Happy National Day!

Hello again. I'm not going to make excuses about not posting very often, because it's only been a week, and this is as good as it gets. It's currently Sunday night, and I'm very tired.



The last 7 days have been incredibly busy. I've added new classes to my schedule, so I now teach 6 days a week. I'm not thrilled about it, but it's just a few extra hours, and contractually I have to accept them, so when my bosses offer, it's in my best interest to say yes. But I like my new classes, so all is well. The Chinese National Holiday begins on Thursday, so starting then I'll have a week off. Not sure what I'll do with my time- it's too hectic to travel, because it's one of two times a year Chinese people can return to their families. I may take a day trip, but I'll probably just experience National Day in Suzhou. It's the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and the 15th anniversary of the SIP, where I live, so it should be a lot of fun. The decorations are already amazing, and I'll make sure to take lots of photos.



A Sunflower teacher left, so beginning after the holiday I'll have my own permanent weekend classes, which I like. Rather than subbing, I can get used to my kids. I started some of them this last weekend, and they're great- lots of young kids, which I enjoy.



Classes at Sunflower were cancelled today, as an extension of the holiday. Unfortunately, it wasn't a day off for me. In the morning I had "new teacher training" with a specialist from Shanghai. Unfortunately, because I'm the only foreign teacher who has been here less than a year, I was the only one who had to take it. Well, me and 15 Chinese TAs. Don't get me wrong- I like the TAs a lot. They're super nice, speak English well, and couldn't be more helpful. And the trainer was good- she began the class by speaking in English, which makes sense, because it was a training class for an English school. But I suppose it got a bit tiring to try to explain in English, because she quickly switched over to Chinese, and I sat through the entire 2 hour class that way. At one point she stopped and asked me if I spoke Chinese, and when I said no, she asked the guy next to me to translate. But she spoke too quickly for him to do so. Occasionally I guess I looked confused enough, because she would switch back to English, but it was only temporary. I had to leave early to teach, but I learned a few more games, so not too bad.



So yeah, no holiday for me today. Or the kids, for that matter. At home, when there is a national holiday, you just miss school. Not in China. You make it up on the weekends. So today, the kids at the nursery (3&3, or San Zhi San) had to go for a normal school day. On a Sunday. One of the other teachers left for vacation already, so I took her classes there this afternoon. Not bad, except that I get to go teach the exact same lesson there tomorrow to my own classes, so that's no fun.



Oh, I've heard some more good English names. In one of my classes last weekend I had a boy named Poseidon. As in Greek god of the sea. I also had a boy named Emily this afternoon. I found out why this happens- sometimes its the TA. I did a demo last week with a great TA named Robbie, who I like working with because he's smart and is good at controlling the class. One of the potential students didn't have a name, and rather than deferring to me, made one up himself. Wansen. I think he meant Watson, but the kid was already fond of it before I could correct it. So that's how it happens.



What else? My laziness has hit an apex, so I hired a maid, or an 'ayi', as it's known in Chinese. I found her through my landlord, and have to pay a whopping $1.50/hour for her. She came for the first time today, and my place looks amazing. So good, in fact, that I'll post pictures of it!



And that brings us on to the internet. So rather than grow frustrated with my inability to connect through this blog or Facebook, I caved and actually purchased a program to get around the firewall. So far, it works great, and I am officially the only person I know in China who can access blocked sites. So worth it! Haven't tested uploading pictures yet, but will do shortly.



So that's about it for me. It's only 7pm, but I'm beat. The other night I bought the entire 7 seasons of West Wing, the first season of True Blood, the third season of Skins and 2 movies for about $16, so I have a lot to watch as I settle in for the night. A few random things to leave you on:

• Matching t-shirts are all the rage here. Couples dress alike. Sometimes the exact same thing, but sometimes they are these t-shirts designed for couples- the man's is slightly different than the woman's, but they go together. They also make them for families, with ones for your kid. It's cute/disturbing.


• I am seriously thinking of investing in some fur-lined Crocs. If you want to launch your intervention, now is the time, because it will happen. Sooner than you think.


• I went to the most "Western" food store in Suzhou, and spent more than the average Chinese family spends on food in a month on the follow items: A jar of salsa, a bag of tortilla chips, two portions of boneless chicken, two microwavable containers of rice, a can of peas, two jars of olives, a box of Alphabits cereal, a jar of jelly and two cans of Cherry Coke. All worth it, I promise you.


• I'm getting really good at the electric bike.


• I'm not getting any better at Chinese.


• My two biggest expenditures out here, besides rent, are food and purses. Basically the same as home.

OK, that's about it for me. I teach tomorrow and Wednesday, then I'm on a nice little vacation. Tomorrow I am going to investigate joining a gym, since having the bike has eliminated all the walking I was doing before.

Pictures below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/rgold300/China4?feat=directlink

Love always,

RDG

This blog is dedicated to my oldest friend Sarah, who I have been friends with since nursery school. She was hit by a car while running earlier this week and is still in critical condition. Please keep her and her family in your thoughts. - I wish you a speedy and strong recovery Sarah! http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/Atlanta_Nurse_Uses_iPod_to_ID_Patient_092509

Your Chinese for the day:

Wo qi yue lai Zhong guo de= I came to China in July (from memory- go Chinese lessons!)

