Dinner with the big bosses.

Friday Morning about 8:10 am my phone rings.

'Rob? Its Charlie (my big school boss). 'Are you up?'

'Er yes'. (Im still in bed).

'Well there is a big meeting of teachers and you need to show your face'

'Oh. OK. When?'

'Now. I am waiting for you outside of your apartment'

'Ah' (I leap out of bed). 'Erm one minute Charlie' as I throw clothes on.

Five minutes later I am being introduced to all the teachers of the school in a large lecture theatre where they are all getting an induction. Then I had to sit though over an hour of speeches by the bosses, all in Chinese of course, before I could escape during a break. I spoke to a Chinese teacher later, they had to sit through another hour and a half of it after the break.

This is the sort of thing that happens in China. You never get any notice of whats going to happen, or as happened later in the day the notice given is basically like a rule of thumb (in the last blog I mentioned Emma and her 8am arrival). I had been told that the dinner for new English teachers was on Friday and I'd be called for at 6:30pm.  So at about 4pm I went for a run (in preparation for eating a lot). I ran for about 40 minutes then sat had a drink and cooled off so eventually got in the shower to get ready at about 5:10. Having showered and just had a shave the phone went.

'Rob? Its Ann (the vice director) Come to the office now for dinner'.

'Ann, I've just got out of the shower, I'll be about 10 minutes'

Rushes around ironing shirts and getting dressed

So I get to the office at about 5:30pm and we go up to the restaurant. (its on top of the three story school canteen, its basically a private room thats used for formal dinners, cooked I guess in the school kitchens by their staff, but there is a formal waitress or fuyan as called in Chinese). At the restaurant the really big bosses of the school are there waiting for me with all the other new English teachers.

Time is strange concept in China.

But back to what I've been up to. Me and Snooks did our first run on Thursday. Using an App on my phone I discovered that the perimeter road around the school (but within the walls) is about 1k. On Thursday it was hot and humid and Snooks only managed 1k before flagging so far behind me that I put her back into the air con coolness of the apartment. I managed 5k though which I was pleased with as its the first run I've done in a few weeks.

I also went out and got spare keys cut for my apartment.

This is the guy who just has a movable cart on the pavement who cut my keys

This is the area where I do my shopping. I have to take the bus (No 90) and travel about 4 stops.
This is the supermarket called 'Suguo' which has pretty much of everything, food, hard wear, clothes, bikes, electric bikes and so on.

This is the other side of the road, in the building on the left is a fruit, veg and meat market with independent traders, also noodle makers and hardwear shops.

 A view down the street

 The bus stop

 The bus, the fare on Nanjing buses is 1 yuan (about 10p) anywhere on that route if you change buses its another 1 yuan

Then after shopping, I had a run, another 5k without Snooks this time. And it was time for dinner.

 This is Ann, my immediate Chinese boss (Not a flattering pic Im afraid) She's spent time in Australia so her English is good. Shes a teacher also. The other people are new English teachers.

This is Charlie in the foreground (The Big Boss of the school, good english) Then the main big boss and the woman is the CEO

This is Sam, seems a really nice guy, very good English, works at the main office of Linkfun, the people I work for.

Guy on the right is Scott a Canadian who is going to be teaching at my school, he currently lives in Nanjing City with his girlfriend

Food was plentiful and nice, I ate fish and meat but also lots of veg  - it was very delicious. I opted for beer instead of the lethal Bijou. I decided to start as I mean to go on. At these formal dinners there are interminable toasts, a bit like the Russian tradition with Vodka, but then they go onto 'Gambay' which is 'down in one' and they move on from the thimble sized glasses (just to the left of my beer) to the small jugs (next to the wine glass)

 There was a whole range of food, some of which I didn't taste and only found out the next day what some of it was. There was frog (didn't taste but had new fruits off the plate), apparently there was turtle, I didn't see that, duck, eel, chicken, beef, prawns, shellfish, tofu, two kinds of fish, a liver dish, a kidney dish, sort of pickled cucumbers, a nice 'green' dish of a vegetable, tofu strips and chilli, the bean shoot in my bowl came from another dish I don't know what was in it, steamed bread rolls you can see on far side of table. So quite a feast.

