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Hey everybody!!
My project has just got a little bit more real as I have been given most of the information about where I will be going in China!
I will be teaching English to 17 classes at Yihuang No. 1 School in the town of Yihuang in the north-west of the Jiangxi province, which is in the south-east of China! (see pic)
Here is some background info that Project Trust has given me:
Yihuang is a two and a half hour drive south of the provincial capital Nanchang in Jiangxi, it is also only an hour's bus ride from another PT project in Chongren. First impressions can be that of a sleepy town, generally well kept with reasonably good standard of living but as you spend more time there you will spot the signs of poverty that are hidden beneath the surface. (check out these photos from current volunteer Alex: http://www.offexploring.com/alexinchina/albums/yihuang)
Mr Luo is the principle of around 2700 students and will provide you with your own Waiban to assist with Mandarin lessons and integration at the school. As it is a school that is held in good repute you will be expected to work hard, teaching around 17 classes a week, but also have the benefits of being held in very high esteem by the teachers, students and surrounding community. You will be allocated your classes on arrival but will be working with students between the ages of 14-17 most likely, some of your classrooms will be equipped with multimedia projectors but you won't be provided with laptops.
The school houses a large number of students on-site in the residential block. The students living here generally come from less well-off families based in the surrounding rural areas but the overall facilities are good, including sporting resources. The students are especially big fans of basketball and table tennis.
Accommodation
You are provided with a comfortable flat within walking distance of the school. You have your own rooms, living room, kitchen and traditional Chinese squat toilet. While you are able to cook at the flat, the school also provides meals. (check out these photos from current volunteer Alex: http://www.offexploring.com/alexinchina/albums/the-apartment)
Life in Jiangxi
Jiangxi lies in the south east of China. It is a hilly and green province with wide, open, valleys and many lakes and rivers. Every spare flat piece of land is a paddy field and rice farming dominates the economy. Water buffalo pulling ploughs and peasant farmers trudging through the mud are everyday sights. The rivers are major transport routes and slow moving barges chug along carrying cargoes of gravel, coal and other heavy goods.
Being in the south of China the economy is fairly well developed and the people are getting used to their new wealth. New towns and housing estates spring up, often designed with a bizarre mixture of Western and Chinese architectural styles, almost overnight it seems, such is the pace of development. As the Chinese people get richer though it does not mean that they are losing their own traditions. In fact, as China becomes wealthier and more confident, the culture is becoming stronger and traditions are being rediscovered.
All the projects give you plenty of chances to travel, both locally and across China. You will fly out at the end of August and work through until mid January, with a break for a week's language course in early October, around Liberation Day on 1st October. Around January/February you will have four or five weeks' holiday for Chinese New Year. This is an opportunity to travel and see other parts of China although many volunteers have found it very rewarding to be in their project or stay with friends for the actual New Year's celebrations. You will then teach from late February to early July with a week's holiday for May Day. There are plenty of places to explore locally and there are other volunteers within a few hours for the weekends.
China is a fascinating country to spend a year in. It has something to offer every volunteer with every interest: art, history, politics, culture, mountains, jungle, cities, food and many more! Living there for a year will give you a unique knowledge that can only stand you in good stead in the future.
So here it is!! I have also been given information concerning my training and going to China - I can't believe it's only 3 and a bit months away!!
Kathryn x
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