Spring Festival 1: TJ - Harbin

We had the whole month of January off work and so it was finally time to do some proper exploring.  Our first destination was Harbin (Ha'erbin 哈尔滨), a city situated in the north east of China, close(ish) to the borders of Russia and North Korea.  Harbin is famous for its annual ice festival (and bitterly cold winters).

We arrived at 11pm after a nine hour bullet train journey, and the cold (-20°C) night air hit us like a slap in the face.  We jumped in a taxi to our hostel where we were told that Hostelworld had overbooked the accommodation and there were no rooms available.  It was midnight, we were in the coldest city on earth (not actually), and it was peak tourist season.  I was nervous.  Eventually they offered us one night in a dorm and two nights in some tents.  On confirmation that the tents were indoors, we accepted.

On our first day we walked along the old street and visited the ice 'fun park' which is built on top of the frozen Songhua River.  Along the street there are many ice sculptures which light up at night.  At the fun park there were ice slides, skating rinks and a whole lot more.

In the afternoon we had a quick look at St. Sofia's Church, the largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the Far East, before heading to the Harbin ice bar for a beer.  I don't know what I was expecting but it was super cold in the ice bar.  To warm ourselves up we went for a great meal at a nearby Russian restaurant.  There is a big Russian influence in Harbin due to its close proximity to the border.  We were even approached by Russian tourists who then spoke to us in their mother tongue which was fun.  I guess I could be Russian.

The second day was all about the Ice Festival.  Not really too much I can say about this place other than that it was very beautiful and extremely cold!  Everything you can see in the pictures (pretty much) is made out of blocks of ice.  Lights are placed inside the ice to give them that magical glowing quality.  Anyway, less chat, more photos.  Oh and look out for Sarah getting clobbered on the ice slide.

On our last day we explored the city a bit more, walked across the frozen river and had a quick skate on the ice rink before jumping on an overnight sleeper train that would take us back to Tianjin.  There we would drop off our bulky clothes before heading south.  Next stop, Nanjing.

Christmas in China, The Big Day

Happy New Year everybody!

Before I start talking about our Chinese Christmas, I would first like to say a huge thank you to my lovely family for sending me some pressies to open on the day.  If I ever get tired of receiving presents (especially ones that are filled with delicious chocolate), shoot me.

On Christmas Eve we boarded the bullet train to Beijing for our festive celebrations.  That afternoon we decided to get a bit of sightseeing in and so we visited the Forbidden City, home to Chinese emperors for nearly 500 years.

That night we had a (rather boisterous) meal before heading out to Sanlitun, a popular bar area for expats in Beijing.   On the wall of the bar there was a poignant reminder of what Christmas is really all about.

On Christmas morning we all gathered in our hostel bar for some bucks fizz and a Secret Santa present swap.  I think most people did pretty well with their gifts.  I was certainly very happy with my beautiful crafted chess set (thanks Hayley!).

We then decided to head to a local restaurant for our Christmas lunch.  It was nothing like a Christmas meal at home, but it was pretty delicious.  Duck pancakes always go down well.

After lunch we walked to Tiananmen Square to wish Chairman Mao a Merry Christmas (or a Maoey Christmas. . . puntastic).

We also thought it would be completely appropriate to orchestrate a Christmas "jump of the day" photo.  Somebody somewhere has a photo of all 15 of us jumping, but I don't know who, so below is one with the boys.

Obviously our antics attracted quite a lot of attention from the locals/Chinese tourists.  A policeman even asked if we were posing a threat to China's national security.  Charming.

The rest of the day was spent drinking, eating, playing games and watching Love Actually with a bit of Skype action thrown in too.  It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves at home in Streatham.  I'm already looking forward to next year!

On Boxing Day we got back to the sightseeing, visiting the Lama Temple and then making our way to Houhai, which is a picturesque lake in Beijing.  The water was frozen solid so we all clambered on for a little skate.  In the background you can see an ice hockey game going on.  They were pretty decent!

So that was our Christmas in China.  It was a bit different, but it was great fun.  Next up, we begin our travelling.  First stop is Harbin, where temperatures average -18°C in January.  I'll let you know how that goes.

Christmas in China: The Build Up

Christmas is not an official holiday in China but this does not stop the Chinese getting into the Christmas spirit.  Department stores are decorated with Christmas trees and play horrendously catchy festive muzak.  Isetan (perhaps the Selfridges of Tianjin) even had Santa Claus running around the store being chased by a group of Chinese girls in elf costumes.  Quite a sight but unfortunately not one that we caught on camera. 

 We decided to give our students as much a taste of Christmas as possible and so we:

• sang Christmas songs
• watched Raymond Briggs' Father Christmas
• watched Mr Bean's Christmas
• talked about what we are going to ask Santa for this year (Sarah = a puppy, me = an iPad)
• designed Christmas cards (see Spider-Man riding Rudolph below)
• showed the students some Christmas decorations
• took a class Christmas photo

The students absolutely LOVE Mr Bean.  We'll almost certainly see his beautiful face again in class next year.  This despite the fact that he offers absolutely nothing to students who are trying to learn English . . .

