Blue skies over China

The sun is out the sky is blue and the temperature has finally dropped. The birds may actually be singing. We had another big storm a couple of nights ago just endless lightning and rumbling thunder. It didn't have the punch of the storm the other day but was impressive anyway. The temperature has dropped about 15 degrees in the last two days and a Northerly wind has sprung up. It was fierce for a couple of days but has dropped a little today. You could hear it howling around the corners of the buildings and whistling through any cracks in the windows. It has got us thinking of winter and realising that we are not prepared. So we will be doing some serious cold weather shopping in the weeks to come.

Blue skies and sunny days.

Where did that line of hills come from? 

We have finally received our full timetable and are happy as we managed to not have any crossovers. That means that Michelle or I will always be available for Penny and takes the pressure off finding a babysitter for Penny. I actually manage to have thursdays and fridays off each week (which rocks!). Although it does mean that I have all of my teaching squeezed into three fairly hectic days. It also means that I don't have to work this weekend. Now I know that doesn't seem to make sense, so I will try to explain how having no classes on Thursdays and Fridays leads to not working this weekend. 

OK so next week is a holiday for Chinese national day. Kind of like Australia day but you get a whole week off and there's not so many BBQ's! Well actually its not officially a whole week off and there in lies the rub. The gazetted holiday here in China is Monday through Wednesday and they just give everyone the week off rather than make them come back for a couple of days. All rather nice you must agree. However as the holiday is officially only three days the classes for the other two days need to be made up. So the weekend before the holiday it is. Now that seems fairly straight forward right? Right. It gets a little hazy when you think about the other classes, for instance my classes. They fall on the holidays and as such are not made up for. So basically the people who have classes on the Thursday and Friday actually get taught an extra lesson. An extra lesson that cannot be included in the exams for the subject as not all of the students received it. So what happens to them, do we do another make-up class to make up for the extra lesson that some of the classes received. Thankfully not, that would have been a bit too much like some sort of M.C. Escher nightmare.

If it was up to me, which by the way it is not, I would just give the poor saps (us and the students) the full week off and forget about it. After all the 1st year students have spent the last couple of weeks marching around in full camouflage in 35 plus degree heat. To make matters worse all of the new classes that we received are on another campus about 10-15 minutes way by inter campus bus. So a commute has to be factored in as well. All good though at least we don't have to march there and it isn't hot anymore...ahhh bliss!

Some of the aforementioned poor saps.

There's a storm a comin'

It has been hot. I know I have mentioned this several times already. This should drive home just how hot it is. Well OK it's not that it's soooo hot. It's around mid thirties but the issue is that the humidity is constantly about 90% and there is seldom any wind. Yesterday a storm broke right over the Uni and a building next to where Michelle was teaching at the time was struck by lightning (well it's lightning rod was)! The thunder was incredible, easily the loudest I have ever heard and of course all during Penny's daytime nap. The thunder was so loud that it was setting off car alarms in the street. It hammered rain for about an hour and nearly flooded the flat from our little drying deck. There is a drain on the deck but the washing machine drainpipe was in it so the water from the rain couldn't escape. Luckily I had to get the mop from the deck to sop up some water from an open window and stumbled upon the flood before it crested the step and came inside.

We are praying for the weather to change and winter to start it's approach, after all we are well in to autumn here.

Nanchang Around the World Park...its just like being there!

Well here is a strange experience for the thrill seekers among you. Yesterday we went to Nanchang Around the World Park which is only about a 10 minute drive away.  We have been seeing the tops of strange towers that just peep through the trees on a hill that is by the main road near the campus. We noticed them last time around and just thought that they were random Chinese weirdness and basically forgot about them. This time around we found out that they are the tops of replica European castles and Moorish temples that make up this weird little theme park. So we thought "this looks like a great morning out for the family."

So we jumped a cab and headed out into the brand new world. Well not so brand new as it turned out. The gate was quite impressive looking slightly French or Italian with coats of arms and a replica of Cleopatra's Needle as the centre piece of the circular drive. The weeds poking up everywhere only added to the sense of majesty...as did the lady knitting on a directors chair in the shade of the gate. The ticket collector of course, obviously very busy.