From the Desk of R. Dori Goldman, Esq.

OK, I know I said I'd have more time to update once I stopped school, and while it's true that I've had more time, I clearly haven't kept my promise. In my defense, my internet stopped working like 5 days ago, and on top of everything, my firewall jumper isn't working well right now.

But enough excuses. I have lost absolutely all concept of time, so I don't even know how long its been since I've updated. Since my internet isn't working, I'm currently sitting in a bookstore/library/restaurant/bar I've been to a few times, and really enjoy. Plus, the free wifi is nice, too. It's Sunday night and I'm super exhausted- this was my first full teaching weekend. Last weekend I had a busy Saturday but an easy Sunday, so it doesn't count. This weekend I filled in for another teacher who had to go home for a few weeks. I don't know how he keeps this schedule: 9am-8pm on Saturday and 9am-6pm on Sunday. 1 hour off each for lunch. That ended up equaling 6 90minutes classes on Saturday, and 4 90minutes classes (plus 2 30 minute demo classes for potential students) on Sunday. I'm beat, not going to lie. But the beauty of it is that I only have 5 hours of teaching over the next five days, so plenty of rest.

While I don't have my own classes, that's pretty much what my schedule will look like : super busy weekends, and an easy week (my weekend is Tuesday and Wednesday). So how have I been filling the time? Well, I moved into my new apartment in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), and I've been getting myself situation, buying very important things like a toaster oven. I've been doing a halfway decent job of keeping it clean, although I can obviously mess it up in like 1/200 of the time it takes me to clean it.

I've also enjoyed having a kitchen so I don't have to eat out all the time like I did when I lived in the hotel. I haven't cooked much, because, frankly, like 70% of what I cooked for myself at home was some sort of Asian stirfry, and the point of cooking is to escape Asian food. But I make pasta or steak, and it comes out fine. I've been invited to a potluck dinner by another teacher tomorrow night, and there is like absolutely nothing I know how to make that has ingredients available in China, so ...we'll see, I guess! But I was super excited to find that not only can I get normal tasting peanut butter in China, it's actually the brand I use from home! So I eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches. Like every day or two. But it's a small reminder of home :)

So, what else? I'm getting more comfortable on the bike, although I've already managed to break one of the batteries (duct tapes works wonders!). One of the other teachers at Sunflower took me on an e-bike tour of SIP last week, and I saw a lot of places I'd never seen, so that was really cool. It was also on that ride, where I followed around a much more experience biker, that I really became comfortable on the bike.

I've also hired a young Chinese woman named Vivian to be my tutor. She comes to my house twice a week to teach me, and so far, so good. Oral Chinese is a fairly straightforward language grammatically (especially compared to English), but the pronunciation is a nightmare for me. Hopefully thee private lessons will give me the push I need to really focus and learn it: both for survival, and because I'm interested. But studying Chinese has given me a decent understanding of what my students are going through learning English.

But back to the important stuff: teaching. I guess it's easiest to break it up by school. Monday and Friday afternoons I teach 4 30minute classes at a nursery school about 20 minutes away. I do these without a Chinese TA. The first three classes have about 30 students, around 5 years old. They're really cute and very well behaved. Because the class is so short, we don't have time to do much besides learn a few words that they yell back at me. I run around a lot and get all red in the face. I feel like a clown, falling on the floor and doing funny things, but I actually like it a lot. But I had my first real embarrassing moment: I was given 6 words to teach the students, and I didn't know 2 of them. These kids haven't even progressed to vocabularly yet- the words they work on are chosen just for sound and pronunciation. But I kid you not- 2 words. Mete and Dene. Google them. I had to.


My last class at the nursery is the itty, bitty babies. They can't be more than 2 years old, and they don't speak Chinese yet, let alone English. While I just meet with the older kids once a week (3 on Monday, 3 on Friday), I meet with the babies both days. The first two times half just burst into tears and the rest just stared at me. Since then, though, the think of me as a bean bag chair. They literally just jump on me- in my lap, on my arms, and on my back. I've found that stickers have worked well to keep them under control, and that singing Itsy, Bitsy Spider 5 or 6 times puts them in a hypnotic state. And now, only like 3 or 4 cry when I walk in the room. Progress!

Thursdays I have one 40 minute class at a public school. The kids are about 7, and there are at least 40 or 50 of them in the class. But, oh my goodness, I'm like a celebrity there. The kids at my other schools come from wealthy families, and are used to seeing western people. But not these kids. When I arrive it's usually the end of recess, so they're all out in the yard, and they all run up and stare. They follow me around and gather at the windows of the office to peak in at me. It sounds crazy, but I swear it's true. The kids in the class are just so excited to have a western teacher that they're very well behaved and eager to participate.

And then that leaves the weekends at Sunflower. Kids comes for 2 hours classes- 90 of which is with the Western teacher and Chinese TA, and the other 30 with just the TA. Teachers pretty much just jump from class to class, and are handed a lesson plan, and GO. Ages range from from 3-15, and I've found I already strongly prefer to teach the younger kids, like ages 5-7. The smallest kids are fine, but are exhausting, and the older kids are can be really poorly behaved. Plus, working with the younger kids requires more creativity and fun, while the older kids just read from a book. But it's also nice to have a mix to break up the really long days.

