact outside the country is increasingly difficult.  As difficult moving out here has been, I at least could chat to friends and family back home despite a seven hour difference.  Now even that has become near impossible.

Now my memory of the middle of last week has become a bit hazy, but it was mostly uneventful.  As always, we met up in the evening to play DnD.

Thursday 26^th September

Tried a new noodle place locally.  Huge bowl of noodles and veg for just 12rmb, noodles were thick and slightly chewy, made for a great dish.  Definitely will put this place down for future.

Friday 27^th September

Busy middle of the day, and a brief lunchtime.  Immediately after work myself and a colleague took a taxi to Tianjin airport to fly to Shenzhen for a training weekend.  Fortunately my chinese colleague arranged the flights, taxis, hotels for us both. Absolute lifesaver, would have been stuffed otherwise.

The pollution over Tianjin was so bad I could barely see the city through the smog.  A three hour flight, boring and I couldn’t sleep a wink despite being pretty tired from the day.

The hotel picked was ‘British styled’ with corridors dressed like city streets with lampposts, phone boxes and shop windows.  The room was very good and decorated with pillows with London buses and the like.

Though I found some of my first examples of dodgy translations in China!

Saturday 28^th September

I’d been a little sceptical about the training, partly because training that I had done in the UK seemed a bit general.  This was specifically for Cambridge A-level Chemistry, and it was actually very good.  Though at first there was a bit of crossed wires in school and While I thought I was signed up to the event I was not!  But no worry, they took me in anyway and were a couple people short, phew!!  That could have been awkward.  So we spent a lot of the day on general  classroom activities and strategies.  The heat here saps your strength, the humidity is very high too.

Sunday 29^th September

This training day was better than the first.  In the morning we did a question on a practical paper, carrying out the experiment and completing the questions on the paper.  I could do the practical work great of course, plenty of experience there, but my approach to filling in the practical paper would have cost me a lot of marks as their expectations are specific.  I learnt a lot from this and now know much better what to tell my students, we also looked a lot at standard exam papers and how they are marked.  So for all my doubts about the training, I came away a lot better prepared for teaching my new curriculum.

Both evenings headed into Shenzhen to eat seeing the city at night.

Monday 30^th September

Colleague left early to go to Beijing to stay with family, I chose to pay for another night so I could see some of Shenzhen.    It’s mostly a new city so there is not a lot of history to see.  There was a temple in the south of the city I went to see but it was shut, maybe because it was a Monday or because it was the day before the anniversary.  That was a shame, as I doubt I’ll be coming back to the city again, there wasn’t that much to see after all.  I headed back to the area called Sea World, which is just an area with more expats than others.  Really, I didn’t see much to do here, but a lot was closed up.  There was a bar on a boat selling European beers but that was shut too, so I walked a bit into town.  China seems to have a real thing for expensive clothing and shoe shops, every other shop is some designer store selling western branded goods but to me it’s utterly boring.  There’s little variety, I don’t see bookshops for example, or shops with much variety in magazines.  Perhaps they don’t really do newspapers here.

I also bought a new iPhone.  The Oppo phone has driven me mad, I can’t type on it properly and the apps all seem clunky and difficult to use, there are adverts and if you can manage all these things somehow I can’t work it out in chinese. So my life got much easier with that purchase!

Started feeling ill in the evening, strongly suspect I picked up a stomach bug somewhere in the last could of days.  Could be anywhere, from some food, the swarms on the metro or just something I’ve handled. Not everything is particularly sanitary here.

Tuesday 1^st October

Definitely suffering some stomach bug, and my flight delayed 3 hours!  I decided to stay in my room as long as possible, fortunately the check out time was 2pm!  But my flight now wasn’t until 18.50.  Argh!!  So I stayed in (near the toilet) and watched the 70^th anniversary parade.  Chinese know how to throw a massive event.  Though given the fact its a celebration for the people, almost no one is actually allowed to attend the event in Beijing.  The city is closed off, the public told to stay away, it gets huge coverage on TV.  I can see logic in controlling the crowds, without restrictions Beijing city centre would be flooded with unmanageable millions of people.  But the main reason they block access is because they fear any kind of disruption or demonstration at this particular time.

Still though, made for great viewing of military equipment, and an extraordinary number of missiles on display.

I killed a lot of time at the hotel and then got a bus to the airport.  The time really dragged as my flight was delayed and I was struggling with a stomach bug. I couldn’t sleep on the plane, the moment I did nod off one of the attendants woke my up to adjust my seat for landing even though it was 40 minutes away.  That I had a taxi already booked the other end was a relief.

