Life in Shenyang - Blogabond

Really starting to settle into life in Shenyang. The problems with our flat have been sorted out (for the most part anyway!) Lea & I now have a flat each, directly opposite eachother. Lea lives in the original flat and I am in the new one, although it is not new, and by no way shape or form any nicer than the original flat. I have rats, but apart from keeping me awake sometimes at night I'm not really there enough for them to bother me. I spend the weekends in the City with my friends, who all have lovely, modern, clean appartents (Hmph!)!
I have a pretty long day during the week, but it flies by. I get up everyday at 6am and get showered and dressed in time for breakfast at 6.50am. Everyday I go to breakfast and everyday I wonder why I bother! There is a choice of rice soup (which is literally rice and water, generally the safest option!), Pickles cabbage or seaweed, cold tofu, fish heads, slimey cucumber with small prawny fish things of whole fried fish! Not appetising at the best of times let alone 7 in the morning. Occasionaly we get really lucky and have the option of steamed bread, nothing like 'normal' bread, but the closest you'll get in China.
I leave breakfast in time to catch the bus at 7.20 just outside the school. Now although the school looks pretty posh, the area isn't. We are outside of the city centre and the road is a dirt track with rows of shabby buildings selling all kinds of crap you will never need, restaurants (if you can call them that!!), loads of fruit stalls and the occasional supermarket. Most of the people here have probably never laid eyes on a westener before, and this becomes pretty obvious with all the pointing, staring and even people slamming on the brakes as they drive past only to reverse to get a better look at you! After hearing this you may find it strange for me to say I wouldnt rather be anywhere else. With the atmosphere and the buzz you get walking down the street, you cant help but love it!
I have eaten at one of the 'restaurants' several times, the food is amazing as well as unbelievably cheap, plus it gives me a chance to practice my mandarin! (which is really not great...but getting better!!) The main reason for going to the same place all the time is beacuse you get to know what not to order (fried rabbits brains of cold chicken claws! Tried them both, but there is a reason why people dont normally eat this.....because its fucking gross!!) But the main reason is that it is the only restaurant along the road with a fridge. The hot weather and no fridge for the meat is really not a good combination and unfortunatly I had to learn this the hard way! Enough said!
Back to the bus! I catch the bus at 7.20 every day and it takes 30 minutes to reach the Kindergarten. 30 Minutes of hell!! When the bus pulls up to the stop it is so crammed that peoples faces are pressed up against the window! (No Joke!) You have to fight your way on and literally hang on for dear life. I have learnt (once again the hard way!!!) not to be the last person to get onto the bus, the driver drives off before giving you chance to actually get on!
Getting onto the bus safely is only half the challenge. There are very few seats and most of the bus is standing space, there are so many people that everyone is touching everyone with one body part or another.... some days are much worse than others!! There are handles to hold onto, mostly above your head, but when the driver is swerving all over the road to avoid cars, cyclists and crazy pedestrians it's easier said than done!! I have had one near miss which involved me loosing my grip and nearly crushing a poor chinese man to death, but the worst was actually today when I had the 'pleasure' of taking the bus in for the first time in the rain. Normally it's tricky to hold onto the rails due to sweaty hands, but when its raining all the windows are closed and due to the number of people the condensation makes the rails really wet. Not only is it almost impossible to hold on, the floor is soaking wet and your feet are constantly moving, although you wish they weren't. After over a fortnight of this journey there is one point inparticular I have learnt to watch out for. It is a mixture of potholes, a really sharp bend and a head mental driver who refuses to slow down! I knew it was coming up so I had two hands holding on a tightly as I could and my feet as firmly on the ground as possible. We started to turn the corner, I remember feeling quite pleased that my efforts were paying off when a rather large old man (who had been stood next to me for most of the journey, stinking of garlic and sweat!) lost his grip and came flying towards me knocking me to the ground. Another woman was pulled down with us, but I got the worst end of the deal! The old man landed directly on top of me (Face to Face!!!) and I was pinned to the floor. He was unable to get up at first (yeah right! He was having the timeof his life!!!) so I had to just lie there, helpless and hoping that he didn't notice me wretching at his sweaty garlic stench!! After what felt like an eternity someone pulled him off meand helped me to my feet. I was offered a seat and gladly accepted. As I had no one with me to laugh it off with I spent the rest of the journey staring out of the window, embarassed, dirty and smelling like garlic.

I arrive at the school around 8am and lessons start at 8.30. I teach 4 days a week, and although I have no lessons on a Thursday I still have to attend as normal. It's a bit of a pain, but it gives me time to plan my lessons. I teach 4 different classes all ages 3-4 years old. The kids are adorable! You've got the smart kids, the cute kids, the kids that always cry and the demonic kids that enjoy making your life a living hell! It's swings and roundabouts!
(I wanted to put horses, but most people wouldnt understand!!) The kids are getting used to me, and I'm getting used to making myself look like a prat to keep them entertained! Lunchtime at school is great, the chef cooks amazing food and 9 times out of 10 it isnt fish heads!! Happy Days!
Because the kids are so young they have a sleep after lunch, which means a 2 and a half hour break for us!! Most days I catch the bus to the Korean street or the local market to do some shopping or, if its not too hot, play badminton with Young or one of the other Chinese Teachers. Young is out appointed 'buddy'! He is an Chinese English teacher and is quite possibly the campest Chineseman you are ever likely to meet!! He's 24, he's geeky, he takes to many photos, he talks to much and could quite possibly make you go insane, but he has a heart of gold and would do anything for you!
After lunch I spend 2 hours teaching the Chinese English teachers during 'free talk'. I dont really need to do lesson plans for this as it is a relaxed way of practicing and developing their spoken English. I really enjoy it as it gives me chance to practice more of what I learnt when achieving my TEFL in Beijing and is challenging in a different way to teaching the kids.
Last week I was asked to attend the International Art School (where I live!) to 'free talk' with the students for an hour or so. As it meant an extra hour in bed I agreed to go! On the morning I was told that the Senetor of Education in Shenyang (the most important person in the city as far as Education is concerned) was visiting the school and thats why I had been asked to attend. This didn't really make a difference to me as I was just going to be casually chatting with the students and practicing their spoken English skills (or so I thought!!) The students were alot of fun and a refreshing change to the kids at the kindergarten and we did spend half an hour or so chatting. Then, out of nowhere I was dragged on stage (yes, they have a stage in the classroom!!) and forced to sing 'If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!" I have never been so embarassed in my life! I would have welcomed the smelly garlic man on top of me at thast point if it would get me out of singing in front of thirty 15 year olds! (Maybe not.... he was pretty smelly!) I was that busy making myself look like a coplete wally I didnt notice the senetor and 10 of her 'people' crowding into the doorway! The students loved it (the chinese are wierd!!) and the senetor was that impressed she demanded and encore (Or so they said, I am convinced she enjoyed watching me make a fool of myself!) I could hardly refuse, and being put on the spot like that the only thing that would come into my head was 'The Hokey Kokey' (I shit you not!)! So once again I sang, this time with actions (On my own!!) praying that I wasnt being filmed for some cruel prank TV show!! Thankfully before long my ordeal was over I was allowed to leave. I guess making myself look like a complete prat is something I'm slowly but surely getting used to!

written by

emmarogers85 on September 19, 2007 from Shenyang, China

from the travel blog: Teach and Travel China - 6 Months

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Wow talk about surreal!! I love it, I would chuffing do anything to see you on that stage singing! You singing! Bloody hell em I can't see to type I'm crying so hard with laughter!! Keep enjoying yourself!! Love you gorgeous! :-)

written by Sarah Rogers on September 23, 2007

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