OK, I'm beat, and I still have to ride my stupid bike home. I'll do what I can to keep in touch, although I hear it may be bad for the next few weeks.

EDIT: So when I went to post this blog, of course the firewall thing wasn't working. There has apparently been a big crackdown on these things. I found an alternative. Although it is in Dutch, it seems to be working well enough to get the blog up. Unfortunately, it won't allow me on Facebook, so to those of you have left me messages on that, I'm sorry I can't respond right now.

Love you all!

RDG

Photos!

I was finally able to add photos. Click on the albums below to take a glimpse about everything I blab on about. More to come!

China 2

China 3

The Importance of Totem Poles

So I know I've been terrible at updating, but I have an excuse. It's been an incredibly busy week (or 2). Busy, but successful. I finished up my TEFL course- and passed!

My exam was in two parts- Last Friday and Monday. That Saturday and Sunday I observed classes at my new place of employment. All day long. But it was a lot of fun- the kids have a lot of energy and there is a good mix of ages so it doesn't get boring. I taught my first 4 classes at the nursery my company outsources to on Friday, and it was a lot of fun. The classes there are short- only 30 minutes, so there isn't much time to do anything other than give them kids a few vocab words and have them shout the words at you. But seriously- Chinese kids are so beyond adorable, there isn't even a word to describe them. I spent this weekend observing again. Although I'm itching to get out and teach, I was happy they decided to give me a little more time to get comfortable. This company really seems to have their act together, and they're all as nice as can be.

Last Monday I got a bit of bad news. The owner of the awesome apartment I was going to rent got an offer to sell her place, and because we had no contract, went for it. I can't blame her- it was an awesome place. But with the help of Michael and Xian, I found a place I like ALMOST as much. The location is actually much better, but the place just isn't quite as nice. But I know I'll be happy here. I'll make sure to post pictures. I found the place at 6pm on Tuesday, and moved in at 9am on Wednesday, with the help of my friends Jonathan, Michael and Xian. They also helped me set up Internet and took me to buy the most important thing I'll ever buy in my life: An e-bike.

Yes, I am now the proud owner of an electric bike. It's basically a scooter or a moped. The batteries weigh a ton, take ages to charge, and it only works for like an hour at a time. But it's the best way to get around Suzhou. Although I bought it on Wednesday, today was the first time I took it out on the road. OK, actually, Jonathan did like 90% of the driving, but it was good to practice, and we drove around the lake and discovered some fantastic and beautiful spots. Having the bike will allow me all sorts of freedoms- it's hard to just get out an explore the area if you can only walk, and unless you speak Chinese, a taxi is only going to get you to the address you request. Because my weekends are so full at work, I less than 6 hours total between Monday and Friday, so I'll have plenty of time to do some more exploring. Plus, it's bound to be stolen soon, so I should enjoy it while I can.

So more about the classes. As I said, the kids are really cute. At the language center, where I'll work on the weekends, the kids range in age between 3-15. They spend a lot of time reviewing previously learned material, and I'm constantly wowed by their ability to retain information. Chinese children learn from a young age in school to memorize, memorize, memorize. So when they're given, say, a list of 25 foods in English, they'll come in to class with the list memorized in order. No questions asked, it's just how they work. But some of the vocabulary the book gives them is kind of strange. One class I observed was learning vocab from a unit on Alaska- and one of the vocab words was "totem pole". Think about it. Is this a word you'd really need to know to have a working knowledge of the English language? I couldn't get over it, and I wasn't the only one- the teacher cut it from the lesson. But who knows, maybe 20 years from now, one of these kids will be hired by an American company and be sent to work in Alaska, and they'll be humiliated when they have to ask their guide what the tall carved poles are.

Because yet again I just have a list of random things to talk about, I'll give you some more things I've learned:

1. Buying $2 Chinese wine is not the same as buying 2 Buck Chuck.

2. It's probably a good idea to check and see if your neighbor has an incredibly strong unprotected wireless network BEFORE you drop 1000 yuan on a year's worth of Internet service.

3. It's quite a bummer to discover your brand new bike is too big to fit in the elevator, so every day you have to lug two incredibly heavy batteries to your apartment to charge.

4. I've watched two full seasons of How I Met Your Mother in like 4 days. Just wanted to brag.

5. Best English name encountered in a Chinese class so far: Mysnoopy. Runners Up: Bobo and Kslow.

6. Chinese people love Crocs. Love them. Everyone wears them- young, old, dress up, dress down. If I had, hypothetically speaking, given in and bought a pair of orange ones, would you still be my friend?

7. Side note: Crocs are the only shoes in my size that I've found so far.

8. A Walmart the size of an airport hanger, complete with H&M, Zara and Next is opening up down the street at the end of the month. It's all the Chinese people can talk about. Or me, for the matter. Walmart!!

