My friend Daniel just messaged me on facebook and used the line: "I could get lost in a cup of water with enough alcohol in my veins". Love it. Add to that he's spanish and really funny! It's all good. Good times.
This conversation began with me asking if he got home alright last night. Me and Thyra had a few of the Shengyang Massive over for some belated pancakes. We had to educated her, the other Swede and Daniel about Pancake day and the meaning behind it.
It's the cutest thing, we have a girl called Karla from Mexico out here with us and because it's so cold, naturally it snowed, bless her though, she'd never seen snow before. Then we had to get the train to Shengyang, 1st time on a train. Then we found all these ice formation things from pipes and she was so excited. She's discovering new things everyday, it must be really exciting for her. All i have is 'Oh, Chinese Snow, cool.' Well it's slightly more than that, but in comparison! She's also very cold. She comes out in about 14 layers. She's so sweet. And she speaks the best Manderin so we really need her! :P
I know have internet in my apartment. Had to pay to have it installed but it's so worth it. Thyra's laptop doesn't run on wondows but on Lenux, so if anyone knows how on earth you add a broadband connection to her laptop, please tell me ASAP. Otherwisxe we'll both be sharing mine for the internet for the next 5 months. Not a problem but i'm sure she'd appreciate her own.
I went to visit my school today. It's so sweet. All the walls, floors, radiators, ceilings, chairs, tables, everything is a different colour. It's REALLY clean and really tidy. Not sure how long that'll be kept up but apparently they do put these kids in little pollution/dirt free bubbles. It's the walking to and from school that could harm them, but they all have little pollution masks (as do i now). Some kindies insist on health checks for teachers before teaching/spending time with the kids. Very strange. But understandable i guess.
I've been instructed that i am not there to teach, that's what their English teachers are for. No, i'm to bring English culture into the classroom and just talk at them and play games with them. I think they just want the kids to interact with a Westerner and learn to trust them or something. I dunno. There is an element of teaching to be fair. It's actually really hard not to include some teaching, especially since i've spent the last month learning how to teach. But my school has basically given me free reign, do what i like and be paid for it. So i think i'll teach them some stuff, as well as play lots of games and be the cool, much loved teacher.
I have a desk too. It's normal looking. And a cushion on my chair. No more to say on that.
I'm going skiiing this weekend too! Hopefully i won't break any bones before i start work on Monday!
I have to go and shower now. My instrument of drying today, a bath sheet. Don't ask.
Love and hugs to you all. Emails are on their way. And in the next few weeks i should be on skype a bit more or MSN or whatever so maybe we can chat. And i've uploaded a snippit of photos on facebook incase you haven't seen. And Craig, i'll get your new number when i get back. I'm juggling 3 sim cards and 2 phones right now so i don't know what's going on.
Love love to everyone!
Thursday 26 February 2009
Tuesday 24 February 2009
I am in Starbucks
The title of this blog was inspired by my good friend Josie. She has been with me all through Beijing and now she shares her next 5 months avec moi in Shengyang. Shengyang baby yeah - as she puts it.
I'm also avec Thyra, who is lame!!!!! (Only joking, she is very cool and Swedish and stuff, love it!) Here is some Swedish... Jag gillar ost, you can figure it out.
Would you like some Mandarin too, here... Wo xihuan nailao.
Anyway... as most of you know, apologies to anyone i haven't told yet, i'm in Shengyang which is east of Beijing, just next door to North Korea. [insert inappropriate joke here - i'm too scared to do it]. The reason some of you might not know is because it's been a MAD few days of travelling and settling in. I don't start teaching unitll Monday i think although most of the group i came here with have started teaching already.
I'm currently awaiting for my team leader to get internet installed in my apartment so until then, i will be very silent on the internet. Once it's installed though i should be able to send some more in depth emails and speak to those i've neglected since leaving the UK. Honest, i do love you, but it's really been so busy here. But from now on, i'll teach all day - little kindergarton kids, how cute - and then my evenings i'll email and update this as much as possible. I will also indulge you with some photos from my journey.
On facebook i mentioned my cab crash. Let me clarify what i meant. I was in the cab, front seat, no seat belt because it's like an insult to put it on (you're basically saying they're a rubbish driver - irony!) But anyway, i don't remember the ins and outs but we swerved to avoid something and drove straight into a railing. I got a bump on my head which remians, 3 days later. Also suffered headaches since but i'm ok. Didn't bother with hospital - i'm hard!
