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. 

Bathing with AJ

Met AJ today. AJ's a mate from the last time here in Nanjing and is the person who is directly to blame for me being back here. Not that he forced me but that he has been very instrumental in finding me this job and supporting my application. So naturally we were keen to meet us asap and share gossip etc about the last year or so over a beer of course.

Since I was last here AJ has moved jobs and with it accommodation so after we had picked up his wife Xia and son Titus at the train station who were returning from a summer break in the mountains with granny and grandpa we went in his car to the new flat.

The flat is in a brand new development that has its own school swimming pool etc, in fact its a brand new community, so brand new that its still being constructed.

This is the view from the 10th floor where AJ's flat is. The buildings with the blue roofs are worker accommodation. The red brick buildings to the left, in the distance, is the school.

Also on the balcony is a large 'tub' which we utilised:

Snooks and Titus enjoyed it as well

I got a taxi home and as Nanjing is such a large city it took about an hour, but a good day. 

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

Packing for China the final countdown.

Thats it, its about 10:30 in the evening and my taxi is booked for 9am tomorrow morning so I think I've finished packing.

I had confirmation today from Cathay Pacific that my ticket did indeed have a 30 kilo check in allowance.

I havent gone mad and added loads more stuff. I added a pair of shorts that were always going to be on the list but I had been wearing them and they were then in the wash.  Ive also added a fleece and a rain jacket but these two items are in my carry on at the moment. I've decanted my medicine out of the glass bottle that I rejected yesterday and put it into two 100ml plastic bottles. I've added some more teabags and a few bits and pieces such as Snook Dogs Ducky, two balls, plus tomorrow, I'll have to add her lead, collar and harness as she is not allowed them on the plane she's going on. But nothing else significant so the main bag is up to about 25 kilos. I think thats about it, Im happy with that. Plus it also gives me a bit of leeway if my carry on bag is heavy or they don't like my stuffed computer bag, or the overcoat I'll be carrying, on the airlines website I don't think they like carried overcoats and will want to add it to the carry on tariff.

Im a bit exhuasted as its been non stop the last couple of days just tying up loose ends, getting the house ship shape, sorting out snooks pet passport, paying my tax :-( sorting out the bank, credit cards and so on.

The last thing to do I suppose is try on the clothes I think Im wearing tomorrow, a bit late but I think it'll be OK - famous last words huh?

My bags

Packing for China Part 2

The on/off, can I/can't I? Will they/Won't they saga of my baggage allowance seems to have been settled by the agent. As I mentioned the agent told me I could have 30 kilos and the airline told me, no no no, its 20 kilos for you in cattle class.  Anyhow, the agent has confirmed the 30 kilos and re-issued my ticket, Im still ringing up Cathay Pacific tomorrow, just in case - just in case I don't have $600 on my person when they tell me my baggage is overweight!

As it is I have just re-packed my bag, reassessed the contents and at the moment my main bag is about 23 kilos.

This is the full list:

Main Bag

Running shoes

Black shoes for work
Running shorts - Lycra
Running shirt - long sleeves
Polo Shirt x 2
Waxed type Jacket
Black and White Kefeya Scarf

Casual Rugby style shirts x 1 - long sleeve 
Track suit bottoms  - new and thick and warm x1
Towel (small hand towel)
2 x blue jeans
7 cotton shirts -  for work etc 5 x long sleeve formal 2 x short sleeve casual
2 x thermal vests and 2 x thermal long johns - there is no heating in Chinese schools
6 pairs underpants 
7 pairs of socks 

2 x ankle socks for running

1 woolly hat 
1 woolly bobble hat
2 x pair thick socks
Running trousers (Lycra)

8 ties

Lumberjack style hat (bought in china last time)

1 x neck scarf

Long sleeve top

Polo neck top - long sleeve

White England Nike rugby top

Linen Suit

Trousers (work)

Grey work jacket

Micro fleece

Swimming shorts

Hiking boots

Dark Suit

Wash bag with razor, toothbrush, small toothpaste, small bottle Calvin Klein One and other bits n pieces

Bigger wash bag holding various medicines including 20 lemsips (gold dust in China), some anti Beijing tummy remedy, migraine medicine, anadin, anti indigestion medicine etc. 

Plus:

3 brown puffers (cenil modulate)

4 blue ventolin

Canvas bag (present)

Shoe brushes x 2

3 x pairs of insoles

small canvas artwork 6 x 6 inches

2 x filters (for friends hot tub)

4 x anti perspirent roll ons, 

Swiss army knife 

When I started the repack the bag was weighing in at about 26 kilos. So I have reduced this by removing all the packaging from various medicines, removed a glass bottle of cough medicine ( I might regret this), the short sleeved rugby shirt, removed the bath towel, I can buy one in China, removed gloves, removed scarf and anything in superfluous packaging i.e., took shoes out of shoe bag.

Computer Bag carry on

Spare dog lead

Neoprene knee brace

Office folder containing papers, certificates etc

Ventolin

Hair clay

Olbas Oil 10ml

Kindle

Google Nexus tablet

Hanky (cotton)

Notebooks x 2

Spare mobile phone

Glasses x 3 (reading)

Business cards

8 x USB memory sticks

Oxford School Thesaurus

Apple Mac Book in case

Dr Dre Headphones

Dogs papers

Lead and Harness

This is about 7 kilos at the moment, it might be too heavy, the airline only stipulates a computer case or briefcase. 

Back pack carry on

2 x electrical plug adaptors

Camera

All Charging leads for gadgets

Camera lens wrapped in scarf

2 bags sweets for friends kids

spare glasses and sun glasses

spare razor blades (1 pack)

Hat

moist toilet tissue

Head torch (wind up)

anadin

3 x Typhoo tea packs (I know coals to Newcastle etc - but you can't beat a good cuppa, even in China!)