Christmas is all about being with the people you love and so I'm really really going to miss being with my family at home.  Mum's amazing food, dad's incredible decorations, Amber's ridiculous over excitement.  Then there's the rest of the family coming over and drinking/eating too much.  It's an absolute nightmare but it's my favourite time of the year and I will miss you all very much!

Christmas 2010 in Somerset.  I'll miss you all, you little douche bags.

But don't worry, I won't be crying into my noodles this Christmas.  The ELAs of Tianjin and Beijing are coming together to celebrate the festive period, Chinese style.  The plan is to head to Beijing tomorrow (Christmas Eve), take over a hostel near Tiananmen Square and eat, drink and be merry.  Secret Santa, mulled wine, Christmas films and party games are all on the agenda so it should be brilliant.  I'll write about what we got up to next week.

So the only thing left to say is Merry Christmas to you all!  I hope you have a lovely time.

Lots of Christmas love,

Jake
x x x

Culture Shock

During our induction week we were told that moving to a new country, particularly one that has a very different culture (like China), would probably lead to us experiencing Culture Shock.

Culture Shock is "the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture" (thanks Wikipedia).

Supposedly there are four phases you go through:

1. Honeymoon Phase - Wow, China is so wonderfully different and interesting.  Look how the Chinese drivers constantly use their horns.  Marvellous stuff!
2. Negotiation Phase - Wow, China is so different, it makes me feel anxious.  Why do the drivers make so much noise all the time!?
3. Adjustment Phase - I have a routine and a normal life.  The drivers make a lot of noise because that's normal here.
4. Mastery Phase - I can fully participate in the Chinese lifestyle and culture.  When I cycle around the city I carry a foghorn.

Two weeks ago Sarah and I definitely hit the Negotiation Phase.  Common emotions include frustration, anger and the feeling that locals are being purposefully offensive towards you.  We definitely had a bit of that.

Our students were playing up in class, locals seemed to be spitting and staring more than ever and even the food wasn't tasting so good (I think the canteen staff were having a bad week).  The man who yells outside our window everyday at 8.30am was yelling louder and earlier than usual, cars were cutting us up as we cycled around and it seemed that there was twice as much smog as normal.

But we fought through the frustration and the anger, and we're stronger for it.  So rather than always focusing on why it is difficult or strange to live here, I thought that I would talk about why I like living in China:

1)   People are genuinely interested to meet you because you are a foreigner.  You are almost treated like a celebrity as you not only get constant attention, but also special treatment.  We were invited to the wedding of a teacher at our school (who we had never spoken to before) and were given front row seats and gifts.  He told us afterwards that he was honoured to have had us there!

2)   In China I have a skill that is in great demand.  There are so many job opportunities for English speakers out here.  After job hunting in England, it's a nice change to feel wanted.

3)   No matter where I am or what time of day, I have always felt safe in China.  Obviously crime is an issue here as it is in every other city around the world, but we haven't seen any trouble as yet.

4)   Having a receding hairline is a blessing here as it makes one look older and therefore wiser.  Our mentor, who has a wonderful head of hair, said he was jealous of my 'look'.  Best day ever.

5)   Also hair related, when I get my haircut I am treated with dignity.  At home they get the clippers out and it's all over in five minutes.  It's like they're mowing the lawn.  Here I get my hair washed, head massaged and hair cut with care.  All for just £2.50.

6)   I can walk around wearing whatever I like.  You see all sorts of crazy outfits here.  T-shirts with nonsensical (and sometimes downright inappropriate) English slogans are popular too.

7)   Growing a moustache for Movember hasn't been nearly as much an issue as it was last year.  Back then I thought everyone was staring at me (they weren't), whereas now I know that everyone is staring at me, but not just because of the 'tache.

8)   I can shout ridiculous things in public without consequence.  Nobody will understand me. 

9)   The food is cheap and usually delicious.  You just need to avoid the dishes that include things like chicken heads or feet.  I'm a big fan of the street stalls.

 10)   I can get the latest films in high quality for just £1.  Sorry Hollywood.

So there you go, my Top 10 for living in China.

Oh and any last minute Movember donations are welcome!

Holidayed in Jixian County

This is a super late post but you'll get over it.  Oh and it's crazy long.  Oops.

Every year on October 1, China celebrates the founding of the People's Republic with a public holiday called National Day.  This day somehow leads to everyone having a whole week off work and therefore gave us our first opportunity to travel.

After contemplating going to Shanghai, Qingdao and Hong Kong, we settled on a trip to the countryside north of Tianjin and an area called Jixian County.  I think the main selling point was that the train only cost £1.30 each way (a return trip to Shanghai can cost up to £100) but the promise of clean air, beautiful natural scenery and a chance to get out of the city all contributed to the decision.

When we arrived at Jixian Station we were mobbed by locals offering transportation and accommodation.  Needless to say I was one step ahead of them all and had booked a hotel in town for a couple of nights at a very reasonable price.

The hotel was a complete dive and I don't want to talk about it.

