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Around the world with Sally
I have been in China for a mere 2 weeks and it already feels like months! I was in Yangshuo doing my teacher training, this place is very Westernised!!! Full of Aussies, Americans and those darn Canadians...Lots of bars, late nights, bargaining, expensive prices and pizzas. Had a great time there though with the other "english speaking" teachers, a good way to settle into China.
I had some nice and not so nice experiences here! The nice involving, watching a beautiful sunset whilst having a bonfire on the river bank with beer, walking up to the highest point for miles, (preparation for everest is now beginning!!!) and visiting the famous site of Moon Hill (wait for the pictures to follow and you may recognise..). Other nice sights, were old Chinese folk hanging out in the park just playing cards and walking slowly around with their friends so relaxed, also watching Tai Chi in the park on a saturday morning.
Now the not so nice. Make sure you have already eaten before reading on...
The Chinese culture when eating is a shock to the Western eye. Alot of spitting waste food on the floor and table, slurping noodles, eating with their mouths open, chomping away, having shoes shined at the table and eating very odd items, thankfully not so recognisable once cooked. I visited the local food market one day...lets just say, they dont have pets - they eat them. I passed a stall with a small cage of the most cutest dogs you ever saw, next to them, one being fried. Oh dear god i was nearly sick. The Chinese seem to have a rule that there is no waste from an animal. In England, you order a Chicken breast. Here if you say Chicken, you generally get the whole thing. (feet and beak included!!!) The market included every kind of animal i could imagine. Goat, chicken, turtles (god knows how much meat a turtle has?!), eels, fish, donkey, snakes and dogs. I have however developed a golden rule...Do not ask what it is...especially when you have started eating it. I made this mistake and the look on your face says it all!!!!
Whilst sampling local delicacies i have been working relatively hard! Believe it or not! I have had to transform my once administration / student lifestyle into a professional teacher of foreign language!!! This has taken some practice over the 3 days of training. I have had to prepare lessons and understand how to teach someone my language, which isnt as easy as it sounds! Especially when the Chinese cannot even prounounce half the sounds of our English... or even know the meaning of our language.
However, I managed to pull a lesson together and delivered it to a class of chinese students with great success and passed with flying colours (so the teacher had said). Another certificate on its way! Cha-Ching into the bank!!!
Two days after i successfully am reborn as a teacher, i am met by my new school principal, the foreign affairs officer and another teacher from my new school. I was taken out for a donkey supper (this is a prestigous meal!) and told all about my new placement. The next day i am collected like a dog from Battersea Dogs Home and driven to my new school in XinTian, Hunan province (my new home for 5 months!)
Thats all for now, onto the next blog in XinTian! Hope you enjoy. Let me know if it is boring!!! Love Sall xxx
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