This is about 5 kilos at the moment and can be 7 kilos as my carry on bag. 

I have a waist belt as well which will have another pack of moist toilet tissue (a boon in China believe me), my sunglasses which I can wear around my neck when boarding, my small camera which I can wear on my belt when boarding. 

I also will carry an overcoat with stuff in the pockets.

Plus of course I will be wearing shirt, trousers, jacket, probably my fleece, doc martens etc. 

Once I have called Cathay Pacific tomorrow and confirmed my baggage allowance this is pretty much it I think.

Watch this space.

Packing for China 2013

I've started to pack for China. It seems I've had a stroke of good luck in that my airline ticket bought online via  www.airexpress.co.uk  gives me 30 kilos of checked in baggage as oppose to the 20 kilo the airline advertise. I have checked this with the agent and have had an email from them confirming it, I will be ringing Cathay Pacific tomorrow to double check. This is simply because if I end up 10 kilos overweight I'll be charged $600 excess baggage!

Anyway the 30 kilos gives me a bit more scope than the 20 kilos I had to pack last time. In
2011 this was pretty much my final packing list:
Running shoes
Black shoes for work
Running shorts - Lycra
Running shirt - long sleeves
Fred  Perry Polo Shirt
Waxed type Jacket
Black and White Kefeya Scarf
Casual Rugby style shirts x 2 - 1long sleeve and 1 short sleeve
Track suit bottoms  - new and thick and warm x1
University of Plymouth Hoodie - parting gift from my job - I asked for it, and they are warm and good quality
Large Bath sheet - smaller ones can be purchased in China but not bath sheets
1 pair black jeans
1 pair Khaki Chinos
4 cotton shirts -  for work etc
2 x thermal vests and 2 x thermal long johns - I'm told that there is no heating in Chinese schools
6 pairs underpants (M&S of course)
10 pairs of socks (1 pair a month huh?)
1 woolly hat (courtesy of Matilda, she bought it in Marrakesh)
1 woolly bobble hat
1 pair thick socks
Running trousers (Lycra)

That's it in terms of clothes

Also in the suitcase is:

A bag with 6 underarm deodorants - reduced from 10 - apparently you cant get deodorant in China! Plus 5 small bottles of shaving oil. Various prescription medicines, 3 Ventolin and 3 of the steroid puffers.  3 packs of Imodium (just in case!), about 12 of my migraine drugs (but hopefully will not need) cliploc bags x 2 boxes for teacher in china. 2 x large bars of chocolate requested by teacher in china. Swiss Army penknife.

At the moment my bag is pushing about 23 kilos and is looking pretty full with all this stuff (not including the dog, she's going on her own flight, i'm couriering her stuff)

So in no particular order here we go again:

Running shoes
Black shoes for work

Running shorts - Lycra
Running shirt - long sleeves
Polo Shirt x 2
Waxed type Jacket
Black and White Kefeya Scarf

Yellow Indian Scarf
Casual Rugby style shirts x 2 - 1long sleeve and 1 short sleeve
Track suit bottoms  - new and thick and warm x1
Bath towel
2 x blue jeans
7 cotton shirts -  for work etc 5 x long sleeve formal 2 x short sleeve casual
2 x thermal vests and 2 x thermal long johns - there is no heating in Chinese schools
6 pairs underpants 
7 pairs of socks 

2 x ankle socks for running
1 woolly hat 
1 woolly bobble hat
2 x pair thick socks
Running trousers (Lycra)

8 ties

Lumberjack style hat (bought in china last time)

1 x pair of gloves

1 x neck scarf

Long sleeve top

Polo neck top - long sleeve

White England Nike rugby top

Linen Suit

Trousers (work)

Grey work jacket

Micro fleece

Swimming shorts

Hiking boots

That's it in terms of clothes

Also in the suitcase is - to be listed when I'm sure I've got what I need. So that's a first attempt at getting what I think I need/want. Theres a couple of other items I could take if I want, but I have to decide do I really want them as, after all, I will have to bring most of this back and I may not get 30 kilos of baggage allowance next time. 

I've still got 7 kilos in my backpack and a computer case to go yet as well and I more week top sort it out as me and snooks are off on the 20th August. 

Up Up and Away

Well its definite me and Snook Doggy Dog are off to China! Ive been delaying posting, not wanting to tempt fate. But the proof is in the pudding and my visa is in my passport.

Snooks has passed her rabies test, which means the injection she had 30 days ago has worked, so we just need to get her passport and book the travel agent.

I've not been wanting to tempt fate because I have never been 100% sure that I would get the visa. my age is against me for one. In China there is a age 60 ceiling for hiring foreign teachers and I am banging on that door, age 60 in March.  Plus there was the added problem of doing a bunk back from China in 2012. The Chinese Govt doesn't take this lightly and have actually set up a website to name those foreigners who have breached their contracts like I did. But fortunately because of the bureaucratic nonsense which is China they have only ever put 9 names on it since 2012 and mine is not on there. But I couldn't also count out the fact that the new school might contact the old school for a reference and that would be me scuppered.

The other good news is I have a new lodger who is going to be in my rooms. That's a huge weight off my mind and means with the new job I will be financially stable for the next year at least. I even got a deposit off the guy so that meant I could do some shopping.

I need to revisit my packing list of 2011 to see what I packed then and what I need to pack now. I am definitely sending a box of stuff by courier too. There's just too many small things that would jamb up my suitcase and probably send me overweight, plus I need to send Snooks' packing as well, balls, ducky, raincoat, winter coat, etc  and 40 quid ish to send a parcel isn't too bad, better than paying the airline for overweight luggage.

I'll make a new list as I pack and post it here.

But its all good I have the z visa, all I need to do now is buy the plane ticket and pack.