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Just had the May Day holidays which turned into a bit of a fiasco for me. Believing I had to teach I did not plan any travels but of course classes were cancelled but they forgot to tell the foreign teachers!!! All in all we were fairly annoyed as a few of us would have used the time to see more of the country but ended up stuck in Nanjing......a few unhappy campers here
Anyway as the weather is warming up I am getting out and about a bit more within the city. Still getting the short cold snap but should start having our very hot weather soon. Our biggest problem is the air pollution at the moment. With all the construction work going on in preparation for the Asian games this year and the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 it appears that the whole city is one big construction zone - new metro lines being put in, new underground tunnels, new buildings going up and old ones being pulled down at a rapid pace. Of course the downside to this rapid progress is the dust which is adding to the already high pollution levels within the city. Going out and about for a walk means coming home covered in dust from head to foot and a dry cough from inhaling all the dust. The street cleaners are working overtime washing down the roads but even they cant keep pace with it all.
After our cold winter it is so nice to see green on the trees and the flowers starting to bloom, the street sweepers seem to be working with renewed energy (mind you they still work at a snails pace!) and it never ceases to amaze me that they still sweep the streets with handmade twig brooms. China might think it is embracing the 21st century but a walk around the city soon convinces us that progress is only occurring in some sectors - namely the Government!! For the every day person in China there is still so much that needs to happen. The superficial gloss from the Government soon tarnishes......often before the bigwigs have even left the city!!
Shirley (the other Aussie teacher) and I have been out and about at night dining on street food, shopping at street stalls that pop up momentarily (until the police show up and move them on) and generally catching up with friends. (winter saw us all hibernating but we are all getting out and about again). Found a fantastic place which cooks food from Xinjiang Province (in the far northwest of China) - they cook these wonderful flat bread things by slapping the dough onto the side of the oven - see my photos which is better than me trying to explain....anyway they are delicious and great to chomp on as we walk around. Also took ourselves out for a hotpot lunch which ended in lots of laughter as none of the staff could speak English and of course our Chinese in minimal to say the least. The food was a hit though and I did end up getting what I thought I ordered....nothing lost in the translation!!
We have met a few new Chinese friends who have been helping us with the language.....not one I will ever master might I say. Also one friend has a little smart car and we have been out driving about in it. She loves it when I use a bit of good old Aussie road rage when people try to cut us off. I say that we are "gap driving" which sends her into hoot of laughter....what I mean is we drive and fill the gaps in traffic as it is the only way to get moving!!
Three of my nursing students are preparing to move to Australia in July, They are all very excited but also very nervous. This will be their first time out of China and so far away from their families. Another 3-4 are going later in the year which will mean a total of 14 students have successfully made it....not a bad effort given that only 1 had managed to achieve the necessary result before I started here. Unfortunately the University have stopped the program - rather typical Chinese reaction where they want to see instant results to anything they do.
Only 8 weeks until the end of the semester so we are all contemplating our future and whether we will be renewing our contracts. Already 2 of our teachers have decided not to renew - one is retiring back to the USA and one is moving to Germany to take up medical practice. One is definitely staying and so it is really only Shirley and I who have yet to decide our future fate.
Ended up with an unexpected dinner invitation last night thanks to Cassie - my new Chinese friend who lived in Australia for 2 years and has recently returned to China to build her own business. I was asked to join her and some business colleagues for dinner even though they didn't speak a word of English. Treated as a honoured guest and much smiling and many gestures got us through the night. Got taken out to Tangshan - which is a small township just outside of Nanjing renown for its natural hot springs - to an organic farm and restaurant complex. Had a fantastic Chinese banquet washed down with some rather potent baiju.....this of course then aided us in our singing efforts at KTV where I had to sing all the English songs. They knew the tunes but not the words so thought my efforts were worth much applause - if only they realised how bad i sing!!!
No more news for now. Back to our normal working week this week....unless of course they have forgotten to tell us anything!!!!