9. A box of cereal cost me more than a train ticket to Shanghai.

10. I decided not to pay for TV in my new apartment, because I'd rather buy DVDs pay for satellite TV, and the basic Chinese TV only has one channel. I watched it a few times in my hotel, and it was always the same. News followed by a tourism "documentary". My favorite? The story of the world's biggest jade Buddha statue, located somewhere in Northern China. Check it out. It's in the Guinness Book of World Records. Not under "World's Largest Jade Sculpture". Just "World's Largest Jade Buddha Sculpture." If someone knows where the largest is, please let me know. I'm dying to find out.

OK, pretty lame list, I know. But it's late and I'm tired, and I'm not stopping to take a nap in the middle of this entry (although, truthfully, I did stop to go out to dinner for a friend's birthday). But now that I'm settled and have a more regular schedule, I will have more time to update. And pictures this week, I PROMISE.

Zai Jian,
Rachel

Your Chinese for the Day: Sui Hui Lu (It's the name of my new street :) )

And so it comes to an end...

No, I'm not leaving China. In fact, this morning I officially committed myself to staying in Suzhou until August 30, 2010. That's right, I am now officially employed in the PRC.

I've accepted a job at an English language center called Sunflower. How can you not love that name? They specialize in teaching children (ages 3-15) after school and on weekends. They all outsource their teachers to instruct young kids at other schools during the day. The hours are light (only 20 a week for full time), the pay is excellent, and the people are as friendly and caring as can be. I officially start on Tuesday, September 1, but I possibly have to do some training this weekend. Today was the first step- signing the contract. Tomorrow is step two- medical exam. In order to get a work visa, I need to be poked and prodded by the Chinese. I hear it's not bad, but I'm sure I'll have a few good stories to tell after tomorrow.

I've also found a fantastic apartment. Well, I didn't really find it. The head teacher at Sunflower, Michael, asked me about my living situation during my interview. When I told him I didn't have any ideas, he told me his wife had a friend who was looking for a single woman to rent her place. Michael, his wife Xian and their two adorable daughters took me over to the apartment to check it out yesterday, and it is fantastic. Clean, modern, fully furnished, safe, and overlooks a giant lake. I move in on the 6th, so I'll make sure to take lots of photos.

Interesting side note- It's pretty standard in China that when you rent a place, you pay 6-12 months of rent right up front. It's a safety net for the owner, since there is no such thing as a credit check out here. Seems strange to me, but nice because I don't have to worry about paying rent again until February.

But alas, as excited as I am to get started on this new chapter, I've yet to finish school. Tomorrow I have my class planning exam and my oral exam. Monday is my Chinese exam and my written exam. I've already done quite well on my teaching exam, so I know I'm going into these next 3 (Chinese is separate) exams on a high note. Technically, I shouldn't stress because I have a job already, but I need the diploma to get certified as a "foreign expert", which will help me get my work permit.

So that's about it for me- just a medical exam sandwiched by lots of studying. Below I've included a list of some random observations that don't really have a rhyme or reason.

1. Chinese girls watch too much Gossip Girl. "Oh My God" starts like every other sentence.

2. Fact: My Chinese teacher has a far better knowledge of English grammar than I ever will.

3. Chinese men- young, old, fat, skinny- like to walk around with their shirts pulled up, exposing their stomachs. I'm not sure if it's to keep cool or if it's some sort of bizarre mating ritual, but most of them should probably keep their shirts down.

4. I can go from literally hating this country to absolutely loving it in .5 seconds. Example: My laptop contracted a nasty virus, probably caused by the programs I used to get over the Great Firewall of China. Since my computer is my main source of communication, I was grumpy. Stupid country. Went to school, where they gave me a card of an IT man who speaks English. Within a few hours he'd come to the school, wiped out the virus and installed a 3 year anti-virus program. All for like $60. God, I love this country.

5. I've done next to no shopping in the month I've been here, which is very unlike me. I think it's because although I know the numbers and different expressions to use while bargaining, the idea of actually doing it is too exhausting. But this week I was in a good mood and wanted to buy a new purse. I didn't feel like going to the fake market, so I walked around my neighborhood, prepared to bargain. And I didn't find a single one I liked. The Chinese love the tackiest stuff.

6. Sorry, I had to stop and take a nap. Seriously.

7. When we went to the lake last weekend, I was worried that I looked like a tourist- wearing khaki shorts, a baggy t-shirt, a baseball cap and sneakers. Also add a travel purse across my chest and my camera. About 5 seconds later I remembered that no matter where I am or what I wear, I will never, ever look like a local, so I might as well be comfortable.

8. I am halfway convinced the Chinese are intentionally polluting their air in an attempt to block out the sun. They hate the sun because they don't want dark skin- it's a symbol of the working class. You see the most umbrellas on the sunny days. Even in the super hot weather they wear long sleeves and gloves while riding their bikes. The stores are filled with creams to whiten the skin. Doesn't seem to bother the men as much, though. Instead, the grow out their pinkie fingernails to prove that they don't do manual labor. I assumed they had grown them out for another reason...

9. We ordered chicken at lunch. I picked up a piece, kind of grossed out at at the skin and bones, but I picked at it best I could. I wasn't getting much meat, so I flipped it over. And it's eye was starting right back up me. Yes, I ate the chicken's head. And yes, I'm still getting slightly queasy writing this. Thinking about wiping the brain off my chopsticks. Convince you to come to China yet?