The inside of the park was clean, empty of any other punters...and strange, really strange. Not strange in a bad way. Just strange. I will let the pictures explain what I mean.

The gates and coat of arms.

Another gate view, with the grand mansion in the back ground.

Once through the gates the lawn of naked ladies awaits.

Emperor Suleiman the magnificent (I think) in front of a three stage rocket launch pad and a medieval castle. I wont insult your intellect by pointing out the obvious connections between the three...

Just past the castle we found Mickey, Donald (notice the black hair!!! Chinese Donald??) and a playground!

However much to Penny's dismay the excellent looking playground equipment was upon closer inspection rusty dangerous and inhabited by large black ants. This is a real pity as apart from the playground above we are yet to see a slippery slide in all of China.

Goldilocks?

They went that away.

Indiana Jones set? Maybe this where Suleiman came from.

You gotta admit it would have been cool to hang out here as a kid.

New ruins...cool huh?

Ironic that it looks worse when it is actually in use...

Behind the fake temple ruins was the adventure playground...sorry but I aint goin on that. I'm sure if you scrabbled around in the grass at the base there would be a pile of bones from the last group to dare the apparatus of the beast!

The nice view of the big blue mansion house. Quite elegant really.

Although the back could do with some work.

We finally climbed the stairs to the monument on the hill opposite the entrance to take in the view...

and what a view it was!

Well I did tell you it was strange. There are about 34 things to see in the park however as everything was in Chinese we couldn't really tell what half of the exhibits were. Apparently the statue of liberty is in there along with the Sydney opera house. We spent an hour wandering around and saw maybe 20 exhibits (I guess they were exhibits). A windmill, a row of strange houses - kinda gothic and creepily empty and decrepit- some fountains, and numerous statues to name a few.  

Well It was run down, overgrown and strangely interesting. Michelle and I both liked it although it's not really a place for a little tacker like Penny to explore. So maybe we will return to the strange otherworldly fields of -"NANCHANG AROUND THE WORLD PARK."

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Where Granma go?

I had a big weekend. Although Alice had a bigger one. 

I escorted Michelle's Mum Alice to Shanghai for her return flight to the land of Oz on Sunday. This worked out fairly well as Monday was a public holiday here for Mid-Autumn (or Moon) Festival which allowed me to act as an escort and still make it to all of my classes. Michelle's mum has been a great help and a wonderful companion through some tough and mind-numbing times. Not to mention that Penny loves her and enjoys her company immensely. So of course there were tears shed as we headed off to the airport at 11 am Sunday morning. Nanchang airport was a little better this time around and we sat down to possibly the most expensive coffee that I have had (in Australia or China). My flat white cost 68 RMB, which converts to about $10.00 AUD and it was made with long-life milk. So much for being a coffee Nazi-...they burned the milk...the crema tastes bitter... they packed the group head too tight...etc...- I was just happy that they seemed to have a functioning espresso machine. Anyway the flight was good and we even got a hot lunch of broad beans and prawns in a spicy sauce with a side of steamed rice. The rest of the flight from Nanchang was uneventful and we arrived and hour after take-off at Hong Qiao in Shanghai. 

Alice's flight left Shanghai at 7.30 that night from Pudong so we had a bit of time in Shanghai and planned a quick visit to the Jade Buddha Temple. The taxi from Hong Qiao was lovely and seemed peaceful and civilised after the horn-honking cacophony and brain paralysing swerve fest of Nanchang. I'll blog about "it" at a later date... It was also raining in Shanghai which added to the sense of difference from the heat and dust of of the "Chang" (Nanchang that is...duh!)" WE taxied into the centre of town and checked into the much loved (by us anyway) 7th Heaven hotel. The concierge recognised me and we organised a taxi for Alice's airport trip before we had even checked in. Basically it was a drop and run and we dumped the bags in the room and headed off for a guerrilla tourist raid of the Jade Buddha Temple. We had around an hour and a half before the cab would be waiting. So we jumped another cab (hailed again by the ever helpful concierge guy...gotta love him!) and headed off. The roads were crowded and Nanjing road was packed, and I mean PACKED with people because of the long weekend. Doh!!