Pikachu

Wednesday 18^th September

Fairly typical day at work, picked up a little shopping and the hugest onion on the way home.

Wednesday’s are usually DnD night but several missing through illness and being abroad so we mostly had drinks and sat around talking.  Seem to be a lot of people getting sick at the moment and getting to hospital around here, especially one that has English speaking staff, is a pain in the ass.  Hope I never get properly sick.

Thursday 19^th September

Given a small lamp in work, powered by a USB power bank.  Until I get something more substantial it is ideal for my bedroom where I only have the very stark bright ceiling light.

Bought this curious pig shaped drink, maybe milk inside?

Friday 20^th September

Always a busy day, four lessons to teach and a short lunch break.  Dashed out for some food but ate it in my only free period.  Two classes did practical experiments and the A-level did a test, made for an easier day.  Evening was a staff party at a local hotel, food and drink aplenty.  Though everyone decided to go out to karaoke again, huge turnout including the principle and others who rarely come out.  The karaoke rooms are designed for groups of 15, we had 25 squeeze in.  As one person said, ‘This isn’t karaoke, it’s a disco!’

Saturday 21^st September

Woke up fairly early, so went to Walmart first thing.  They were testing air raid sirens on the way over, which judging from my group WeChat messages woke everyone else up who was enjoying a lie in.  Just bought regular things in Walmart but then stopped in Miniso downstairs which sells various nicknaks and decorations.  I had a good notebook and some pens for school work, and a huge stuffed Pikachu!  Lots of mysterious reductions, the whole lot came to barely £6 by UK prices.  Will surely go back for more pens.

Invited over friend’s place for hot pot.  Very popular here, but my first time.  Not what I imagined, there’s a bowl of boiling water in the middle of the table and you put vegetables, shredded meats and meatballs into it to cook.  Then scoop them out and mix with other things on your plate.  Delicious.  Then we played the Lord of the Rings board game until evening, just two player, I think most other people were resting from the evening before!

All knotted up!

Sunday 15^th September

Did very little most of the day but did make a Thai green curry in the evening.  Would call that a success, given what I have to work with here...

Monday 16^th September

Yet another new timetable issued on Friday afternoon, hit by a four lesson day and after school activities.  But I started the Backgammon club as a side to the Chess club, and by the end of the session had six pupils playing on the three boards we have with others taking turns.  Hopefully will settle with a consistent number taking part.

Did another laundry in the evening.  Every single time the clothes come out like this, I’ve never known a washing machine like it.  Pain in the ass to untangle.

Tuesday 17^th September

Fewer lessons to deal with, as they’d all been shifted to monday!  Lunch was a different burger place near by, for comparison not as nice as our regular, but picked up this iced cinnamon drink with cream that reminded me of the filling of walnut whip.

Three of us went out to a Japanese restaurant in the evening, great food.  Mix of sushi, katsu curry, prawns and dumplings.  Would definitely put this on the list for a return visit.

First visit to Beijing

Saturday 14^th September 

I finally decided to go to Beijing to see some of the things I was looking forward to the most.  After nearly a month here I hoped to go with some other from work but I felt this weekend was a opportune time while the weather is sure to be good, and my success ordering a taxi on Friday had given me confidence.

I booked the tickets online through WeChat, but some confusion a the station meant I joined the wrong line.  You should join one line to pick up the ticket and another to actually get into the station.  Unable to tell the difference, I joined the wrong one, went through security, had my passport and ticket confirmation checked on my phone but technically no ticket.  When I came to go through the barriers, problem, and the train was 5 minutes away.  Fortunately, the staff asked me to wait a bit, a friendly officer arrived to check my details again and let me through.  That was great, but I’ll try to actually get the ticket next time to make it easier!  Everyday you learn something.  Tickets were approximately £4 each way.

With he train travelling nearly 250kph, little more than 20 minutes later I arrived at Beijing South.  The metro was simple to use, an English option was available, and I bought a single to the museum stop, Line 1.  Easy, clean, cheap, was approx 35p for what would be a zone 1 tube journey in London.

Passport is required for the museum but entry is free, but you should always have your passport with you regardless.  A huge building, pristine inside and out.  Photos make it appear overcast, but it was sunny and hot most of the time.  Surprised me how many families with children, and couples were at the museum.  Apparently it’s the place for young couples to go!

Once through the entrance you first see a statue of Mao, and after that entry into the museum, first hall is very spacious with many aircraft to see, mostly of Chinese and Soviet origin.