Yesterday (Saturday) I did some work for my classes, then took Snooks for a longish walk around the local district which is mainly car dealerships, so not as interesting as the Dongshan Road we walked down the other evening.

When we came back I went to my office to get my teaching schedule.  I have thirteen classes which amount to about 9 hours work a week. Im teaching the Junior A class and the Senior A class, but the thirteen lessons are split all over the shop and of course I also want to do a bit of teaching on the side at SouthEast University, Ive sent them my schedule hoping they can fit me in. Ive spoken to Stephen, my colleague and we are going to try and re-organise our schedule so we have at least on whole day off, as at the moment we are teaching everyday but that might mean I teach the 1st period 8:00 - 8:45 then nothing until the last but one period -15:35-16:20 later the same day.

While I was waiting and chatting with Ann I mentioned I might like to get an electric scooter. She mentioned one of the teachers had just purchased one so she rang him up and he came around and took me on the bus to the dealership where we had a look at some bikes on offer.  I saw some guy with just the one I would like, wide swept handlebars, chrome headlight, very swish but expensive at about 4000y. I'm pretty sure that the first time I parked it at the Metro is would dissapear, so I think Im going to have to buy a bog standard, anonymous bike for about 2500 yuan.

Today (Sunday) Im going for a run now (its about 10am) then later this afternoon me and Snooks will be taking the Metro to see Tom and Peggy my American friends who are back in country. This will be a minor adventure as where I am in Dongshan is a long way from Xianlin where I used to live, so we have to get a taxi to the Metro

Then go all the way into Nanjing (I'm on Line 1) change to Line 2 all the way to the Xianhemen stop its probably going to take me the best part of 90 minutes.  But it will be cool to see my old friends again.

Watch this space.

The Best Laid Plans

Whenever you organise anything in China you have to assume that it might happen as organised, it might happen later on, it might happen tomorrow or it might not happen at all, ever, and no one will ever speak of it ever again. Its a bit like the Spanish 'mañana'  or the Cornish 'Drekly' but a bit more complicated.

I got myself into Nanjing for 1 o clock as organised to find that I was going to be escorted by another teacher and not the agency foreign affairs person and this new person didn't really know where we were going. However, once we got off the Metro at the required stop I recognised where we were and got us there.

We were late, it was closed. Medical examinations only happen in the morning.

This is despite me telling the agency person that we needed to be there early. It had originally been planned for us to go after the training at 4am on Tuesday but I was reminded by the other ex pat teachers that the medical place only opened in the morning. So I told the woman but she said no 1 o clock would be OK - so stupidly I believed here.

So that was a wasted journey but I took the opportunity to get into the Walmart in town for a few things and I learnt the nearest Metro station to my school.

Back at the school, it was a hot and humid day and it had been arranged that I would go to see the students at 7:30.  These students start school at 8 am in the morning and are still in the classroom at 9:30 pm. British kids would absolutely die. They also get homework.

But after a cuppa I decided that Snooks had been cooped up enough this last few days so we went out to explore. We walked through a local shopping street that I had been through on the bus. Its a bit of a rough and ready neighbourhood, but I'd seen a couple of electric bike sellers and wanted to check out the prices.

Snooks soon got to meet Chinese Dogs. Not nose to nose, but within barking distance. This one was barking a bit, but Snooks took no notice, maybe it was barking in Chinese!

This is looking across a pond at an area that is cultivated - its about 5:30ish in this picture.

 People working the fields - every bit of local land is used for cultivation and I think most of the vegetables, such as Pak Choi are sold locally in the shops and supermarkets

This is the road I was walking along

Guy taking it easy on his hammock.

