Up and Over some Hurdles!

Much of my first year in China was spent in a blur of new experiences. This year it certainly feels different. I started learning Chinese before coming to China but have never been very brave about using it (especially around my Chinese friends)This year I've given up on hanging onto that problem somewhat...thrown away some luggage and stepped out :-) I don't like to feel reliant on my Chinese friends and whilst I can often make myself understood...this year I've really made an effort to speak much more... and much more often. The other day was a great achievement for me. First, I did the normal thing and caught the bus downtown...then I topped up my bus card...not just by thrusting the card and the money at the girl but by actually asking her to please put 100 rmb on my bus card...then I went to a small Chinese food stall/shop and ordered "Fried Baozi" Not just by pointing but by asking...and the biggest achievement, my friend rang me and invited me to her apartment...I said "yep great, I'll walk, see you in a while..." BUT...With such a successful run I decided ,what the heck...I'll hail a taxi :-) Believe it or not I rarely take a taxi and on any previous occasions that I have, my friends have waved one down and told the driver to take me home. I stood on the side of the road (being careful not to get taken out by a bus) and with my ever faithful group of Chinese paparazzi curiously watching on, I watched for the little light indicating a vacant taxi and waved him down :-)I told him where I wanted to go and WOW...I actually arrived there. SO GREAT!
I go back to the small Baozi stall more frequently now "Liang fen Zhu rou jian bao" :-)

First Full Week Back at School

So at the end of my first full week back...things certainly feel different. The biggest change is the arrival of a second Foreign English teacher to help lessen my load. Adjusting to having a 19 year old American girl suddenly thrown in the mix...challenging. There are benefits now though, such as my classes are only max of 30 kids per class...AND... I'm teaching all of Junior 1 and half of Junior 2 with no Junior 3 classes. I really enjoy teaching Junior 1 (12 year olds) they are enthusiastic and alot of fun. and Junior 2 (my last years Junior 1's)have only had me as their ESL teacher and we have always got on really well...so for now anyway...I'm finding the kids are really great to teach :-)
My schedule is very different this year. I have two very, very busy days of 6 teaching periods and two days with only two teaching periods and 1 extra day off per week. After the first week...I have to say I prefer it, but I guess a few weeks trial will tell if it will be more or less tiring.
Catching up with all my Chinese English teacher friends is great. The Monday night get together dinner that a group of us have, has been moved to my apartment...Each week a different teacher brings the food and really my apartment is just the place for us to heat it up and sit and eat it.
We had "Teachers Day" on Thursday. I was lucky enough to receive some cards and gifts from some students, many "happy teachers day" greetings all day and then at the school ceremony some flowers and a bonus award for ??? I dunno what???
It's a nice thing to do...fun for me to see...maybe a bit full on for Chinese teachers whose whole day (and many days leading up to it)are spent answering phone and text messages from past students and current students parents wishing them "Happy Teachers Day"
Such a busy week !

These are my teachers day gifts

Ever Changing China

"The only thing certain is that nothing is certain". I think that no truer words can be spoken in China. Everything is always changing...roads, buildings, shops, school schedules :-)It's quite amazing. My first week back at school has only been three lessons due to the the Junior 1's having military training and some kind of E.N.T infection that's rendered me off the spicy food for a while :-(and my J2 classes.
My phobia of all things medical is heightened being here in China because the whole medical system is so different. I faced up though and went to the hospital (no Doctors surgery here)and saw firstly a G.P and the blood test guy... (Check up and blood tests, in and out with blood test results in my hands within 15 minutes)Next over to the E.N.T ward to see a E.N.T doctor...(just to be sure all is ok)Well she took a huge lump of wax out of my ear and gave me the thumbs up. Then today for the "to be sure, to be sure" of to the "Mouth Doctor"(turns out that this was another name for Dentist...oh and this was also in the hospital)He checked and said apart from some inflammation in my throat and mouth area, all is fine! BTW when I sat up from the dentist's chair I had a crowd of about 10 dental nurses all watching...lol.
I have been terrified about going to hospital here...my first visit (when I first arrived in Yichang) was very unsettling for me...but I do have to say...That whilst it doesn't look as flash as some of our medical facilities....It's very, very cheap (my school actually covers my medical costs but it is only about 6 yuan to see each doctor) and it's very, very quick.
If you can get over the fact that the doctor may be smoking his ciggies when giving you a consult....It's not so bad :-)
In Australia blood test results....days....Waiting to see a specialist....weeks or months and Dentist....VERY EXPENSIVE!
So I have to say that my phobia about Chinese hospitals is changing also....not nearly as scary as the first time.