There are many floors and if you were to look around them all and read the information, I’m sure you could spend the whole day here.  There is a wide variety of things with a floor of statues and paintings, ancient warfare and armour, displays of handguns, machine guns, rifles, knives, marine warfare, nuclear warfare, and the vehicle hall in the basement.  Everything was well laid out and labelled, but it’s a bit mixed up and no particular pattern in how different nationalities and eras are grouped.

The vehicle hall was the most interest to me.  A huge number of artillery pieces and field guns, but also a solid armour collection with vehicles from WW2 to the current day.  Displays are labelled in Chinese but the WeChat app can offer effective enough translation to understand them

After a few hours at the museum I left to see Tiananmen Square.  First I left a note in the visitors book, a quick flick through didn’t show any sign of any other tourists leaving comments in English.

I couldn’t work out distances from my mapping app so I tried to walk to Tiananmen Square from the museum but it was a hot day and I gave up after a bit and went in the next metro station to go the rest of the way.  The metro skipped West Tiananmen station, for reasons I would find out later, and went to East Tiananmen, meaning the 3rmb I had paid wasn’t enough.  When I put my card in the machine on the barrier it flashed up that the ticket price wasn’t enough and spat my ticket out the slot and about 10 feet across the hall!  Once I’d picked that up there was a booth to go to and top it up.  I had to add a single yuan, about 10p, to complete my journey.

A long walk down the street and many barriers, there are preparations for the 70ᵗʰ anniversary of the PRC and a vast military parade is planned. Much of the area around Tiananmen Square was being closed off, barriers appearing and passport/ID checks made.  This was a bit disappointing but I was now getting short for time and a walk around the edge of the Forbidden City would have to suffice.  Still, I’m seeing things I never thought I ever would, and now they are within an hour’s travel of my flat.  In a few weeks when the celebrations are over I will return, probably with some friends from work.

I headed across to West Tiananmen station but found it closed, which was why the Metro had skipped it earlier.  Instead I had to keep walking on to the next station which was a good 15 minutes.  The metro is very cheap, and you have to use it as to more more than a couple of stops by foot are quite a trek in the heat.

Back on the train home, had a bit of a difficultly finding the platform as it wasn’t signposted at the station but again, I now know for next time. I made it to my flat by 6.30, and after freshening up went over to friend’s flat for more of the LotR board game.  A long day, probably going to have a quiet Sunday in... 

Mid Autumn Festival - off to Walmart!

Friday 13^th September

Lots of new experiences today although none really to do with the festival.  I decided a day off work was finally a good reason to take a proper visit to Walmart on my own.  Not the most exciting thin, but the first time travelling further than on foot on my own.

With some new apps set up on my phone, a bank account and WePay, I took booked a Didi ride (Chinese Uber) to Walmart.  After some fiddling with the app, a taxi soon arrived, I hopped in and was at Walmart.  The driver didn’t ask for money, so I assumed that it had worked!  Sort of, a couple hours later I opened the app to find a payment to authorise, in future I will remember to make it soon after the ride is completed.

Optimus Prime still stands guard outside Walmart!

Walmart is just the main shop in a centre full of smaller shops, but I walked around briefly before going into the store. The middle of the centre had some area with tables covered in camp netting, and dozens of people on their phones playing some Fortnite style game which was being shown on a big screen.

Probably wandered around Walmart for the better part of two hours, mostly because I couldn’t find anything and went around all the aisles several times.  Eventually I gotta some more plates and knives, things for Thai curries like coconut milk, sauces for other possible dishes... Also some new shoes, light and hopefully will let my feet breathe more as the cheap shoes I brought from the UK are sweaty.

‘Fish ham’

Actual ground coffee, the joy of it.  The sense of relief as I made up some coffee in my percolator in the evening.

A work mate called me up asking if I could pick up some painkillers, but I couldn’t find them anywhere, but I took a walk down the road to a colourful building that had some shops and maybe a cinema or bingo.  Certainly eye catching.

No luck not the painkillers, they just don’t seem so easy to find here, every supermarket and corner shop in the UK sells them, but not here.  I had another idea though, as soon as I got back gave my mate a call to come over the flat.  Earlier this week I asked a Chinese colleague to set my address in a delivery app so we put it to the test.  Everywhere here you see people dressed in yellow on electric scooters taking deliveries on a constant basis. First thing I would be ordered were some tablets, so I placed the order and we watched the app track the drivers GPS first to the chemist and then along the roads to our estate, wondering if you would actually find my exact flat.  Within 15 minutes there was a knock at the door and we had painkillers!