Anyway, Josie's bored so we're going to play cards now. Oh, it's snowed a lot. It did in Beijing too. It's very cold and now quite sludgy...nice.
Love to everyone. I'll try and update/email everyone soon.
PS- David M - Sorry for he lack of emails and stuff. I'm trying my best to sort it out. We'll chat soon. David T - Thanks so much for keeping me posted, i'll ty and reply ASAP. I'm reading them all though, just no time to reply. Rach S, Joy, Sarai, Sarah, Grace, Clare - you girls are the best, we will chat soon, i'll email you girls ASAP too. Mum, Dad, Craig, we'll chat soon. Missing you lots. Dan - I'll try and email soon, maybe you can phone this week if my parents tell you how. Guys (Chris, John, Ian, Dain, Dan M, Pippa, Gemma and all of you)...i love you all and i promise i'll try and email everyone as soon as i have the internet.
Anyone i've forgotten i'm sorry, but you know you're supposed to be in there. Love you all. Bye!
I'm also avec Thyra, who is lame!!!!! (Only joking, she is very cool and Swedish and stuff, love it!) Here is some Swedish... Jag gillar ost, you can figure it out.
Would you like some Mandarin too, here... Wo xihuan nailao.
Anyway... as most of you know, apologies to anyone i haven't told yet, i'm in Shengyang which is east of Beijing, just next door to North Korea. [insert inappropriate joke here - i'm too scared to do it]. The reason some of you might not know is because it's been a MAD few days of travelling and settling in. I don't start teaching unitll Monday i think although most of the group i came here with have started teaching already.
I'm currently awaiting for my team leader to get internet installed in my apartment so until then, i will be very silent on the internet. Once it's installed though i should be able to send some more in depth emails and speak to those i've neglected since leaving the UK. Honest, i do love you, but it's really been so busy here. But from now on, i'll teach all day - little kindergarton kids, how cute - and then my evenings i'll email and update this as much as possible. I will also indulge you with some photos from my journey.
On facebook i mentioned my cab crash. Let me clarify what i meant. I was in the cab, front seat, no seat belt because it's like an insult to put it on (you're basically saying they're a rubbish driver - irony!) But anyway, i don't remember the ins and outs but we swerved to avoid something and drove straight into a railing. I got a bump on my head which remians, 3 days later. Also suffered headaches since but i'm ok. Didn't bother with hospital - i'm hard!
Anyway, Josie's bored so we're going to play cards now. Oh, it's snowed a lot. It did in Beijing too. It's very cold and now quite sludgy...nice.
Love to everyone. I'll try and update/email everyone soon.
PS- David M - Sorry for he lack of emails and stuff. I'm trying my best to sort it out. We'll chat soon. David T - Thanks so much for keeping me posted, i'll ty and reply ASAP. I'm reading them all though, just no time to reply. Rach S, Joy, Sarai, Sarah, Grace, Clare - you girls are the best, we will chat soon, i'll email you girls ASAP too. Mum, Dad, Craig, we'll chat soon. Missing you lots. Dan - I'll try and email soon, maybe you can phone this week if my parents tell you how. Guys (Chris, John, Ian, Dain, Dan M, Pippa, Gemma and all of you)...i love you all and i promise i'll try and email everyone as soon as i have the internet.
Anyone i've forgotten i'm sorry, but you know you're supposed to be in there. Love you all. Bye!
Saturday 14 February 2009
Teaching Practice
Hardly. 6 kids we had yesterday and today! 6! I’m going to be teaching classes with an average size of 50 in a week and a bit. The most kids i had to teach was 10 this week! I don’t feel well prepared at all. I’ve kept a lot of materials i used during the past week so i already have some resources for the real thing. To be honest i’m getting really nervous now. How am i supposed to control so many kids? I’m just a kid myself! On that note, i have to tell them i’m like 25. Apparently if you haven’t been to Uni yet then you lose respect. So, “Hi everyone, my name is Rachel, i’m 25, married and have an honours degree in English.” Fun times.
My roommate, lovely girl that she is, copied my fringe! Well, to be fair, she’s had loads of fringes. And she’s planned getting one for months. I just think it’s quite funny. Maybe we’re sort of moulding into one person. Maybe one day, no one will be able to tell us apart... the possibilities.