10. I taught a lesson on common American names, and how to pronounce them. I explained that my first name, Rachel, is very common. I then explained that my middle name, Dori, is very uncommon, especially in the spelling. They laughed at me. This, coming from a society that picks English names like Starburst, Money, Hitler, 7 and Monkey Dream. I can't wait to see what names my new students pick for themselves.

I absolutely love the comments everyone is leaving, and I apologize for not answering them directly. But I miss and love you all!

And a note on the photos- I've taken a ton and really want to share them, but I'm having a really tough time uploading them. I think it's because my internet connection is so poor. I'm going to try somewhere else tomorrow, in the hopes that I can get it to work. But I promise they're coming eventually!

XOXO,

RDG

Planes, Trains and Taxi Cabs

So I didn't think I'd be able to top my little whirl-wind day in Shanghai last week. Boy, was I wrong.

A little back story, for context. When I applied for my visa to come to China, I asked for 60 days, but they only gave me 30. I was told by the very helpful folks at my school that I'd have to go to Shanghai and request an extension, which would require two trips into the city on the weekday, checking into a hotel and no guarantee I'd be able to get the extension. So about a week and a half ago my program director noticed that I was actually given something called a "multiple-entry visa", which allows me to come and go to China whenever I want for the next 12 months. However, I'm required to leave the country every 30 days. Literally just walk out and right back in. I can't get rid of this visa until I switch to a work one.

That's a fairly common story. And the typical solution? Hong Kong. By way of Shenzhen, the Chinese city that borders it.

So that's where I spent 30 hours this weekend.

Friday didn't start off well. The internet wasn't working well when I woke up, which meant I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to send an attachment for school, resulting in me being late. I tried to catch a cab, but because it was Friday, that took 3 times as long as it should have. I ran into Chinese class, embarrassed at my tardiness, and unhappy because being late for anything stresses me out.

I sat through my Chinese culture class, which I always enjoy (but not nearly as much as language), and then observed another student teach. As soon as his class was dismissed, I bolted out of the building, where the driver I had hired was waiting for me. Because you never know what traffic will be like, I booked the pick-up more than 4 hours before my flight, although the airport is only 1 hour 45 minutes away. Being Chinese, he drove like the car was on fire and the airport was the only source of water in China. He honked, flashed his lights and tailgated cars daring to only go 20km over the speed limit. So needless to say, I made it there with hours to kill. Never one to mind being early, I found check-in to be easy, and enjoyed a semi-decent and incredibly expensive Italian lunch.

When it comes to air travel, the Chinese are amazingly efficent. I have a theory about this. It's because the Chinese use very small carry-ons. They don't cram everything into a roller-bag. The check their luggage and just carry on a small laptop case or backpack. In fact, the only time I saw people with rolling luggage on board, they were Westerners. This means the security line goes faster (you also don't have to remove your small liquids or take off your shoes). They wand pretty much everyone, but don't drag you behind some curtain somewhere, they just do it quickly right where you are. They don't board by groups- when boarding is called, everyone gets on, stows their bag, and sits down quietly. It doesn't mean they don't rush and fight to be at the front line, because if they didn't, they wouldn't be Chinese. But when they get on the planes, there is plenty of room for everyone's luggage in the overhead bins. No cramming, no pushing.

While waiting for my plane, I attempted to activate my cell phone for international calls. I had thought I'd set it up when I bought the phone, but since the entire exchange was in Chinese, I have no idea. So I called the China Mobile number in my phone, which has some English operators. Because I was currently in Shanghai, I was automatically sent to their line. I explained myself, and the operator tells me I need to call the Suzhou branch of China Mobile, and gives me the number. I call, and they don't have an English line. I try talking to the operator, to no avail. So I call back Shanghai, and explain my situation.

Me: I want to active the international calling on my mobile.
Them: You need to call the Suzhou number. It's XXXXXXXXXXXX
Me: I tried that. They don't speak English. Is there an English line?
Them: No. You just need to explain it to them.
Me: But they don't speak English and I don't speak Chinese.
Them: You'll need to work that out with them.

Needless to say, this did not go my way. I was a bit nervous, because I thought it might make it difficult to contact my hosts in Hong Kong. But I boarded my flight, and then we sat on the runway for an hour. It was a smooth flight. Air China still provides you with a hot meal. Can you believe it? A 2 hour flight with food. I hardly even remember that. I had rice with what I swear was a German spaetzel, but who knows.

When the flight landed in Shenzhen, everyone jumped up and started grabbing their bags. I swear we hadn't even gotten to the gate yet. So I joined in, trying to get my bags down. In my haste, I made a grievous error- I left my Kindle in the seat back pocket. And I didn't realize it until I was in the taxi on the way to the train station.

Oh, what a joyous taxi ride that was. The driver didn't understand me when I tried to say huoche zhan (the railway station). So I drew him a picture, which made him laugh. Being a typical Chinese taxi driver, he drove like a maniac, and in an attempt to cut off traffic, he got in the wrong lane to go to the train station (the road signs were also in English), which got us stuck in a ridiculous traffic jam. That's when I got my first call from Joe, my wonderful host in Hong Kong. I explained about my phone, and that I was running late, but we arranged that we'd connect once I got a train ticket.