I still haven’t managed to get some supplies fore making models and figuring out Taobao is another job near the top of my list.  Instead I bought this not-Lego tank from Walmart for the equivalent of £3.  They don’t make Lego like this anywhere else!  Lots of parts look suspiciously identical to Lego pieces, but I don’t suppose anyone is bothered by that here!  Took quite a while to build as well because all the pieces looked the same...

End of a day of firsts. First Didi ride on my own, paying for things with WePay, home deliveries and a proper coffee from my percolator.

Mid Autumn Festival

Wednesday 11^th September

For Mid Autumn festival at the end of this week we were given some gifts today, a huge mooncake and envelope with money.  The mooncake is huge, it looks like a Mayan tablet and is almost as heavy. This was like carrying a brick home. The one we cut up in school was full of nuts, thick pastry, delicious. I have no idea how I will dispose of this on my own, it is colossal.

We also received an envelope with 400rmb, approximately £45.  Not to be sneezed at, I’ve never been given cash money by a UK school as any sort of gift.  School keeps surprising me.

In the evening was our Wednesday RPG session, more Dungeons and Dragons... hopefully I will be able to paint some more figures soon.

Thursday 12^th September

Last school day of the week, a holiday on Friday.  I’ve been feeling pretty tired this week, a few too many late nights, some lessons were a struggle!  I have done my first practical lessons with some classes and found them to be generally very trustworthy with the equipment.  The nicest thing was when asking them to place equipment at the back of the room, they organised it into piles without any prompting from myself. I’m used to having to direct pupils to do everything and then chasing up equipment still left around the classroom.

I was surprised to find a huge knowledge gap surrounding practical equipment, while they can use the items they can’t name a great deal of it.  Conical flasks, spatulas, tripods, all terms most were not familiar with.  You do get some surprised some days as pupils seem to have great knowledge of some topics and very little on others.

In the evening again went over friends to now start the Lord of the Rings RPG, and then a big game of Magic.  Again, it’s a relief having people who share your interests here... Some others in work, I am concerned that they find it harder because they don’t have that.

Last piece of good news this week, the third Chemistry teacher will not be arriving after all. Somewhat suspected it was going this way given the numerous delays for reasons unclear. I’m already on a full timetable so will not pick up other classes or cover, but many others will.

National Teachers’ Day

Tuesday 10^th September

Today was National Teachers’ Day in China, there’s nothing quite like this in the UK.  It has to be said that despite some of the absurdities I’ve seen, there is a clear respect shown for teachers and the teaching profession which is rather lacking in the UK.  We don’t want to be seen as martyrs, but in the UK there seems to be a constant stream of criticism from politicians, the media, parents, that all adds to the pressure of the profession, all while having ‘long holidays’ thrown in your face,and I don’t find that evident here.

First thing some pupils came around our department giving out some flowers, which everyone appreciated. At break time we did the flag raising, postponed from Monday, and had the ceremony.  I admit feeling a bit frustrated that I was teaching every lesson today and lost my break for this, but it was nice seeing one of our Dept get an award, for something as it was not clear the basis they are awarded, and the flowers, pupils enjoyed taking part.  The flag raising was followed by a speech given by a Chinese member of staff and one of our dept, making it bilingual, and poems where read by pupils. Awards were given to numerous staff, and then a swarm of younger girls from the school ran out with bunches of flowers for us all, and an awkward hug!  Then we had to recite a pledge of alliegance to education/teaching, but it was led in Chinese and all the western staff quickly got lost despite having a translation given to us!

Lunchtime I popped home and got the flowers into water, hopefully they will last a few days.

After school I felt battered by teaching five 70 minute lessons.  I walked out to some new shops and bought a percolator, but cannot find any ground coffee, possibly Walmart have some.  Colleague going to another store offered to buy me a toaster that he had seen.  I’ve not seen a toaster anywhere since arriving, and while there is plenty of bread here there’s not much to do with it.  It’s a small, pretty cheap looking toaster, about what you’d get for £5 in Argos but it cost me nearly £15, and first use initially had a strong smell of burning plastic coming from it.  But at least I can have a round of toast in the morning...

Peppa Pig gone Bad

Saturday 7^th September

Took a walk around the shops south of the school as I’ve not been there on my own yet.  Found an art shop, bought a pack of four decent looking brushes for a quid.  Great value, but nothing in the shop seems to be marked with a price, but it’s cheap all the same.  The majority of everything around here are places to eat, many offering take aways.