On our way back we popped into the local shop and picked up some water and a sweeper and dustpan for the fur problem. I've got wooden floors and no hoover and I'm not buying one. 

Later at 7:30 I went over and was introduced to my classes. Ive two senior classes I think. They are about 14 or 15 and one junior class, Im not sure how old they are. I introduced my self and shhowed them where I come from then had a bit of a question and answer session. I was asked things like how old was I? Did I like cats? One kid wanted to know where I got my jacket from and thought I was a 'fashion guy'! The senior class fell apart when they saw my mis matched, stripy, colourful socks (Primark) and I got a round of applause. 

So that looks like its going to be good fun and I look forward to teaching them.

When I was at the medical centre which was closed when I got there I told the agency office that we needed to be there early the following day. So I insisted that a car should pick me up at 8 the following day at the school to get me to the medical centre on time.  The agency person told me, yes she would be there at 8 the following day. But the car would take us to the Metro and we would go to the medical place on that arriving at about 9.

Well I was at the school gate at 7.55 am. By then its hot and humid, the sun is shining.  I had to wait in the shade watching the kids turn up for the new term with their bedding and belonging.

Some turned up with their parents on pushbikes, scooters, motorbikes, taxis and a few rich parents in

Landrover Discoverys

 or Porsches

\

Of course the agent didn't turn up at 8. She managed to get there at about 8:30 am. Anyway we got to the medical place and all went swimmingly. I paid my 450 yuan (about £50 - I'll get it reimbursed in two months) and seemingly passed all my tests (except the ones we're waiting for the results). Basically they did blood pressure, listened to my chest, tested my eyes throat and ears. Ultrasounded my abdomen, wired me up to a machine and checked my heart, took blood and xrayed my chest. 

Once out of there we went to the bank and opened a bank account so they can pay me. Then it was back on the metro and off back to school.

At the Metro stop I use I had a mooch around the shops. I found an art materials place so I might do some painting.  Then I stopped for lunch at a local place.

 This is the Chow Mein I had - basically stir fried noodles with egg and vegetables and very nice it was too, if not huge and cost 6 yuan or about 0.75p

 This is the chef in his out door kitchen!

Then back to the school campus.

After that big plate of noodles, my early start and the humid heat of the day I had a bit of a snooze, then took Snooks out for a run. It was really hot and even off the lead she was flagging behind me, so after one circuit of the campus (1k), I popped her back into the air con luxury of the flat and then I continued on and did 5k which I'm very pleased to have done even though it was so hot n humid.

Tomorrow theres a dinner planned for the teachers. My colleague, Steve is still in Shanghai so I wonder if he will be back.

Anyway tomorrows another day and as I said at the top of the blog, the best laid plans and all....

Teacher Training and old friends

Its Wednesday today and the plan for today is to scoot back into Nanjing City for my required medical and application for a residents permit of which more in another blog.

The past two days have been spent attending a 'teacher training' event organised by the Linkfun agency we all work for.  This was held in downtown Nanjing, which for me is an hours taxi drive at least if the roads are marginally empty. But first I had to attend the local police station to register as a temporary resident.  This involved being taken by taxi by my school's vice director to the police where I got another certificate to add to my others saying I was legal. Then I was dropped off at a metro station and had to make my own way to the training venue. This was quite easy.

I arrived at the event at midday having missed the morning sessions but I was really pleased to meet up with old friends from my time before, Ryan and Taylor american teachers who have been here for around 5 years.

The training was basically preaching to the converted, all of the expat teachers in the room (about 10 of us) were 'old hands' so we knew most of the stuff we were presented with. We teachers also had to present demo classes which was good as we could pick up new tips for class content. ( except the two guys who were teaching calculus!)

 James, Taylor and George doing their thing. James is a Brit, Taylor is an American and George is from the Phillipines (he's the calculus guy!)

 Chinese teachers and Phil another American who has been here for five years or more

Ryan and the rest of the group

After the training had finished we had to go and have our photos taken.