Bye for now. xxx
Anyway as the weather is warming up I am getting out and about a bit more within the city. Still getting the short cold snap but should start having our very hot weather soon. Our biggest problem is the air pollution at the moment. With all the construction work going on in preparation for the Asian games this year and the Youth Olympic Games in 2014 it appears that the whole city is one big construction zone - new metro lines being put in, new underground tunnels, new buildings going up and old ones being pulled down at a rapid pace. Of course the downside to this rapid progress is the dust which is adding to the already high pollution levels within the city. Going out and about for a walk means coming home covered in dust from head to foot and a dry cough from inhaling all the dust. The street cleaners are working overtime washing down the roads but even they cant keep pace with it all.
After our cold winter it is so nice to see green on the trees and the flowers starting to bloom, the street sweepers seem to be working with renewed energy (mind you they still work at a snails pace!) and it never ceases to amaze me that they still sweep the streets with handmade twig brooms. China might think it is embracing the 21st century but a walk around the city soon convinces us that progress is only occurring in some sectors - namely the Government!! For the every day person in China there is still so much that needs to happen. The superficial gloss from the Government soon tarnishes......often before the bigwigs have even left the city!!
Shirley (the other Aussie teacher) and I have been out and about at night dining on street food, shopping at street stalls that pop up momentarily (until the police show up and move them on) and generally catching up with friends. (winter saw us all hibernating but we are all getting out and about again). Found a fantastic place which cooks food from Xinjiang Province (in the far northwest of China) - they cook these wonderful flat bread things by slapping the dough onto the side of the oven - see my photos which is better than me trying to explain....anyway they are delicious and great to chomp on as we walk around. Also took ourselves out for a hotpot lunch which ended in lots of laughter as none of the staff could speak English and of course our Chinese in minimal to say the least. The food was a hit though and I did end up getting what I thought I ordered....nothing lost in the translation!!
We have met a few new Chinese friends who have been helping us with the language.....not one I will ever master might I say. Also one friend has a little smart car and we have been out driving about in it. She loves it when I use a bit of good old Aussie road rage when people try to cut us off. I say that we are "gap driving" which sends her into hoot of laughter....what I mean is we drive and fill the gaps in traffic as it is the only way to get moving!!
Three of my nursing students are preparing to move to Australia in July, They are all very excited but also very nervous. This will be their first time out of China and so far away from their families. Another 3-4 are going later in the year which will mean a total of 14 students have successfully made it....not a bad effort given that only 1 had managed to achieve the necessary result before I started here. Unfortunately the University have stopped the program - rather typical Chinese reaction where they want to see instant results to anything they do.
Only 8 weeks until the end of the semester so we are all contemplating our future and whether we will be renewing our contracts. Already 2 of our teachers have decided not to renew - one is retiring back to the USA and one is moving to Germany to take up medical practice. One is definitely staying and so it is really only Shirley and I who have yet to decide our future fate.
Ended up with an unexpected dinner invitation last night thanks to Cassie - my new Chinese friend who lived in Australia for 2 years and has recently returned to China to build her own business. I was asked to join her and some business colleagues for dinner even though they didn't speak a word of English. Treated as a honoured guest and much smiling and many gestures got us through the night. Got taken out to Tangshan - which is a small township just outside of Nanjing renown for its natural hot springs - to an organic farm and restaurant complex. Had a fantastic Chinese banquet washed down with some rather potent baiju.....this of course then aided us in our singing efforts at KTV where I had to sing all the English songs. They knew the tunes but not the words so thought my efforts were worth much applause - if only they realised how bad i sing!!!
No more news for now. Back to our normal working week this week....unless of course they have forgotten to tell us anything!!!!
Bye for now. xxx
- comments
Ray H Good to see the warmer weather is coming for you. Opposite here in Tassie. Coming over to China from 29 Aug to 3 Oct not no sure if we'll hit Nanjing this time though. Still working on itinerary. Definitely spending 2 weeks with Ming's mum in Hefei (Anhui). All the best xx