When I finally got to the train station, it was a zoo. People everywhere, confusing signs, and noise. And millions of stores selling who knows what. So I began following signs for Hong Kong. I walked and walked, and somehow ended up at the exit point for China. Dozens of border agents, but no lanes for foreigners. I must have looked like a clueless moron, because someone came and pointed me in the right direction, which was a whole other floor. After filling out forms about my health and waiting in line for a good 30 minutes, I cleared the Chinese border. As I was going through, Joe called, and I asked him to call me back in 5 minutes. That's the last I heard of him. The minute I stepped into Hong Kong, my phone went out of service. And little did I know, but as soon as I cleared China, I had to wait in another long line to enter Hong Kong. When I finally made it through there, I found the train station. But I wasn't 100% sure which stop I wanted. Since my phone wasn't working, I tried a pay phone. But I couldn't get it to work. I was starting to freak out, thinking about the poor Hamiltons, who had been waiting hours for me to arrive, and now had no way to contact me. But I boarded the train, hoping maybe I'd picked the right station and I'd be able to find them. But as soon as I got out, I knew I was wrong. I remembered I was supposed to meet them at Exit 1. But this station had Exits A-E. So I found a security guard (thankfully, most people in Hong Kong speak some English) and asked for a pay phone. She directed me to a University campus next door, where I found the phone. But I could not get it to work. I tried and tried, until I was down to my last coin.

The panic was full-fledged at this point. I was in a foreign city without a working phone, no idea where my hosts lived, and unable to even use the pay phone. By this point, it was nearly 10pm, and I'd landed just before 7. As a last-ditch effort, I found a police officer, and barely holding back tears, I asked him to show me how to use the phone.

I can't even describe the relief I felt when I got in touch with Joe. Of course, they were waiting at the station I was supposed to be at, but within 5 minutes, there they were- the best couple in the entire world, Joe and Kathy Hamilton. They're friends of friends of my grandparents, so not exactly a close relationship, but they couldn't have been better to me.

They took me to their amazing home, way up in the hills of Hong Kong. They live in a beautiful apartment on the 39th floor with sweeping views of the ocean. It's really breathtaking. I'm pretty sure they must be mind-readers, because they took me to their home, made me a turkey sandwich with BBQ chips and planted me in front of the TV. I kid you not- a turkey sandwich has been the #1 thing I've been craving since I got to China, probably because they don't eat it on the mainland. But they have it in Hong Kong, and it was the best thing ever. After the day I'd had- all the travel stress, and my poor Kindle, I really couldn't think of a better way to unwind.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a ton of time in Hong Kong. We took it easy in the morning, and again proving to be a mind-reader, Kathy asked me if I wanted to go to the grocery store. It's hard to explain why this is so awesome, but it is. Some Western food isn't too hard to get in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but it's really difficult to come by in a place like Suzhou. You can usually find some strange tasting Oreos at the store, or "American" flavored chips (the others ones have flavors like "Tangy Chicken" or "Italian Sauce" or "Lotus"). And since I probably won't be back in Hong Kong for a long time, this was my one chance to come across some real Western food.

In my eyes, the store had absolutely everything you could want. I know that if you've come from the US and are living in Hong Kong, there are plenty of things you'd miss from your store. But in my eyes, it was heaven. I cursed the fact that I still live in a hotel with no fridge, because I would have stocked up on the turkey :). But trust me, I did well. And it's not cheap. I am now in possession of the following: PepperidgeFarm Snickerdoodle Cookies, red licorice, and a small box of Captain Crunch. That, plus some bandaids, People and Cosmo magazines, some anti-itch cream (for the 100 million bug bites I have) and a package of tissues cost me 275 Hong Kong Dollars, roughly $35. But oh so worth it.

After making me some delicious burgers for lunch, and giving me a tour of the Peak, I bid farewell to the wonderful Hamiltons and started my journey home. Hong Kong traffic sucks, and it took me longer than expected to get to the train station. I got my ticket, took the 45 minute train ride, and then got to the border. This time, things went a bit smoother. It was easy to leave Hong Kong, but took a little while longer to enter China. But I did, and now I have another 30 days in the country. But I kept looking at my watch- by the time I crossed into Shenzhen, I only had 2 hours until my flight, and it takes at least 30 minutes to get to the station (plus, traffic sucks in Shenzhen). But I made it, about 20 minutes before my flight was to board.

But I wasn't ready to leave without trying to find my Kindle. I went to the customer service desk, who sent me somewhere else in the airport. Frantic, I raced to the "business centre", where a very nice woman tried to assist me and 3 other people at the same time. She searched through her huge binder of found objects, and I started to feel the familiar sadness- looks like I'm going to be ordering en mass from Amazon.com. But then her eyes lit up- she had it! She went to the back, and after making me sign my life away, my Kindle was back in my loving arms! I swear, the Chinese can be the coolest people ever sometimes. Someone found it, turned it in, and filled out a ton of paperwork. Just because I'm forgetful.