Chinese dog enroute to photo place

Taylor waiting for photo

 James (Uk) and Jessica (US)

These photos should be a hoot as we were 'made' to wear props, either clothes or in my case comedy glasses, hope we get a copy so I can post them,

 That evening we had a much needed beer and a dinner.

 The following day it was my turn to perform:

 We finished early and retired to a bar for a beer. I then had to leave earlyish as Snooks had been left alone all day.

The weather is hot and humid so snooks had the best of it staying in the air con'd cool of the flat. I managed to get out during the lunch break to get a sim for my iphone so now have a chinese number and my phones working yay!

Time for a cuppa and then back into town for the medical etc.

More later......

In which I shop for dog food and Snooky meets a Chinese Cat!

Very humid and thundery with lightening here in Nanjing today, there’s been some heavy rain too. But I’ve been out exploring and on a mission to get Snooky some food.

I’ve got to admit its not that much of a mission as I was going to the big supermarket I went to yesterday, but today I was unaccompanied and I wasn’t sure if they sold pet food.  Snooks had to stay at home. This is because I don’t really know what the policy is about taking dogs into the big stores here, they probably don’t have one.

Anyway leaving Snooks at home on the bed with the air con set to comfortable for her, I set off to the supermarket.  These are a few more pictures of 'home' and the school campus.

The school from across the road

Main entrance guarded by steel gates on the right

 Walking towards my accommodation

 One of the buildings - notice the kids all in military uniform, all over the country school kids are doing their obligatory military training before schools starts. They spend all day from early till late marching in formation, doing drills and stuff I don't know about.

 This is one of the teaching blocks

 Accommodation blocks, I think - there are about 3000 boarders

 The baseball field and sports field

 Road towards my accommodation

 The little garden outside of the main door to my accommodation

Once out of the school estate, I caught the right bus (No 89) and soon was at the stop for the supermarket, so I was pleased to manage that – it was only 3 stops so not that hard (PS three stops on a Chinese bus route is quite a long way)

Once there I had a mooch around the local area of the supermarket. There’s a local indoor market with loads of different vendors selling fruit, veg and meat and a few shops, banks, hairdressers and so on.

In the supermarket I bought a few things and found the pet food section, so now Snooks has got pedigree kibble, which I guess its called.  I also got some dental chews for her, she likes those. 

It’s a bit posher than the Lidl pet food she was on before in the UK. I’m sure she’ll miss the chewy chunks that are in the Lidl food as these were the chunks she would particularly pick out and eat before eating the other biscuits.

Later once back at the flat I agreed with Steve, one of the other ex pat teachers (English), to go to IKEA.  This is a shortish taxi ride away and we both needed stuff for our respective flats.

Nanjing IKEA is the hell you can probably imagine. The restaurant is impossible to get into and the aisles are jamb packed. But we got the things we needed, then we got the obligatory hotdog, I got real ground coffee in the shop for my French press which will do nicely.

IKEA hell

We also saw this religious comment which we thought was apt as China is a non religious society, although why the message is hidden on a sweet bag in IKEA is beyond me.

The heavens opened as we were getting a taxi and the rain was torrential. We got soaked. My hat was sopping. So sopping that I accidentally left it in the taxi – doh! 6000 miles just to lose my hat.

Once home I took Snooks out for a walk across the road and up to a local smaller supermarket to get some bottled water. In the shop Snooks met up with a Chinese cat. I think the cat was really surprised to see a dog in the shop. It probably has never seen a dog as it’s not a great pet owning nation.  Keeping its fur on high alert it followed us, at a safe distance, around the shop with a confused look on its face.  Snooks was mighty interested too.

Tomorrow I have to go to Nanjing City proper which is a bit of a hike on the bus, unless I wimp out and get a taxi. I have to register for the two day training i'm doing with the Agency that employs me.  So that should be fun, although Snooks will have to stay at home, alone.