Help with lunch

To try and diversify our range of different meals that we eat, we thought it would be a good idea to take some students for lunch. It worked a treat and now we have two more dishes that we all like. The students are in one of my classes and are called Hunter and David. In the group photo, the names are - Brock, Hunter, Kristina, Becky, me, Meredith and David.

Dumplings for tea

We have found that we all really like dumplings. Sandy reccommended this restaurant to us and for good reasons. We ordered egg 'n' tomato and pork 'n' shallot dumplings which were very nice indeed. But my favourite has to be the deep fried prawns we got (or shrimp as our american friends will tell me it is correctlycalled). Uncle Kev would love the sea food that the restaurants serve.




Just to prove I can actually use chop-sticks! The second picture clearly shows my skinny geek arm stretching for a dumpling with chop-sticks. I never thought i'd see the day.

Our hangover place!

Following our regular drinking sessions, we like nothing more than heading to UBC Coffee. It does the best coffee I have been able to find anywhere so far and most importantly, it does western food. Which is essential when you not exactly feeling on top of the world. The only problem being that no matter what you order, or think you are ordering, it is not what you will end up eating. Our first request was for a meat and egg pizza- this turned out to be bacon and eggs which we were over the moon with. The photos above show us trying to order some kind of hash brown - a plate of fries ensued. Its not a complaint, its all lovely - but that is my attempt to try and explain the dozy look on my face!




Charlie felt in an artistic mood this morning, probably due to the 20 cans he had the night before!

Best quotes so far

Everyday, something is said that has me in stitches. So I thought I'd record them on one post everytime I can remember one.

16/09/06
Charlie, Brock and me are all in a taxi on our way to the town to do some shopping. Brock is up front, and decides to motion to the taxi driver to put some music on. A tape gets put on and the most ridiculously romantic Chinese music comes blasting out. Brock turns to the driver, knowing he wont understand and says - 'Did your boyfriend give you this tape?'.

The Crib

Thought i'd better show you my delightful appartment. The living room can be seen on lots of the other pictures. Nice brand-new toilet after the first on leaked when I arrived. Double bed with brand new matress as the old one was like sleeping on concrete.

Its all in the preparation

Ok, so it's friday night and we have decided to have a night in. 74 cans of lager, 12 cans of red bull, a litre bottle of Absolut Citron Vodka, 10 bags of crisps = £30. Should be enough for me anyway, not sure what the rest are having!

Meeting the locals

The majority of the people we have met are exceptionally friendly. The family photo at the top is of Sandy's (who is our minder and all round helper) family who cooked a meal for us. We either get greated by stares and gasps, or children litterally shriek and run away, much like in England I hear you mock!

Playing Hard

Yes, admittedly, we do play hard also. It would be rude not to. If we are not playing cards in one of our appartments, we are either at the Youth Beer Bar knocking back the Tiger Beers, or we visit one of the many karaoke bars. Of course I pick the songs rather than sing, but I like to see it as a team event. That spirit I am drinking is 60% volume and tastes like warm feet (as Im lead to believe). I had a hangover till 10p.m the following day after drinking that. Excellent stuff!

Working hard!

Just to prove I am actually working and not just drinking hard - here are a few photos of my classroom. When I drew the flag on the board, everyone thought I was from Switzerland for some reason, I quickly sorted that out!

I teach on my own, to a class of 35 students, aged 16-19, 24 times a week for 40 minutes a lesson. It is difficult to stay enthusiastic when you are teaching the same thing over and over again that is for sure. About 590 of the students are great, eager and listen well. The other ten deserve a foot up their a**e. I have found that shouting in a deep voice whilst throwing chalk usually works a treat.

Just for Andy

This one is for Andy. Mr Lee's is apparently the 'California Beef Noodle King'. Not sure about being King, but they taste half decent thats for sure.

Some amusing photos I thought i'd show. Firstly, Me and Big Ron. We have eaten at McD's too often so far, so were cutting it down. The second one is of some puppies being sold on the street. He scattered us after taking the pictures - hmmm, I wonder why that is? The last is just of a sign we found in a big supermarket - Im lead to believe its supposed to say 'Pick the fruits', but the translator needs sacking!

The search for the nearest Bar

We searched for a few days to find the nearest bar. We were told it was called the Youth Beer Bar, and it was where all foreigners went. Eventually - jackpot! Its airconditioned, sells Tiger Beer for 80p a bottle (the 600ml one) and lets you hook up your ipod for music - HEAVEN. I know, I'm here to sample the cultural diversity of such a changing country, but hell, I need an ice cold pint now and then!!!

