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....

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. 

My new home in Nanjing, China

Im sitting here in my new flat on the school premises waiting for Snook Doggy Dog to turn up. The eta today is between 7 and 8pm and its 6:30pm now, so i'm whiling away the minutes catching up on this blog.

Leaving my bed in Plymouth on Tuesday at 6pm seemed to give me loads of time in hand for my journey, after all Snooks didn't have to be at Virgin Atlantic Freight until about 5:30 and then my flight wasn't until 10:30  that evening, loads of time right? Phew, didn't that time fly by.

The trip by train to London was uneventful as it was by train and usually in my experience theres little drama in travelling by train, although the blooming luggage and holding onto the dog and a coffee etc made boarding a bit of a trial.

Snooks guarding the luggage whilst we wait for the taxi in Plymouth

Getting to the Heathrow Express from the train at Paddington wasn't too much of a trail and soon we found ourselves at Terminal 3 at Heathrow. Into a taxi and off to the Virgin Atlantic freight warehouse. You would think that as it's on the airport it would be 'just around the corner. Well a 30 quid taxi drive later we arrived (yes £30!) but we were too early. We were told to come back at 5:30. I thought the agent had told me that I had to be there by 5:30.  It was about 3 pm by then so we had a two and a half hour wait on the bench outside the depot. 

Snooks enjoyed the wait playing for most of the time with her ball. I had fed her on the train as she had to have her last meal between 4 and 5 hours before drop off.  Fortunatly during this wait she also had two poos, so she would have been an empty little dog on the plane. 

At 5:30 we checked in and it all went smoothly, I put the t shirt I'd been waering for a couple of days into her box and she was all ready for her trip. She got water given her and apparently the plane captain adjusts the temperature and the lighting in the pet hold to make it more comfortable for the animals.

Snooks enjoying her ball at Virgin Atlantic

Snook in the box

So once Snooks was off, I was off back to Terminal 3, this time in a local cab, only £15! The guy at the Virgin depot said this was because the Black Cab drivers at the airport rank really want fares into the city so the charge a premium price for a local fare - blooming robbers!

Then it was the rigmarole of checking in, going through security and into the departure lounge. Where did all that precious time go? By the time I got in the departure lounge I had time to have a quick meal (all day veggie breakfast) a quick sit down, about 30 minutes and then the flight was called. 

I was exhausted.

The flight to Hong Kong was as you might expect it to be on Cathay Pacific, pretty smooth and well organised. 

I've got to admit by the time the food was served (veggie pasta, very nice) I was ready to try to get some sleep.  The problem with the screen in the backrest of the seat in front of me was that it was just out of my focal range with both my glasses on or off and I couldn't be arsed to get out of my seat find my bag and find my reading/screen glasses. 

I think I slept fitfully on and off for about 5 hours as one does on a plane until it was about 8 am (GMT) and they started to serve breakfast (Omelette, sausage, tomato, potato) and then we were descending into Hong Kong. 

By the time we have disembarked the plane I had about 45 minutes for my connection to Nanjing, so I spent a stressful 15/20 minutes having to go through security again to access the connections lounges. Once again all metal off ones body, belt, watch, change etc in the box, laptop and electric goods in another box, 100ml liquids and coats and jackets in the next.  So then I've got about 25 minutes to get to my gate. Gate Number 4. I entered the concorse at about gate 55. It took me a good 15 minutes of jogging with my bags to get to the gate. I'd barely got my breath back when we were boarding.

Back in the air we were fed again. Fish and rice this time. about 2.5 hours and we were in Nanjing

  This time i watched two episodes of the Big Bang in a squinty sort of way as I still didn't have my glasses.

Through security and customs at Nanjing and I was soon in the car with Emma from the agency that employs me, by this time its about 10 pm in the evening. Ive slept about 5 hours since the past morning and we've moved forward in time about 8 hours.

So into my new apartment. I was just a bit concerned when Emma asked me in the car if I had bought sheets and blankets!  Anyway by the time we got there a sheet and a blanket and pillow must have materialised on the bed.

(Snooks just turned up!)  here she is, already comfy on my shirt (I used jets4pets.com)

So in my new flat I pottered around a bit until about 1am as really my brain was thinking it was about 5pm in the afternoon. Couldn't sleep. The building site opposite was working until 2am! Then I was hungry, then too cold because of the air con, then needed a wee, then couldn't sleep, I listened to a couple of pod casts slept for about 30 minutes, then was wide awake till about 8am in the morning, I read a book, and kept trying to sleep. The at about 8 I dropped off for about 2 hours ish and thats all the sleep Ive had. (Its 20:17 the same day at the moment)

Anyway Ann the school vice director came over to take me to lunch at about 12 and then we made a little list of everything that was missing from this brand new flat. Things like wardrobes and drawers, cutlery, bowls, plates, sheets, blankets, quilt, pillows, rice cooker, toaster, iron, ironing board etc. Then we went out and bought them, with MY MONEY!!!!- hopefully it will be reimbursed.

Then a quick orientation, I met with the other teacher, Steven with whom I have lots of mutual expat friends.  So neither of us are new to Nanjing.

This is my flat now:

 Kitchen with all brand new appliances

Kettle, microwave, toaster, hotplate cooker thing and wok, rice cooker 

 Shower loo etc

 Front room - where the single chair is will be my desk etc

 air con and notice used at airport done by kids

 Utility room with brand new washing machine and view

 More view out of utility room

 Bedroom with new quilt  and cover and sheets, its a hard hard bed base tho.

Notice clothes current in cardboard boxes appliances came in 

 Hanging clothes awaiting wardrobes etc

 Bedroom view

 View from Kitchen window into school grounds

So thats it for the moment, Im really tired and need to eat, although ones stomach gets jetlagged too. Its like WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME FOOD NOW!

But I've got Snooks here with me now so I don't care!!!

Catch you later