With Kindle in hand, I raced to through security, and made it to my gate, only to find the incoming plane hadn't arrived. But who cares. I made it to the airport, Kindle and Captain Crunch in hand.

And that was just Saturday.

I didn't return to my hotel until 11pm on Saturday. My alarm went off at 6am on Sunday. Career fair. The school set it up, in conjunction with the City of Suzhou. It was pretty successful- found a few schools I liked- two of which I am visiting tomorrow. I hope to have a contract signed in the next few days. But I was cranky- wearing dress clothes made of synthetic fabrics in Suzhou humidity is painful. I was never happier to own cotton than when I put on shorts and a t-shirt after the fair.

After lunch, our hotel owners, Oliver and Yokee Lee, took me, Garrett, Eric and Jonathan on a trip to see Tai Hu, which is a large, famous lake on the outskirts of Suzhou. It was very pretty, but the paths all around it were flooded due to the recent typhoon, so there wasn't much to explore. But they took us on a boat ride around the lake, which was great.

Next, they kept driving to show us more outside of Suzhou. We went hopping from island to island, and saw some really beautiful neighborhoods, as well as some truly impoverished ones. After another hour or so of driving, we ended up in the mountains. We stopped at one (I wish I knew the name), and got into these green vans, which kind of looked like VW Vans without sides. The vans took us up and up and up into the mountains. The mountains had terraces filled with tea. Once we reached the top, I saw a pagoda on the tip top of the peak, and what looked like a chair lift. "Oh good," I thought, "We get to ride up to the top".

Wrong.

We climbed. Garrett made fun of me because, naturally, I was whining as I was huffing and puffing- and he said it had nothing on the Great Wall. So this was my practice for the Great Wall. But eventually I reached the top, but not before I thought I might die a few times. The air up there was really horrible- combined with the heat it was very hard to breathe. It was also difficult to see much because of all the smog. Sad.

Exhausted and hot, we made out way down the mountain, and eventually back to Suzhou. I was really thankful that Oliver and Yokee took us, because it was fun to see something new, and it's always easier to navigate with a Chinese guide.

So ok, this was a super long post. But it's been a very, very busy weekend. So now, with this posted, I will go pass out.

XOXO,
RDG

Your Chinese for the day:

Wo bu hui Zhongwen- I don't speak Chinese (most reguarly used phrase in my life)

No Habla Ingles

I had other things I was going to write about today, but they're going to have to take a backseat tonight, because today I went to Shanghai.

Saturday, August 15

7:00am- Alarm goes off. Groan. I only went to bed a few hours ago. Too much Chinese beer. (contrary to my father's beliefs, I'm not becoming an alcoholic. But there just isn't much else to do when you live on Bar Street.)

7:30am- Wake up Garrett, who lives next door. Time for Shanghai. He tells me he had been hoping that I would sleep through the alarm, so that we can skip our trip. I laugh, because he was out even later than me.

8:00am- Garrett and I drag ourselves outside and into a taxi, making our way in early morning Suzhou traffic to the train station.

8:07am- Taxi comes within inches to plowing head-first into a cement roller.

8:25am- Arrive at train station. We had purchased our tickets in advance with the help of our hotel owner, but we still have no idea where to go. We follow the masses of people into a waiting room.

8:26am- I am the only white person (as Garrett is of Chinese decent).

8:55am- The train boards. Lots of Chinese people shoving. Garrett and I bought tickets too late to get seats, so we have to stand. So we sit on the floor of the dining car.

9:15am- A train employee gets mad at Garrett for sleeping on the floor.

9:45am- Arrive in Shanghai. More Chinese people than I've seen in my entire life. We search for Garrett's cousin Chris, who lives in Shanghai. It's kind of like playing 'Where's Waldo' except that Waldo isn't wear red and white stripes, and looks exactly like everyone else.

10:15am- We find Chris.

10:30am-McDonald's for breakfast. There is a Chinese Ronald McDonald. The staff is super concerned about my comfort, pushing people out of the way to get me a good spot in line. They also try to carry my tray to a table for me. Ronald is creeping me out.

11:00am- Chris and Garrett want to go back to sleep. So I tell them to drop me off somewhere fun. They take me to a shopping mall.

11:30am- I wander around the neighborhood. I get a call from Chelsea, a friend of an old friend who has lived in Shanghai for more than a year, and has been super helpful. She invites me to lunch with her and her roommate. I wander around some more.

12:30pm- I arrive at Chelsea's apartment, very impressed with myself, because I was able to tell the driver the address Chelsea had given me without having to show it to him. I come to the realization that from now on, zh will be pronounced j, and x will be s. I am saddened by this.

1:00pm- Chelsea and her roommate take me to a vegetarian Chinese restaurant that was very good. I am impressed with myself for liking a vegetarian restaurant. Even more impressed that there is literally nothing on the menu that I don't like. The only vegetable I can definitively say I dislike is bitter melon, but I'd still eat it anyway.

2:00pm- I bid adieu to the ladies, who have directed me to People's Square, the main tourist center in Puxi Shanghai.

