Always have insurance!

Just a word to the wise.

When signing a contract for anything overseas, make sure that it will give you medical insurance that covers English-speaking doctors. And both in-patient and out-patient services. Also insist on a complete list (in writing) on exactly who/where your insurance covers.

Do not take no for an answer and do not give in to "we will get that to you when you need it" speeches.

Trust me.

I Speak English...So We are Friends Right??

So another month has rolled on past and things are really starting to pick up here. Didn't do a whole lot for this year's National holiday, but did spend a bit of time in Hong Kong and Shenzhen which was fun. Also got a chnce to go back to my favourite spa. Let me tell you...that is one thing I LOVE about this country! The spas are amazing and priced reasonably (for the most part. Obviously somethings are more expensive than others but overall it is just a wonderful experience and a great way to just "get away").

Also got another very interesting experience: White Water Rafting....China-style!! Most of us Canadians think of white water rafting as a pretty dangerous yet fun activity where you (and a couple other people) paddle your way (or try to anyway) through a series of rapids down a river on a larger inflatable, yet sturdy raft, complete with safety equipment and probably at least a bit of training before hand. This however was a VERY different experience!! The rafts are more like slightly larger dingies and you do not get any paddles. If you are lucky, you may get a small plastic bucket that you can use to bail out your dingy or (more likely) fight back in the giant water fight that happens at varies points throughout the ride. Really that is a better word for this...it is a ride. You get a helmet (that might fit) and a lifejacket (that probably doesn't fit or tie up). Once you get to the top of the line, you and your partner fight your way into one of the dingies that are getting pushed around, and then hold on! The best way to describe the trail is more of a series of water slides through rocks with small "lazy river"-type pools in between (which is where the water fights break out...and if you are a foreigner WATCH OUT!!! I don't know how many times I got the greeting "welcome to China" followed by a bucket-full of water to the face! lol). And it lasts for about 30-45 minutes! Quite an experience! lol

There is something that I have been noticing a lot as of late that I would like to comment on; that being the "Hi, I speak English. I can be your friend?" experience. This is something that I have been running into and I honestly do not know how to handle it. My experience of how you make friends tells me that you run into someone, get to know them as you run into them more than once and talk, and then maybe decide to get together for coffee or the like. If someone I dont know comes up to me and immediately asks for mu phone number, I take that more as a "I'm picking you up" move than a "let's be friends" move. I just dont get it. *sigh*

And Here We Go Again...

My wonderful plan of updating my life here in China over blog seemed to work SOO well last year....sorry guys!! Why is it that we have these great ideas that never seem to work out in reality?! *sigh* Well, we are back for another year here at Huamei, and I am going to try yet again (and try harder) to keep an updated account of what is going on here on the other side of the world. Please be patient with me!

So we're back! Last year was full craziness and fun, ups and downs, stress and beauty; so why not come back and do it all over again?! Most international schools look for at least two years of experience, and since both Richard and I enjoyed ourselves last year, it seemed silly not to get both of those years here in beautiful Guangzhou. And so far, this year is shaping up to be ever better than the last!

Fist of all is our new partners in crime, our new fellow teachers. And really only one word can describe them: Amazing! or maybe Wonderful! but also definitely Crazy! All of the new teachers who joined us this year have so much zim and energy, and are so willing to jump in and do anything. It is so great to see and I can't help but see this year being a wonderful and exciting experience for everyone! Most of the new teachers have had some sort of overseas experience before coming here, even if it was just in travel and not in teaching, so they were a bit more prepared for all that China and Huamei have to offer. That being said, it is also a bot of a trip for me to be on the other side of what they are going through. I am not the first year, new teacher anymore. They are coming to ME with questions, and most of the time I can help! It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to return all of the assistance that was given to me last year (Thank you again Adam and Ana!! We miss you!!!)

This year is also shaping up to be great because of my courses. I am very excited to report that I am helping to develop a brand new Drama course here at Huamei!! Or at least trying! lol The first couple of weeks were a bit of a challenge just in trying to get the facilities that I need (and I am still waiting for some things, like a projector or tv so I can use ppt or video; always helps in drama to be able to view and analyze other people's actions/movement), but for the most part I now have a room just for my course and chairs for the students to sit on. I do have to say that their faces on the first day in this classroom when they realized that they do not have desks or chairs was priceless!! We are still working on staying focused and coming to class ready to work, not just play, but for the most part I think that they are starting to get in the groove. This week will be their first big assignment (they will be doing a group pantomime/tableaux story based on a photo), so we will see how much they have actually been listening...

Anyway, I better go get something to eat and head to the market for some veggies, but thanks for letting me ramble on and I hope that you come back again soon. I promise to be more frequent with my posts!!

End of a Term - Start of a New Year

So my first term as a teacher has officially ended. Now hopefully I will have time to breath.

This past term has taught me many many different things, both about myself and about my field. The first is most definitely that Teacher's Collage doesnt prepare you near enough for what you are getting into! The hours in the classroom are the least of your time, and yet they can be the most rewarding. Although the hours of preparation before a class are grueling and the hours of marking after never seem to end, the light in a student's eye as they give a good presentation or the discussions that are sparked in a debate, or even the smile and "good morning Ms. K" that I am greeted with each time I begin a class....that is what I am here for. That is what makes it all worth it.

