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?)

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)

Partied then collected a TEFL certificate

On Thursday night we celebrated the end of our classes with a night out in Beijing.  We headed to Sanlitun which is the main expat bar area.  It's pretty much like going out in London except warmer, slightly cheaper and there are lots of rooftop bars.

Katy, Charlotte and Sarah.  Three tall blonde girls in China = lots of attention

Rik working the pole.

Friday we had our first proper lie-in which was glorious.  In the afternoon we went to the CEAIE headquarters for the Closing Ceremony.  Each of the Mandarin classes had prepared a song and a skit to perform at the ceremony.  The one benefit of being in the non-beginners class was that we got to sing a brilliant song called Xi Shua Shua as chosen by Steph.  Click the link, it's well worth a watch.

In the photo below you can see my class singing the song.  Yes, that's me pumping my hands into the air.  Good stuff.

Steph (in white at the front) leading what must have been quite an impressive rendition of Xi Shua Shua

Sarah also got in on the act.  Here's her class performing Tian Mi Mi:

A powerful and at times emotional performance.

We also received our TEFL certificates and so we are now officially ready to teach English in China.  Hooray.

After the ceremony we were treated to dinner and then a few of us headed to another of the bar areas in Beijing called Houhai.  Houhai is a large lake with hundreds of bars, restaurants and KTVs (karaoke) lining the water front.  It looks very pretty at night and, unlike at Sanlitun, there are many more Chinese people than Westerners.

Once back at the hotel it was time to finish packing and say some goodbyes.  Tomorrow we more to Tianjin!

Culture Shock:  Men in the street rolling up their t-shirts to just below their nipples to stay cool in the heat.  Apparently this is only something that peasants would do.
Drink cost:  £5 for a cocktail in Sanlitun.  Luckily Thursday night was "Ladies Night" which meant free drinks until 12am.
Dialogue used:  Women xiang qu Sanlitun. (We want to go to Sanlitun) 

A bit of culture, a bit of teaching.

Lots to catch up on . . .

Last Saturday (yes I'm really behind) we all went to the Great Wall which was incredible.  I can't wait to go back to have a proper look around so I'm glad we're not too far away from it.  Pics:

The Great Wall on a lovely sunny day

Random Chinese people taking a picture of Sarah, Simon and Katy.  No Chinese people have asked to take a picture of me yet.  They probably just think that I'm a monk.

In the afternoon we were treated to an acrobat show.  My personal favourites were the hat swapping / juggling / flipping men and the spherical cage of doom that at one point housed 5 motorbikes.  That was pretty intense.  Below are the performers standing in front of the cage.

The picture says it all.

 Monday to Thursday was split into Mandarin classes in the morning and teaching practice in the afternoon.  I volunteered myself for the non-beginners Mandarin class which was a bit of an error.  Some of the guys here can speak very good Mandarin and have studied it for a while.  I've had 8 classes.

I think most of us were quite nervous before our practice lessons as it was the first time that we would be leading a class by ourselves.  We needn't have worried though as the students were all incredibly well behaved and seemed to enjoy our lessons.  We even got some gifts from a couple of the students.  In the photo below are the students, their teacher (in green) and fellow ELAs Steph, Patrick, Sarah (duh), Jen and Gareth who are all also going to be based in Tianjin.

Intermediate 1 class in Beijing.

On Thursday afternoon we visited a Beijing Hutong.  A Hutong is an older part of town that has a whole load of interconnecting alleyways and roads which are perfect for tourists to get lost down.  Despite the old and slightly claustrophobic conditions, property in the Hutong we visited were valued at something ridiculous like £4,000 per square meter.  The gentleman we met below owned three properties in the area and was technically a millionnaire!?

Millionnaire martial arts instructor

Our transportation around the Hutong

Next up, a night out in Beijing and the closing ceremony.

Culture Shock:  Toilet paper goes in a bin, not the toilet.
Dinner cost:  £5 for a massive cut of lamb/mutton which you cook at your table.
Dialogue used:  Da jia hao!  Qing zuo.  (Hello everyone!  Please sit)

An intensive TEFL course

Wowsers, this week has been pretty busy.  We've had 6 hours of TEFL training from 9 - 5.15 everyday plus some homework to get on with too.  None of it has been particularly challenging, but there is a lot to take in and think about when planning lessons.  On Friday we had our exam so fingers crossed we pass.  Because if we don't, we're going home . . . Not really, I think we get an opportunity to retake. Lunch and evenings have been spent getting to know everyone in the group.  All the people who are going to Tianjin with us are lovely so that's a massive plus.  Everyone else has been great too.  It's nice to have so many of us here but it's going to be really weird when we all go our separate ways.  There really are very few Western faces around.

Chinese food innit.

Sleep was an issue over the first few nights.  I would lie awake until 3 or 4 am before nodding off.  That was pretty frustrating but the last couple of nights have been a lot better so hopefully I can just put it down to jetlag.

The Chinese love their food, but it is safe to say that my stomach doesn't.  I think it's going to take a bit of time to get used to it.  I'm ashamed to admit that I have already caved in and been to McDonalds AND Pizza Hut.  They were both relatively expensive but totally worth it. 

Jake @ Pizza Hut.

The weather has improved from the first few days.  The sun has been out and although it has been very hot, the humidity has definitely dropped.  The Chinese people hide from the sun as they prefer to have fair skin (which is why most make-up here contains whitener).  Obviously the Brits have all been out in the sun trying to get a tan.

Sarah on the road outside our hotel.  Buses, cars, bikes and people everywhere.

Another post to follow shortly covering our first night out and some touristy stuff!

Culture Shock:  Loud spitting on the street
Dinner cost:  £6 for a lasagne and two beers at Pizza Hut.
Dialogue used:  cesuo zai nar? (Where are the toilets?)

Flew to China

Yah so, we've arrived in Beijing!  I'm sitting in our hotel room here which is actually pretty luxurious.  Except that it doesn't have a window . . .

We will be in Beijing for two weeks before jumping on a bullet train down to Tianjin, our home for the next year.  Our timetable for the next fortnight is packed full of TEFL training, Mandarin classes and classroom practice.  I'm not too sure how ready I am for training from 9 to 5 but we also have some excursions planned in the evenings and at the weekend so that will give us something to look forward to.

So far we have ventured out into the local neighbourhood for a couple of meals.   Both experiences were a bit special but we ended up getting what we asked for (mainly by pointing at photos/dishes), eating some delicious food and paying very little money.  They won't even accept tipping! 

The locals all seem very nice and there hasn't been too much staring yet.  The language barrier is HUGE but hopefully it will get easier with time.  Weatherwise, it is quite humid and hot but it is not unbearable.  Supposedly there will be a few thunderstorms over the next couple of days.

I've met a few of the other ELAs but tonight we'll all be together for the first time so that should be fun.  We've also got an 'Opening Ceremony' so I'll let you know how that goes.

Travel time: 19 hours - London to Beijing
Dinner cost:  £2 inc beer
Dialogue used: qing geiwo sibei pijiu (four beers please)