2:05pm- I've found my way into a park. There are literally hundreds of 65+ Chinese people milling about with signs. Fortunately, Chelsea had mentioned this phenomena to me, so I knew what I was looking at. It's a meet-market. Older Chinese parents who still have unmarried children write up profiles of their kids, and put them out, so other parents can try to find a match. They're mostly for men, as there are 109 men to every 100 women here, due of course to the one-child policy. It may not seem like a high ratio, but when you multiply it by a billion, it really is!

And no, I didn't pick one out for myself.

3:00pm- I wander around drinking bubble tea. I throw it out after 3 sips.

3:05pm- Chinese people shout "Hello!" to me a lot. All westerners get it. The annoying ones are those who want to practice their English on you. Not a bad thing, but it can often lead to a scam.

3:20pm- A Chinese man and women in their mid-twenties follow me and keep asking me if I speak English. I ignore them until they tap me on the shoulder. "Do you speak English?" they ask.

3:21pm- I give them a blank stare. "Que?" I ask.

Them: Do you speak Spanish?

Me: Si. Habla Espanol.

Them: Hola!

Me: Ni hao!

Them: Where are you from?

Me: ?

Them: Barcelona? Spain?

Me: Oh! No. Soy de Mexico.

Them: Mexico! Mexico city?

Me: Eh, asi-asi. (Yes, I know this is incorrect).

Them: Are you here for holiday?

Me: ?

Them: Hol-i-day? We are from Tsing Tao. Visit Shanghai.

Me: Ah, si. Hol-i-day, si.

Them: How many days? We are here for 7.

Me: Cinco.

Them: Cinco?

Me: Wu. Five.

This goes on for a while. They start talking about some show in the park, and how it's happening in the afternoon, or something. To be honest I didn't understand what they were saying, as they thought they were speaking to someone who had no idea, so it was kind of a mix of English and Chinese. I just stared blankly and smiled, which seemed to be appropriate.

Them: Do you want to spend the day with us?

Me: Que?

Them: With us. Together.

Me: No (I look at my watch). Mi amigo! Friend!

Them: Oh, ok. Adios!

Me: Nice. To. Meet. You.

There was just something about having Chinese people try to dumb down their English to make me understand that made me really happy, despite the fact that these people seemed nice, and I probably would have like to tour with them a bit. But I couldn't keep up the Spanish act all day.

3:30pm- More shopping malls. SO. MANY CHINESE PEOPLE.

3:31pm- My feet hurt. And no, I do not want to buy a stuffed Haibao, the blue Gumbly-looking mascot of the Shanghai Expo 2010. Stop asking.

4:00pm- I am officially tired of walking around. I am supposed to meet up with Garrett and Chris for the evening. I am too tired to move. I decide I will forgo the 30 kuai I spent on my return ticket for Sunday and try to catch a train home this evening.

4:10pm- On the way to find a taxi, I come across a foot massage shop. That is exactly what I need. Plus they speak English.

4:15pm- Best. Idea. Ever. I practice my Chinese on the man rubbing my feet. Then we exhaust my limited vocabulary. There are only so many times I can ask him what his name is before it gets weird. So we fall into an awkward silence. I stare at the wall because it seems too personal to watch him rub my feet.

5:15pm. I try in vain to hail a cab.

5:45pm. I find one! But it dawns on me that, for the first time ever, I don't have a taxi card to tell the driver where to go. I use my little Chinese book to come up with the term for railway station. I butcher it, but he understands. He starts to ask me a lot of questions. Have I eaten today? I know this is a common greeting, but I can't remember how to answer it, so I say "I don't understand" in Chinese several times, but he does not give up. Finally I say, "Wo bu hui Zhongwen!" (I don't speak Chinese) forcefully enough that he gets it.

6:00pm I enter the ticket station. The time tables are 100% in Chinese. I find the one English line. Train is at 6:55! Score!

6:15pm. I go to Burger King for dinner. I am not proud of the fact that I ate two fast food burgers in one day, but sometimes these things cannot be helped.

6:35pm. I join at least 500 Chinese people in the waiting room for the Suzhou train. I have to pee. The bathroom is also the smokers room. I decided to pass on that opportunity.

I am the only white person. Talk about Where's Waldo.

6:50pm. Gates open to the platform. 500 Chinese people push. And push. And push. To get to their assigned seats. Train is not as crowded as the morning one- I even have a seat, and I purchased my ticket less than an hour in advance.

7:00pm. I pull out my hamburger. I confirm the stereotypical belief that the Chinese have- that Americans only eat hamburgers. I don't care. One can only eat so many dumplings.

7:15pm. Train reaches a speed of 204 km/hr. I believe this to be fast.

7:35pm. Arrive in Suzhou. Home sweet home.

As so here I am. I haven't told anyone, besides Garrett, that I decided to come home, because I need a nice, relaxing night alone. I really enjoyed Shanghai- the food is great, the people are friendly, there is a lot more English spoken, and there is a lot to do. But going there, even for a few hours, made me realize how comfortable I am in Suzhou. After a day of navigating mainly by myself, it was nice to get into the taxi back to the hotel and recognize things as we passed. I wouldn't turn down a great job in Shanghai, but I think I'll stick with Suzhou for the year, if possible :)

Pictures and more updates tomorrow or Monday, I promise.

Hugs,

RDG

I taught your Chinese in the blog entry. Don't get selfish.