It rained! Chinese winter is characteristically freezing cold and very dry compared to their boiling wet summer. But it rained! All day yesterday! Itwas quite cool actually. Reminded me of jolly ole England. What larks. Oh oh... i bought a flask for my tea. Mmmm... tea. It’s just a plastic flask but it means i can take tea to my lessons with me. Score! Oh and i’m not doing Manderin classes today, oh no... it’s calligraphy today! Which remindsme, i’m lacking in a spirograph set still. *ponders* But anyway, i hope to emerge from my ‘culture’ class with some masterpieces. Or at least some scribbles. Last night’s festivities included a Chinese Mask Show. We watched some crazy Chinese people do some mask swapping, opera and acrobatics. And dinner was included but it wasn't as nice as i hoped. The other day someone asked if i was part chinese... they said it was my eyes. I’m not sure how i feel about that comment yet.
Then onto Bar Tun! So much fun! One of the best nights so far. My other roommate has gone to hospital this morning because she got so drunk, she fell over and her knee is all swollen. (Not why it wasa good night - i only found that out this morning). But apart from that it was really good! I got ID'd at the bar! How funny! Of course i don't have my passport because it's been sent away to have my visa extended so i showed my UIBE uni card to prove at was studying at the uni. Very odd. Normally they just want your mooney, who cares about age? But this bar was run by a 'westener' - that's how we're known out here, i often feel like a celebrity because chinese people keep taking photos of us randomly. So anyway, quite a western feel to the bar but to be honest it's the only place all of us managed to get in. Most the main street bars are tiny!
I have it on good authority that Blink 182 are reforming. This makes me happy. That’s all i have to say. Peace out.
My roommate, lovely girl that she is, copied my fringe! Well, to be fair, she’s had loads of fringes. And she’s planned getting one for months. I just think it’s quite funny. Maybe we’re sort of moulding into one person. Maybe one day, no one will be able to tell us apart... the possibilities.
It rained! Chinese winter is characteristically freezing cold and very dry compared to their boiling wet summer. But it rained! All day yesterday! Itwas quite cool actually. Reminded me of jolly ole England. What larks. Oh oh... i bought a flask for my tea. Mmmm... tea. It’s just a plastic flask but it means i can take tea to my lessons with me. Score! Oh and i’m not doing Manderin classes today, oh no... it’s calligraphy today! Which remindsme, i’m lacking in a spirograph set still. *ponders* But anyway, i hope to emerge from my ‘culture’ class with some masterpieces. Or at least some scribbles. Last night’s festivities included a Chinese Mask Show. We watched some crazy Chinese people do some mask swapping, opera and acrobatics. And dinner was included but it wasn't as nice as i hoped. The other day someone asked if i was part chinese... they said it was my eyes. I’m not sure how i feel about that comment yet.
Then onto Bar Tun! So much fun! One of the best nights so far. My other roommate has gone to hospital this morning because she got so drunk, she fell over and her knee is all swollen. (Not why it wasa good night - i only found that out this morning). But apart from that it was really good! I got ID'd at the bar! How funny! Of course i don't have my passport because it's been sent away to have my visa extended so i showed my UIBE uni card to prove at was studying at the uni. Very odd. Normally they just want your mooney, who cares about age? But this bar was run by a 'westener' - that's how we're known out here, i often feel like a celebrity because chinese people keep taking photos of us randomly. So anyway, quite a western feel to the bar but to be honest it's the only place all of us managed to get in. Most the main street bars are tiny!
I have it on good authority that Blink 182 are reforming. This makes me happy. That’s all i have to say. Peace out.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Great Wall, Green Tea and Chalk
First of all, my sincerest apologies for not blogging sooner. I might try and do little and often blogging rather than big catch up blogs. Anyway, I'm so sorry, I've been so busy, but here it is.
To begin, Great Wall, well, it's pretty great. I was quite overwhelmed actually. everywhere you look it's like "oh more great wall there, bit more there, or and over there" needless to say it's not a well kept secret. We spotted it very quickly. And for the sports fans, in the same day i visited the Olympic Area, or whatever it's called. Bird's Nest, Bubble, the lot. I got there when it was light and managed to stay until it got dark (like an hour later) so i saw it during the day and then all lit up at night. That was overwhelming. And so inspiring! Then blast out the "one world, one dream" song constantly all around it.