During our short stay in town we visited the Dule Temple where we found "the oldest multi-storey timber-structured pavilion in China".  I would go as far as to say that it was one of the most impressive multi-storied wooden structures that I have ever seen. 

Only partial sarcasm intended as the pavilion was built over 1,000 years ago and has survived around 28 earthquakes.  So it is a bit of a dude.

Inside the pavilion there is a huge statue of the goddess Avalokitesvara with her 11 Buddha heads.  Standing at over 16 meters tall, it is one of the biggest coloured clay sculptures in China.  It really is massive.

Big sculpture

Two days later we met up with some of our fellow Tianjiners and this time did the right thing and jumped into a taxi that took us to a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere (but near to the mountains).

Children running away from me near our remote farmhouse.

The farmhouse was quite pleasant with nice food and a rooftop you could chillax on, although we couldn't help but get the feeling that the owners were trying to squeeze us for as much cash as possible.  Oh and every morning we were woken at around 5 or 6 by the cleaners.  Sometimes because they were shouting, other times because they were listening to their radio (volume up to 11).

Good grub

 On the first afternoon we walked up "the first mountain to the east of Beijing".  It was very busy on the trail but it was nice to get some exercise in and the views along the way were definitely worth the effort.

Halfway up the mountain there is an endless flight of steps that everyone (those who did not take the cable car up) must conquer to reach the top.  The staircase reminded me of the slinky scene from ,one of the best movies of all time, Ace Ventura II - When Nature Calls.

They won't be smiling in about 30 minutes

There was no way to walk back down the mountain, which is absolutely ridiculous, so we had to pay for a cable car ride.  It was terrifying.

It looks tranquil, but those cars were making all kinds of noises.

The next day we made our way to the Huangyaguan Pass which is a section of the Great Wall in Jixian County.  The traffic was absolutely horrendous but again our efforts were rewarded as we pretty much had the wall to ourselves (unlike when we went in Beijing where it was RAMMED).

I would have called it "the Amazingly Great Wall".

Incidentally this is the stretch of the Great Wall where they hold a marathon every year.  I might get involved . . .

Culture Shock:  regardless of whether you are on holiday or not, in a city or the middle of nowhere, in a country of 1.3 billion people, there is always someone who is happy to wake you up before 6:00am.
Farmhouse Cost:  £10 a night which included breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Not too shabby but there are even cheaper options.
Dialogue Used:  "HEY CLEANING LADY. . .SHUT UP!"

Began teaching English to Chinese students

so this is what we're here for . . . the teaching has begun.

Timetable

We are pretty lucky with our timetable in that we don't have too many lessons to plan or indeed teach.  There are 6 Grade 7 classes, 2 Grade 12 classes and 2 SAT classes totalling 9 hours teaching time and three separate lessons to plan.  We also have office hours (when we plan or write blog entries . . .) and an extra class of Korean students on Wednesday night which we teach at another school for some extra pocket money.

First Day

As we waited outside a classroom on our first day, some Grade 7 students would peer around the doorway, make eye contact with us and then run away giggling with excitement.  The Grade 12 classes just about kept their emotions in check, giving us a round of applause as we both entered and exited their classroom.  It all made us feel very special and important.

Students

Most of the students fit the stereotype.  They're well behaved, intelligent, hard-working and full of respect for the teacher.  Some students can be quite challenging but they are all good kids.  When we walk down the corridor we are always greeted with "good morning teacher", "hello teacher", "laoshi" (teacher) etc etc.  Sometimes these greetings are coupled with a bow and other times a one armed 'wave' which is dangerously close to looking like a Nazi salute.

One of our Grade 7 classes.

Discipline

We haven't needed to discipline any of the students yet, and I personally haven't seen any other teachers disciplining the students, but we have heard stories of teachers hitting students and I have been told by our mentor that "You shouldn't touch the girls, but you can hit the boys.  Sometimes you can even kick them!".  I think he was joking.

Students being shipped off for military training.  I think it's like going to a fun camp, but without the fun.

Teacher's Day

Every year on September 10th, the Chinese have a day to celebrate the teachers.  Students give the teachers presents and sometimes even perform skits/songs for them.  At the end of the day there is a big talent show where a lot of the teachers take their turn in performing acts.  We sat for about 2 hours watching these acts, not understanding a word, as the audience fell about laughing. 

Next up was a big feast and a karaoke competition.  Naturally we were asked if we would perform Auld Lang Syne as it is a very popular song in China.  The other teachers enjoyed our singing so much that they began to dance (see photo).

We ended up coming third in the competition and won some hand towels!  Banging.

Culture Shock:  During presentations, meetings and performances it is perfectly acceptable to speak to your friend, answer a phone call or just generally make noise.
Ice Cream Cost:  An ice lolly costs 30p, a Magnum 50p and a Haagen Dazs £7!?!?  Something's not right there.  Still want to get one though.
Dialogue Used:  Wo bu hui shuo Zhongwen.  Ni hui shuo Yingwen ma?  (I do not speak Chinese.  Do you speak English?)