This past term has also taught me (or at least tried to teach me) that I cannot expect so much of myself nor can I take each student's progress (especially the lack there of) as a personal failure. This is a lesson that I am sure I will need to continue to work on. Those of you who know me know just how hard on myself I am, and that just does not work in this environment. Failures are going to happen. There are going to be lessons that look great on paper and in my mind, but just DO NOT translate into the classroom; especially when language is a consistent challenge that must be overcome. And I cannot change all of the problems that these students come into the classroom with. One of the major issues that these students need to deal with is the combination of learning a new language in an environment where they only use it in certain classrooms (it is not until second term of grade 11 that they have all of there classes in English) and a constant rotation of teachers who rarely stay for longer than a year. Even if they get a teacher who works well with their learning style, the chance of them getting that teacher again is very slim. So these students do the bast that they can in the situation that they are placed in....but to be honest, many give up halfway through. I have never seen so many students fall asleep during a test (I even had 5 fall asleep during their final exam!) as I have seen here. And yet, I cannot change their willingness to work and will to succeed. I can only do the best that I can and realize that I will make mistakes...and hopefully the students will not hold it against me for too long.

So now it is time to relax, breath and reflect. And then get ready for next term, when it will start all over again...

Midterms are fun!

I am sitting here in one of the restaurants across the street from the school, and thinking about how common place this has all become. It still baffles me how quickly I have become used to everything that goes on here. And yet there are still days that something happens and I suddenly remember “hey, I’m in China!” It’s crazy.

I just finished getting off my midterm marks in for the first half of my first semester as a teacher, and I tell you what….those people who say that teaching is an easy job need a swift kick in the pants! I have been pulling 14-18 hour days since last Thursday trying to get everything ready and in today. And other than eating and taking a bit of a walk every 5 or so hours, that has all been work. Many of the teachers are heading to “Lisa’s Pizza”, our local western food and pub (that is run by a former Canadian teacher of Huamei) for drinks and pizza tonight. I will be doing that tomorrow…first is some yummy food and maybe a good movie to relax tonight. Remembrance Day is tomorrow and we have a very short and sweet ceremony (we only have the Sr1 and 2 students for 20 mins as they are right in the middle of midterm exams), than one last class and off to get some wicked speakers….but more about that next time!! ;) Later all!

Surviving My First Week

Well, I have officially survived my first week in China!! And my first typhoon! Met some great people, found a 'fun' new way to travel and am officially a working teacher! But let me start at the beginning....

First of all the plane ride was an experience in of itself. I didnt get to wave to my brother in BC as we flew over because we flew over the arctic instead!! Each seat had a small tv in the back of the seat in front of it which showed a crap load of movies and tv shows (I watched my first episode of "Glee" and am completely hooked!) and also had a cool flight tracker which showed our route and where we were on it. This was pretty neat especially because it was dark the entire flight, so I mainly tried to match the lights I saw to the various countries we were flying over (I actually woke Richard up to show him Japan when we flew over!! lol). Each tv had a remote control that allowed you to navigate through the various features as well as a game controller which allowed you to play the multitude of games they also had. The food was pretty impressive for the most part and the people were really nice. All very good things when you can't get compfortable enough to sleep and have to deal with varying degrees of turbulence.

Landing in Hong Kong saw us meeting up with the rest of our fellow new teachers and wondering around the airport (much like any HUGE international airport, we got lost a couple of times) for a few hours until we took our last plane into Guanghzou (pronounced more like "Gwong-joe"). Although this flight was (thankfully) short, it was also one of the most interesting parts of the trip, mainly because the sun finally caught up with us and we could see out the windows. And let me tell you....wow. A great deal of the landscape in Hong Kong is rain forest and mountains, which a mass of humanity squished in between; it was literally mountains surrounding small pockets of skyscrapers!! I did take some pictures and once I have a computer that I trust to upload (Computer viruses are a part of daily life here) I will send them.

So we land in Guanghzou, and meet up with some of the other teachers and staff of Huamei (pronounced "Hu-i-may") and get on our bus to the school. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto! I read as much as I could about this place before coming and knew that it was a second-world country, but to see it was a real eye-opener. Guanghzou is a mish-mash of modern buildings (like the Tianhe Sports Center which is more modern then anything I have ever seen), buildings that make Detriot look clean and safe, and random fields of produce directly between apartment buildings. It is wild. Oh and dont let me forget the mountains and rivers that run through and around this city.

The school is a bit more up-to-date in its facilities (for example we have 48" TVs in each class room, some of which I have been told are smart boards) and yet other things that make you beat your head against the wall (like the printer in our office that is not the most reliable or the photocopier that keeps jamming and breaking down). And one of the most important lessons to learn about China, is it has its own pace; nothing gets done quickly here. Except for the "body check." That was wild. We each had to go to one of the local hospitals to get a full physical done. They took blood, urine, eye/ear/nose/throat/abdominal check, EKG, X-ray, and ultrasound....and it took 4 of us 2 hours total to get all of this done as well as fill out paperwork!!! Craziness!