Just to prove we are actually doing things other than shop and drink - here is a picture of a Mao Statue in the city centre. In the background you can see a big stadium like building, that is the main museum of the city (which I will admit weare saving for a rainy day). This photo was actually taken midday, that is as light as it gets somedays.

I took this photo just to show the kind of response us Westerners get when we walk down the street. Our helper at the school says that the majority of the people in the City (al 12,000,000 of them) have never even seen white people. So we are always stared at and constantly get people shouting 'Hello!' to us. Obviously Charlie talks to everyone he can, never one to shy away from a conversation with a stranger!

A Taxi-prison

I decided to take a photo of Charlie when we were getting a taxi, just to show you the cages inside. We had just been shopping, thus my first purchase was a fly-swatter, something I imagined I would get lots of use from. It cost 1 Yuan, or about 10p and thankfully, so far, I haven't had to use it once.

P.s. Yes I am sweating like a fat man in a cake store, but bear in mind it is 30+ degrees and I am not the fittest of people!

Venturing down town

We bravely ventured downtown during he first few days - not sure what to expect. So you can imagine our delight when this is what we were greeted with. Big shopping malls, McDonalds, KFC and sunshine.

Our school - No 42 Middle School

This is our school. The first photo was taken when we first arrived and It didnt exactly fill me with hope. But the second one shows how it looks normally - that is the front entrance.

A grim arrival

After being picked up from the Airport, we were thrown into a Mini-bus along with Brock, Meredith and Becky to take us to our school. The bus driver spoke no english. He then proceeded to drive like a madman for 2 hours. We feared for our lives many times! After a quick stop for a bite to eat at some random restaurant where we had to fend for ourselves, we continud for the last hour in shockingly bad rain. That didn't make the driver slow down though!

Finally, we pulled up somewhere. These photos were taken immediately to show how grim everything appeared. This is about 5.00pm and is taken looking up and down the same street.

All the foreign teachers

I finally have the internet at home! Only took nearly three weeks, that's what I call fast service. So here we go, PICTURES!

Thought a good place to start would be with a group photo of all the foreign teachers. From the right it is the two Brits, Me and Charlie. Then we have the Americans - Brock, Zach, Becky, Hilary and Meredith.

Zach and Hilary are teaching at another school in the same city, but they all know each other from America.

Fish Throwing

I am going to forget some of the things that keep happening if I dont post them, so even though I havent got pictures to work yet, Ill still write about them and you can see pictures once the damn internet works!

This is an example of how completely bizarre every single thing that happens here is. Picture the scene - Charlie, Brock and I are sat round the table at our favourite local restaurant. Whilst chomping on some chow mein, we are intrigued to see a timid young lad trying to get one of the fairly large fish out of the fish tank with his hand to cook. We are amused at the fact that it is taking so many attempts for him to catch it, but, finally he does. We all cheer in a football hooligan type of fashion. Expecting him to simply walk back to the kitchen, we are amazed as we watch him suddenly charge, full pelt towards the open kitchen door. Just before he runs in, he throws the fish full force into the kitchen (at what was presumably a wall not a person)!! It was hillarious, if not a little sick!

Im slowly getting there!

Finally, I have found a PC that appears to let me log on to this blog. The computers are exceptionally limited! I may have to change the name of the blog to 'ilovechinesefood.blogfood.com' as I am getting some seriously bad looks from the other teachers. So if for some reason the blog doesnt work, try that.

I am currently having a break inbetween classes, of which I have a minimum of 24 a week, lasting 45 mins, with 30 students in each class and we teach by ourselves. I normally have trouble making myself clear to us English folk, never mind 16-18yr old Chinese children, it is proving to be a difficult task to say the least.

I am going to go back through the photos I have took, and post them in order from when we arrived, as I think it will be the only way to show you quite how much we were thrown in at the deep-end. I have photos of things I have eaten for instance, that not even the Chinese people who are cooking them for us are aware what they are - "Its from the Sea down south" is all we get. Tasted lovely though!

Anyway, im off for "Sahn Pi Ju" shortly - three beers, oh the joy.

I'm here!

"Ni Hao" - I think that means hello, though i am far from certain. I'm here, finally. I may have to change the name of the blog to I Love Chinese food as im getting a lot of wierd looks from the teachers! I'm getting the internet in my room on fri (apparently). I'll do a propper post then. So far i've ate donkey soup, showered whilst sat on the toilet, and been informed that I am to teach a class of 40 students on my own 18 times a week, and I am not even sure how to say hello, I am doomed.