Green tea...not much to say about it. It's become like my standard tea. After that it's the Jasmine tea they serve in most restaurants. But i now have a box of green tea bags in my kitchen for my morning tea.
Another reason i haven't blogged is because I've been quite ill. I had an awful cold for a while we made me miss a lesson one day i just felt so rough. I was coughing and heaving and stuff, not pretty. But I'm almost better now which is very good.
Another reason i haven't blogged much (are you noticing my excuses?) is because I'm currently in the middle of a teaching practice week. I've been teaching a class of 9 and 10 years old kids about animals, colours, actions and tomorrow, parts of the body. Friday will be sports and hobbies. They're very sweet though. I want to take them all home. Only problem is the chalk boards! You'd think China, fastest growing nation would invest in some interactive boards or even a white board! But no, chalk boards, everywhere! My clothes will never forgive me.
Anyway, the lessons are going well. I've been writing up lesson plans for them all. Next week is my last in Beijing i leave on Friday the 20th. I'll be teaching full time in just over a week! Crazy! Who knows if I'm prepared enough for this? I'm not sure i am actually! It's a bit scary!
Photos, if i haven't told you already then I'm sorry but i can't get on facebook very well so i can't upload any. I'll try my best to figure out a way of doing it on someone elses computer.
Apart from that, i think that's all the main stuff. I've bought 3 scarfs, a jacket, a hat, a bracelet, a pendant, oh and a Chinese phone so i could have a chinese sim card.
Ooo, and i have a Chinese name too Bei Rei Qian (pronounced - bay-ray-tee-n). I won't tell you what it means though :P You can work it out.
Love to you all, i'll blog sooner next time!
xxx
PS. I have skype now so i can have free video/audio chats with people over the internet. If you're interested then let me know and i'll email my username. I'd say it'd be nice to hear your voices but i spoke to my mum and dad yesterday and it sounded a bit weired. Maybe that's just because i haven't heard their voices in a while.
To begin, Great Wall, well, it's pretty great. I was quite overwhelmed actually. everywhere you look it's like "oh more great wall there, bit more there, or and over there" needless to say it's not a well kept secret. We spotted it very quickly. And for the sports fans, in the same day i visited the Olympic Area, or whatever it's called. Bird's Nest, Bubble, the lot. I got there when it was light and managed to stay until it got dark (like an hour later) so i saw it during the day and then all lit up at night. That was overwhelming. And so inspiring! Then blast out the "one world, one dream" song constantly all around it.
Green tea...not much to say about it. It's become like my standard tea. After that it's the Jasmine tea they serve in most restaurants. But i now have a box of green tea bags in my kitchen for my morning tea.
Another reason i haven't blogged is because I've been quite ill. I had an awful cold for a while we made me miss a lesson one day i just felt so rough. I was coughing and heaving and stuff, not pretty. But I'm almost better now which is very good.
Another reason i haven't blogged much (are you noticing my excuses?) is because I'm currently in the middle of a teaching practice week. I've been teaching a class of 9 and 10 years old kids about animals, colours, actions and tomorrow, parts of the body. Friday will be sports and hobbies. They're very sweet though. I want to take them all home. Only problem is the chalk boards! You'd think China, fastest growing nation would invest in some interactive boards or even a white board! But no, chalk boards, everywhere! My clothes will never forgive me.
Anyway, the lessons are going well. I've been writing up lesson plans for them all. Next week is my last in Beijing i leave on Friday the 20th. I'll be teaching full time in just over a week! Crazy! Who knows if I'm prepared enough for this? I'm not sure i am actually! It's a bit scary!
Photos, if i haven't told you already then I'm sorry but i can't get on facebook very well so i can't upload any. I'll try my best to figure out a way of doing it on someone elses computer.
Apart from that, i think that's all the main stuff. I've bought 3 scarfs, a jacket, a hat, a bracelet, a pendant, oh and a Chinese phone so i could have a chinese sim card.
Ooo, and i have a Chinese name too Bei Rei Qian (pronounced - bay-ray-tee-n). I won't tell you what it means though :P You can work it out.
Love to you all, i'll blog sooner next time!
xxx
PS. I have skype now so i can have free video/audio chats with people over the internet. If you're interested then let me know and i'll email my username. I'd say it'd be nice to hear your voices but i spoke to my mum and dad yesterday and it sounded a bit weired. Maybe that's just because i haven't heard their voices in a while.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
