Explored Tianjin and got tested

Tianjin is pretty big.  Luckily for us we seem to be slap bang in the middle so everything is within cycling distance.  All we needed were some bikes so we headed to Chinese Tesco to get some.  Supermarkets sell all sorts here.

As well as bikes we've bought a kettle, a toaster and some pillows.  We had been given pillows but they were like bean bags.  Uncomfortable bean bags.  The toaster was a tad expensive but totally worth it to get a taste of home.  Peanut butter on toast is an absolute dream after a month of rice.

On our first touristy expedition, a group of us visited the Tianjin TV Tower which is the fourth tallest TV Tower in the world .  Luckily we went on a clear day so the views were pretty spectacular.  The tower is to the south of the city and the view below looks north towards the centre.

We also checked out the Water Park where we hired a couple of boats and floated around for a while.  It was nice to visit an area that had some green (and blue).  As you can see from the photo above, most of the city is pretty grey.  Joining us in the boat are fellow ELAs Mike and Jay.

Our first day in school involved getting up early to watch the School Opening and Raising the Flag Ceremony which kicked off at 0730.  The ceremony is attended by all 3000 students who march and maneuver themselves around the sports field with military precision.

Once everyone was in place, a man started screaming into a microphone until it was time to sing the school song and the national anthem.  Finally, the flag was raised and then everyone marched off to their lessons.  It was a bit of a special start to the day.

And the morning wasn't over yet, next up was our 'Medical Test'.  Skin was prodded, blood was taken, urine was given and all in rooms along a corridor that anyone could just look / walk into.  There were pee cups and bloodied cotton buds lying on the floor by bins and I'm pretty sure the chest x-ray process wasn't taken as seriously as it should have been.  I think we passed though.  Luckily for you I didn't take any photos.

Culture shock:  A lot of people stare at us for an uncomfortable length of time.  Some riding by on mopeds will put their lives at risk just to get a good look.
Toaster Cost:  £20! - Totally worth it with peanut butter (£1.50) or butter (£1) and jam (£1.50) involved.  Oh and bread (£0.50) obvs.
Dialogue used: Duo shao qian? Tai gui le!  (How much?  Too expensive!)

Moved to Tianjin

Quite a long post, soz . . .

Checking out of our hotel in Beijing was a bit of a nightmare.  The staff wanted to check each room that was being vacated and as a result some ELAs were fined for missing mugs and sodden towels . . .  Eventually we were allowed to leave and a big group of us headed to Beijing South Train Station to catch our respective trains.

The station was very impressive (no photos yet but when I visit Beijing I'll take some) and the futuristic bullet trains looked pretty badass (again, I'll take some photos at some point).  There's around 15 of us moving to Tianjin so we all got on the train together and in 30 minutes, after travelling at nearly 300km/h, we arrived at our new home city.

First impressions were not great.  It was raining and the escalator at Tianjin Station was broken so we had to carry our ridiculously heavy suitcases down the staircase.  It's very humid at the moment so naturally I got pretty sweaty.  Once through the gates, each of us was met by our school representatives.

Sarah and I were collected by Shawn and Alex (not their Chinese names obvs) who helped us with our bags and took us to get a taxi to Tianjin No 1 High School.  It was a short journey but it gave us a brief glimpse of the city.  There are skyscrapers and high rise buildings everywhere that you look and as far as the eye can see!

On arrival at the school we were taken to the International Office and shown our desks. 

Sarah standing by our desks in the International Office

Shawn gave us a Chinese mobile and a bit of information about the teaching that we were going to be doing before taking us to our living quarters.  Just before we left the office, Shawn warned us that our rooms had just been painted and that they were still full of paint fumes.  The school had decided that if the rooms smelled too much, they would put us up in a hotel for a week!  Needless to say, the rooms were absolutely fine and there was only a slight smell of paint in the air.

The dorm building is a bit of an eyesore but from our rooms on the top floor we have quite a nice view of south Tianjin.

The rooms are quite basic and could almost be compared to our university halls in Exeter (although these rooms are less like prison cells).  In the main room we have a bed, a desk, a cupboard, a microwave and a fridge.  In the bathroom (which has a window in the door so you can peek in . . .) there is a toilet, a sink and a shower.  

Shawn and Alex had kindly provided us with some welcoming gifts such as shampoo, shower gel, a toothbrush, toothpaste, apples, bananas, orange juice, apple juice and a plug adapter!  They have been so nice and have made us feel really welcome here.

They gave us 30 minutes to have a quick shower and a change before taking us out for some lunch near the school.  The food was delicious but, as seems to be the way in China, much too much food was ordered for just four people.  Chinese people eat a lot!

We also got a brief insight into the Chinese way of quantifying their achievements.  We had been told by one of our TEFL teachers that Chinese students will probably be able to give you an accurate answer for the number of English words that they know.  In this case, Shawn told us that he can drink 4 big bottles of beer at one sitting.  We congratulated him but secretly I wanted to challenge him to a drink-off.

Culture shock:  A smoggy haze engulfs Tianjin on most days and the air feels very close and heavy.
Taxi Cost:  £0.80! - As we are in the centre of the city, most taxi journeys have so far been very cheap.  The most expensive journey was only £2.
Dialogue used: Wo jiao Jake, wo shi yingwen laoshi (My name is Jake, I am an English teacher)