Mooncake factory trip and me on the news

This week has been busy, hence me only getting to blog today.  The Mid Autumn Festival throws everything haywire because all the teaching missed has to be caught up over the weekends, plus we had a trip to the mooncake factory thrown in too. More about that later.

As it was the holidays I had arranged to meet AJ in town for a drink.  Before I left I'd had a cryptic message from him 'Bring Swim Trunks'  Now knowing AJ that could just mean we are going swimming, or we might be in his Hot Tub or it might mean we are off to a bathhouse. So I dutifully packed my trunks, said goodbye to Snooks who was staying at home and shot off into Nanjing City.

We met at at pub called Talking2. I had been there before but got a bit lost so had to jump into a cab.

Yes  its a 'London' Cab

AJ, a canadian guy I can't remember his name and some beer

Another English teacher, can't remember his name either

Then after a couple of beers and a pizza I jumped into AJ's car and we shot off to his home. The balloons are for his son Titus, we're in the lift.

Once home, we got our swimsuits and off we went to the swimming pool in the hotel which is part of the accommodation block. This is Titus running ahead with his rubber ring.

 The swimming pool. It extends outdoors and is quite large but the outside bit was being cleaned.

 Titus in his superman swim suit and rubber ring. 

The film showing in the hotels cinema - I'm sure the title needs proofing!

Just a couple of towers of AJ's accommodation block

 AJ is actually up there somewhere hanging out the balcony waving

The main problem with me visiting AJ is the free bus back into town takes an hour, then its about another hour via Metro and Taxi to get back to my place. Its a big place, China.

Saturday was taken up with me doing the part time work with the small kids, back in town

Sunday we, the Chinese Teachers, Stephen and myself too Junior A into Nanjing to visit the Mooncake factory. The mooncake factory is run by a Christian Charity called Amity and it employs people with various disabilities.  We were taken into town in various parents car.



The students were all lined up.  This is Angel, Kimmy and Dumping, Blue and Echo who has just changed her English name to Cherry

We marched out to the carpark for the parents cars, this is Sephen getting his ride.

Then off to Nanjing to the factory

Angel, Molly and Kimmy

In the factory they all had to get togged up

Forgot this boys name

And his 

Forgot this boys name too

Jimmy making moon cakes

Stephen (we share Junior A)

It was also Angels birthday so a cake was secreted in the building. This is Afeng her mum.

Angel cake...

  Cutting the cake

This is 'Harry Potter' a Korean boy at the school

Ann, our 'line manager' enjoying cake

The Kids all had a great time.

Then we were driven back to school. I was in Afeng's car with another teacher and some kids. And even though it was a big posh Honda with a big GPS screen we got lost. Fortunately my iPhone maps found us they way and once we had found IKEA the mum knew the way. But first she insisted on buying us dinner at IKEA which was nice.

The next day, Monday, was the day my Senior A class went to the mooncake factory. So at 12:30 we all assembled at the office.

The girls at the front - Miley and Lynn in the foreground

And the boys, Sam and Johnny in the foreground (Johnnys dad has a large Porsche,  These kids parents are RICH!)

 Acse fascinated by the bakery

One of the mums

Clockwise, Miley, Lynn, Cherry, Annie (I think) and Jenny

Jeremy and Allen

Sam - who is a real live wire

 Then into the uniforms - this is Rita

 Eva, whose twin is Johnny and Jo

Miley and Lynn

Annie

Jenny- good English has spent time in the UK, I had a chat with her mum

Cherry

Ann in charge again

One of my other teacher colleagues, I forget her name, so many names to remember.

Torres with the cookies they made

Annie, looking like a revolutionary poster I think, handing out the cookies they made, no mooncakes today.

 Sam enjoying the fruits of his labour.

Then back to school but the day wasn't finished yet. I had missed two lessons with this class as they were on the visit, so these lessons had to be made up. Of course as I have mentioned these kids are in class from 8am to about 9 pm so I was scheduled to catch up my classes from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Which I duly did. 

Stephen took his Senior B class the following day.