Some hilarious products in the supermarket including this pack of jellies adorned with what I’m calling Peppa Pig’s teenage rebellious years.

Evening went to a flat moving/general start of year party with colleagues.  Surprising how many people you can squeeze into one of these flats!  Got some advice on shopping for plants, my flat looks very white and empty at the moment and I’ve always wanted a place full of plants.

Tried a Chinese spirit - Baijiu.  Apparently there are many types but this was distinctly from the cheaper end of the market, with a distinct aroma of turpentine and a taste to match, I’d suggest thinning paints with it.

A view from the window, as I don’t live on a high floor, it’s like the cityscape of Blade Runner.

Sunday 8^th September

Headed around for more games with friends.  We spent a lot of time creating characters for a Lord of the Rings game, I have a Rider of Rohan.  The book wasn’t the best organised, but now we are set for a game in the near future. The wife of a colleague made dinner, delicious, all the best food I’ve eaten here are hers, it’s amazing what can be done with just two hobs, she regularly makes half a dozen dishes.  Was complemented on my use of chopsticks?!  Must be learning.  Later played Magic the Gathering, had forgotten how long some of these multiplayer games can be...

Monday 9^th September

Flag raising was cancelled in place of a rather informal ‘fire drill’.  No fire bell evident, staff watched from the windows as pupils made the slowest exit I’ve seen from a building.  Unsure what the point of it all was, I don’t think they typically bother with this stuff here.

I’m supposed to be running a Backgammon club at school, few takers but some interest and some girls that got very excited playing their first games.  I think I will join the Chess club to support that and offer the option there for those that want to play shorter games.

A bank account - now with something in it!

Wednesday 4^th September

Bank account was urgently needed as payday was only a day away.  With warnings of queues and delays at the bank, three of us headed down early during free lessons. You take a ticket and wait, and wait, for your number to turn up. They will speak English, we were told, they mostly do not.  The first thing you are given, when asking to open an account, are some forms to fill in, entirely in Chinese.  Fortunately a couple of the staff not behind the desks could speak a little and helped explain what was needed, names and addresses mostly.  The line for your address was barely a centimetre long, how on earth are you to write your address in there?!  After some discussion, we gave the school’s address and they filled it in with Chinese characters which take up a lot less space.  That explained the impossibility of the form.

My number was called up first of the three of us and after this it was fairly straightforward. Even though the teller spoke no English it seemed a routine job, I signed some more forms, paid up the sum of 1 yuan, a bank card soon appeared, a lot of pondering my passport seemed to take place as they deciphered what to enter on their database, more photocopying of my documents took place...  and then suddenly I was done.  Proud owner of a Chinese bank account, card in hand and 1 yuan in the bank.  As soon as I stood up the teller pulled down his blind, closed the desk and went to lunch, much to the dismay of my colleagues.  I also went for lunch, and left them to it - ha!

Pizza today, bit expensive really compared to other places locally.  Some of the pizzas here are very thing, not like anything I’ve had in the UK but good for a midday meal when you’ve still lessons to teach in the afternoon.

DnD again in the evening, what a hard game.  GM really pushing us with some big bad guys to have to fight out way through.  I don’t use the lifts in my own building, as I live on the 1st floor, but I was amused by all the signs on the doors of the lifts, especially this one - keep you hands to yourself!

Thursday 5^th September

Payday had arrived, but there was no way to know if the money had even gone into my account.  A bit of a concern given that I had only given finance my bank details the previous afternoon.  For now it was a mystery.  Otherwise the day was a quiet one, four lessons kept me busy, a bit of a fight with the photocopier made it pretty standard.

Friday 6^th September

Another busy day, three lessons filled up the morning, but the short lunch could be extended as the period after lunch was free.  First stop was the bank, and hurrah, I had been paid.  I’m quite relieved that is sorted, and I then sorted out linking the account to WeChat, which is used to pay for everything here, taxis, food, shopping, train tickets, general money transfers, the lot.  WeChat is like WhatsApp and PayPal combined.  Without WeChat fully set up, you are stuffed for living in China.  Paying with cash just isn’t convenient quite often, some taxis don’t carry cash, and a lot of shops treat 100rmb notes with suspicion, they usually accept them... but if they are a bit battered or raise any concern they may not, making it difficult to shift damaged banknotes of high denomination.  I would suggest not accepting them in the first place if it can be helped.

Recommended a burger place by a colleague.  A meal deal of burger, chips and a big coke was 21rmb - £2.40!  Just what I needed to pick me up after three 70 minute lessons all morning.

End of a second week of school, routine is seems established now.