The apartment Richard and I are living in is...nice, actually. It needs some TLC but we have lots of room (much more then we were expecting) and the furniture is in good condition (although I really want to re-cover the couch when I get the chance!!) We also actually have a bathtub!!! Not that I will be using it for baths anytime soon but still..... The kitchen is a bit sketchy so that is a work in progress, but it really hasnt been much of a problem because eatting out around here is so cheap!! The first "on-our-own" meal cost 4 of us 54 RMB total, and two of the guys had beer! Now to put that into perspective, 1$ Canadian is equal to about 6.5RMB. So yeah....we have been eatting out a lot! lol! Its actually cheaper to eat out then to cook our own food right now!! Although we did get a few things to eat for breakfasts before class. Needless to say, Richard is loving every minute of it!! lol! And my Chinese is slowly growing. I was able to order food at one of our local favs. (we call it "The Dog" I dont know why), make sure it wasnt going to be spicy and take it to go, all by myself!!! I was so proud! lol!

The subway system here puts the TTC or anything else I have seen in Canada to shame! It is very clean and easy to travel, with a map on each car that lights up to show you where you are and where you are going. Although I have to say that my favourite way to travel is by "Golf Cart." Now most of you are prolly picturing a typical golf cart (which is what I thought when I first heard the term) but no, this is China. The Golf Carts are more like a flat-bed truck, with metal seats (sometimes with padding, sometimes just wood or metal) hand-soldered on, with (if you are lucky) a metal roof. Thats is. Notice how I didnt say any doors or seat belts. It is an experience!!! And the roads in this city......I actually saw roads with no lane lines on them! Not that the lane lines mean anything anyway!! Lets just say, I am glad I will not be driving in this country!!! It is scary, exciting and, oh so crazy! But it is what so many people use. It is cheap, fast and they are numerous. I also added "Lu" to my Chinese, which means road. Good thing to know when you are trying to take Golf Carts or taxis.

As for the teaching, it was also quite an eye opener. My first day consisted of the Opening Ceremony, where I had to give an introductory speech; my first class with my two grade 10 ESL-C (there are 5 levels of ESL, "A" being the lowest and "E" being the most fluent) classes, where they where sitting quietly and waiting for me 5 minutes BEFORE the bell rang, and then proceeded to give me mainly blank stares and it took us almost 1/2 an hour to play three rounds of the game "Scales" (where you ask the students to line themselves up according to something; eg. my height or birthday); and my first class with my grade 12 4U English (my only "for credit" class this term). I have to admit I was more then a little shell-shocked after my ESLCs. It takes a completely different style of thinking, planning and thinking to teach these kids. They are, for the most part, eager to learn and to please you, but they just do not understand. You have to be SO careful what words you use to teach a concept or ask a question. And these are the mid-level ESLs! I am hoping that they will get used to playing more games as we get used to each other, and I will get used to speaking slowly and carefully when in these classrooms. I did not have my grade 11s this past week, as they were off for military training (my grade 10s are off this week; they do this training every year from grade 8-grade 11; it is apparently mainly marching in the sun all day. We are going to try to go see them this week), but I get to meet them tomorrow. This is nice as it does mean I have the first few days already planned for them, which will also give me room to breath and continue planning. My grade 12s were my life savers that first day, although I honestly think they will be the more difficult class overall as they do need a great deal of planning and everything MUST be part of a set curriculum. And if they dont pass, they dont graduate. But you know, no pressure. But they are really great to work with (all of the kids are) and I am so excited to finally be teaching my own classes.

Anyway, I could ramble on and on for pages (I think I already have!! lol) but I should get back to my marking and planning. I will write again soon. I miss you all!!

Love for everyone!

PS: A few of us went for DimSum yesterday, and I totally tried chicken feet and pig stomach!!! Not my favourite Chinese food so far but still....I did try it! lol!!!

One Month and Counting....

So we have passed the one month marker and I am still having trouble getting motivated. Clothes are being washed and put aside to pack; items are being collected and marked off the check list; vaccinations have been poked into my arms; plans are made and being remade as the days continue, yet it is still not seeming real. We have talked about doing this for so long that now it is happening, it feels surreal. Its frustrating!! That and the fact that I cannot find a "learn Cantonese" audio learner. grrr....

Welcome!!

Here we are again at blogspot.com and Im sure many of you are asking yourselves..."didnt this turn out badly the last time?!" and you may be right but who is to say that this time will not be different. So here we go....


For those who dont know (and I dont know who that would be as I seem to be telling everyone I meet!! lol) I am heading to China!! My boyfriend, Richard, and I will be living in Guangzhou for the next year teaching at a private school for the future business owner and world leaders of tomorrow (or at least I am assuming they will be 'cause hey its China!). And although we will be keeping in touch with many people as much as possible, I thought that it may be nice to have a place to update with out travels and thoughts as we move on to this great big adventure of ours.

So please, sit back, relax, feels free to comment and join us on our trip to the other side of the world!!