By the way I mentioned being on the TV here are the clips if you want to watch the Chinese News. I think Stephen and I were like that funny bit at the end of News at 10, or the humourous local story on the local BBC news. 

Woohoo watch me making the Chinese news here:http://web.3ch.net.cn/play.html?c=hrm9o11h7myx7ixn at about 12.36 minutes

And Steven here: http://web.3ch.net.cn/play.html?c=16y0grbsfl5gi376 at about 15.39 minutes

enjoy....

Mid Autumn Festival

This weekend its the Mid Autumn Festival in China.

Wikipedia:

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, during a full moon, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar, close to the autumnal equinox.^[1]

The Government of the People's Republic of China listed the festival as an "intangible cultural heritage" in 2006, and it was made a Chinese public holiday in 2008.^[1] It is also a public holiday in Taiwan. Among the Vietnamese, it is considered the second most important holiday tradition.

Today, the 19th of September, is the time of the full moon and its when the main celebrations are held. In its modern conception the festival is mainly about outdoor reunions among friends and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the moon, a symbol of harmony and unity.

Eating and the giving of mooncakes is a major part of the festivities, especially while looking at the moon with ones family.  Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4–5 cm thick.  A rich thick filling usually made from red bean or lotus seed paste is surrounded by a thin (2–3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. However, my students tell me that they can also contain fruit such as apple, oranges or watermelon, meat such as beef or pork, or their favourite ice cream. 

I have been given three boxes of moon cakes each containing eight moon cakes. I am not going to eat them, this is the general consensus amongst my expat colleagues, so I am following their advice. My mooncakes will be distributed to the security guys on the campus gate and the gardeners if I see them.

I also have to say that the school has been very generous to all its staff and we have been given huge presents. All members of staff received a big box of pomegranates, a presentation b ox of moon cakes, a presentations box of mixed nuts and a presentation box of mixed grain foodstuff.  This is in line with the origins of the festival being one to celebrate the harvest - a harvest festival.

This is a short vid of me showing the contents

Of course school is now on holiday. My last lessons yesterday were bought forward one hour so all the kids could get away. They were all excited as all kids are come the holidays. I think most of the Chinese staff were excited too. They all had plans to travel home to see their family and relations. Most of the staff, even the married ones with families tend to live on campus in dormitories, 4 to a room!

We had extra excitement yesterday as a TV crew had turned up to film Steven and I. So Steve and I had to be available from 9am. First Steve was interviewed because he had a class, then the crew followed him into his class to film him teaching.

Sunny from our office who acted as our interpreter

Steven in his classroom

 Steven takes the mike

 Sunny and Steven

 Steven with Charlie (our boss) at his desk

Steven in full flow

I don't have any photos of me with the camera crew because Steven had to teach, so it was just me and the crew, plus they wanted to interview me in my accommodation. 

So off to my flat we went where they were introduced to Snook Doggy Dog, who was on her best behaviour. She got filmed quite a lot. Then I had to 'show them around' my flat. That took all of 1 minute, but they filmed my sitting room, bedroom and kitchen. I was asked what food I ate, I showed them the contents of my fridge. Then I had to act sitting at my table working and 'doing the things I normally do'.

Then we went outside and filmed Snooks chasing her ball and generally leaping about.  Then we went off to my class. This was my Junior A class, so they were the youngsters. They were all warned to be on their best behaviour and what great kids. The sat straight backed, stayed quiet, put their hands up if they wanted to speak and stood up when they spoke - as they are meant to do instead of the usual lolling about and all shouting out at once. So I did a bit of teaching then got them singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - the unit is about space after all. 

Apparently Stevens clip is going to be shown on the local TV station at 7:30 tonight (Thursday) and my clip is going to be shown on Friday at 7:30. I've been promised, by the reporter, a link to the clips on the internet, so when I get them I will post them. 

Empty corridors

The school is now empty and an empty school is a strange place. Its soulless. The joyful music of children playing and chattering is missing. The buildings stand empty and silent as me and Snooks wander around. I think Snooks and I and Steven might be the only people left on the campus apart from the security guards on the gate. 

Sunset

 Red Reflections