Dinner and disco

Friday night I went out for a meal with the Junior 3 teachers (all subjects)and principals and vice principals from the school. I'm not really sure why :-) but I think it was a prep up the teachers to work extra hard dinner ! Junior 3's have very important exams coming up. It was good, most of the dishes were fairly spicy so I must be kind of getting used to it. For the first time, out to the table came a nice big plate of chicken feet...I would have tried them but I can't really reason what there actually is on them to eat ??? I've not mentioned it before but Chinese meals involve a lot of toasts, not just a couple at the start of the meal but many all through the meal...and...you have to stand up for each one. So again if anyone dares mention that I'm losing weight, I keep telling you the lifestyle here is full of exercise, even eating a meal gives you an aerobic workout (lol)and while I'm on that subject, have I mentioned 103(from memory)stairs up to my apartment...I do this up and and down at least three times a day and often much more, then at the school there is many floors and I am up and down again a few times a day. Then there is the fact that I don't drive in China(if you were here, you would see why :-)so I walk many places(the amount of stairs everywhere in this place is amazing) and teaching classes each day is virtually like having to put on a performance, plus socially, my friends keep me very busy...Very active lifestyle!
Back to last night...
After dinner I was given a choice. All the women teachers decided to go for a foot massage :-)???? and a group of the men teachers were going to the nightclub.
I opted for the nightclub. I was actually suprised, it was pretty cranking. Typical nightclub in the sense of smokey, flashing lights and loud music but different in that it had many private areas with couches and a table (these are pre booked for a fee and they bring you out heaps of stuff...drinks, fruit, popcorn, sweets etc) There is also much entertainment, a sax player and a singer make cameo performances and two very talented barmen doing the cocktail type bar tending complete with juggling bottles that were flaming, swallowing fire and much much more...very entertaining indeed.

A box of Christmas

Yesterday I received a parcel of Christmas cheer from home. I had been rationing out my Vegemite and the new tube arrived just in time :-)YAY! Also amongst the box of goodies a Mini tree, some Christmas decorations, a stocking full of goodies from Father Christmas (seems he was having trouble with my location so he sent it home and asked my parents to send it on to me :-)CHOCOLATE, proper Milo, Lemon and Ginger Tea, a game of Twister, a slightly early birthday present of the Mama Mia DVD(because I love the movie and I have been teaching the kids some English songs like "Dancing Queen")and because my parents are so thoughtful, even some small gifts for my little Chinese friends (my friends young children.) Lots of goodies ! How cool are my Mum and Dad !!!

Writers Blog

Sometimes It seems I get some form of writers block...or should I say blogger block :-)
It's not that nothing has happened I just don't know how to put it all in words, but it is late now and I have just come back from my first Chinese nightclub experience so...I will try and do a bit of a condensed version of this week and then blog properly..maybe tomorrow :-)Classes were good, Weather is weird..warm and cold, I just honestly don't know what to wear...it is very confusing. Went clothes shopping with Nettie (you all know just how much I looove clothes shopping...not)I told her she would be highly praised if she could help me find some clothes that would be suitable...1) I just cant make decisions and 2) the clothes here are for very petite Chinese women so finding my size is not easy. I came away with a sports top and a good idea on now how to read the discount signs in China (very confusing but definitely worthy of a blog sometime). This week I also got introduced to a very rare find in China...A waffle stall..very exciting.
AND
my parcel from home for Christmas arrived (tomorrows blog...oh hang on today's blog when I get up later :-) Love you Mum and Dad..It's really great of you to send me some Christmas cheer.

San You Dong - Three visitors Cave

Today I took an adventure opportunity and headed of to visit "San You Dong" (Three Visitors Cave)I did some detective work and found out that I needed a number 10 bus to take me there and headed of bravely into unknown territory with NO Chinese phrase book for security (lol). It is about a thirty minute bus ride (still only costs 1 yuan)
It was an interesting ride through more parts of the city I'm not familiar with and then along the river and into the spectacular scenery that this city seems surrounded by. When I arrived I stepped off the bus and immediately felt hungry...it was close to lunch time so I bought my entry ticket and then told the lady at the gate that I would like to eat something and asked where could I go to eat? She pointed to two restaurants that she obviously recommended, so I picked one and ventured inside :-) I again said I would like to eat something (lol) not too spicy (haha) and Yes that there was only me !(I can't read the Menus because they are all written in Hanzi(Chinese Characters). The girl asked if Pork was o.k....I said yes and she seated me at a table...
I'm only giving you such a run down on the situation because I'm proud of myself for negotiating all this in Chinese :-)anyway...turns out I ended up with a nice dish of Pork with Tofu, Celery, Ginger and Rice. I got the usual compliments on my chopstick skills :-) and the owner came out and asked if it was not too spicy for me....I understood all this....SO COOL !
After I had refueled I went exploring...just have a look at this beautiful spot..




Apart from a beautiful walk all around the mountain area to see all the different sights, you can also take rides on speed boats, bungee jump and other activities...








Whilst there I took quite a few photo's and have found it hard to choose which ones to put on my blog, so here is another link to them all if you wish to have a peek.All you have to do is click on the picture below.

22-11-2008 SanYouDong

Fridays Fantastic Class

Every Friday afternoon my week ends on a really good note. The last class of the week that I have is a class of "junior two" students who never fail to make me smile :-) The good thing is they are great learners, ask lots of questions about the English language, are very clever and still have a good time in the process. I wanted a picture with some of them to show you. So after we had done all the work for the lesson we took a couple of shots...This class utilizes having me around a lot by asking me questions around school and not only in class...I really appreciate that they are so keen to learn and I look forward to this class every week because I know I will always end the week with a smile :-)I guess I appreciate them even more because the class I have before them is the exact opposite...I have tried all kinds of different things to make them interested but to no avail...infact I think I could spin on my head and it wouldn't even get a reaction. To be fair there are some students in the class that do participate and want to learn...but the majority...well it's a class that makes you question yourself and whether you are doing a good enough job, but then I walk out of that class and into this class and I think...WOW. It's like "Chalk and Cheese", completely different.

What do you mean "am I afraid to get a haircut in China?

No!!!Just haven't got round to it and now I kinda like it like this :-)

School Sports Area Update

The school recreation and sporting grounds are still being given a complete makeover. It is a huge job and must seem painstakingly slow for the students who I have never heard complain. The workers basically ripped up every bit of old concrete and paving and removed the debris and rocks...then they had to bring in loads of sand and level it all, next they bit by bit laid down the new concrete pad, waited for it to set properly and then laid new bitumen (tarmac). Also paving and painting etc is being re done all around that area. Of course I'm no builder and this is just a quick indication of the main steps but much more than that has been done.
It is a very different process to Australia where we just send in the big rigs, machinery, huge trucks, diggers and men to hold up posts and signs (lol).
The grassed area that will be in the middle of the area will now be artificial turf and I guess they will lay some kind of running track base on and around the athletics areas.
I think the end result will be a very cool sports ground.

At the start of the term


Lots of sand


At the moment