The cab took longer than expected...mostly due to the dodgy cabbie taking us along what I expect was the long tourist route to the temple. It took about 25  minutes and cost us 49 RMB which we passed through the mesh into the front seat and headed off down the street in the drizzle towards the black curved roof and saffron walls of the temple. Unsurprisingly it too was packed...and yes I still mean PACKED. We pushed in through the crowds of worshippers and foreign gawkers and made our way through the clouds of falling ash (from the worshiper's offerings) towards the back of the temple where the Jade Buddha is kept. I knew this as I had been there before and as such was determined to lead this raid successfully. We bought our second set of tickets (the first to get in the gate) and headed up the three flights of small narrow steps (whats China without small narrow steps after all?) to the viewing hall. Here we were met by the stragglers of a large French tour group...quelle horreur! The french in their arrogance (sorry couldn't help it and no I didn't really mean it and yes I know that all French are not arrogant and yes I know that doesn't make it better and yes I actually think France is a lovely country full of wonderful people...can I get back to the story now?? Good) had filled the whole viewing hall leaving us with an area of about 3 square feet from which we could see a thin line of what was presumably Jade that may or may not have been part of the anatomy of said Buddha. 

Actually we saw a little of his face and one side and then had to leave to ensure a timely return to the hotel where the taxi to the airport would be waiting... So we pushed back out of the temple and hailed a cab...now this cab took about 10m minutes and cost 16 RMB very different from the nasty cabbie lady on the first trip...damn her eyes. If she had just driven us to the temple in the direct route Alice would have been able to spend another 15 minutes there! Oh well what are you gonna huh? Apart from maybe lying in wait and hunting her down in the hard streets of Shanghai. Lucky for her I have to get back to Nanchang...or I'd be all "Yeah actually I am talking to you...Yeah I do think you're funny!" 

Hordes of worship hungry festival goers.

More of the same...

Good wishes written on red paper/ribbons tied to basically everything in the temple grounds.

So we made it back and got the bags and Alice headed off in a taxi through the holiday crowds towards Pudong and eventually Toowoomba. It was sad to see her go and she is missed here in our little house. 

The rest of my time was spent searching for English language DVD's and books (of which I got many thanks for asking!) . I have mentioned the touts in Shanghai before on this blog and was determined to test their mettle (or perhaps it was a test of mine!!) So I bided my time and chose a guy that seemed nice and whose eyes weren't too close together. He beckoned to me through the crowd and I followed him a good 3 metres or so behind him because of his maddening pace and crowd dodging acumen. I dredged on behind him bouncing hapless Chinese left and right under my sweaty pumping arms (it was 35 degrees and about 100% humidity after all) until we came turned off Nanjing road and entered the seedy backstreets of Shanghai. We plunged on through a couple of other alleyways and eventually through the facade of a small dodgy Qi Pau (Chinese dress) shop into an air conditioned pirate wonderland...(queue the spinning camera and glittering lights). There was Prada, Gucci, Fendi, handbags, wallets, shoes, clothes and of course boxes and boxes and still more boxes of DVD's. Shazam!!  All was good in the world. So I stocked up and headed off back to the hotel for beer and KFC to celebrate.

I tried to have a sleep in but ended up awake at 5:30 am and managed to doze on and off until about 7:00 am or so. Then it was Macca's for coffee before heading off in search of English books and magazines. I headed off to Fuzhou road a few blocks from the hotel invigorated by my screaming kick in the head cup of McDeath coffee. Most of the big shops don't open until 9:30 or 10 o'clock in Shanghai so I had a lot of wandering to do, all of which was accompanied by a warm drizzle and the usual crowds of Shanghai. The Bookstore finally opened and I headed in to emerge about an hour and a half later with a bag of books and mags. 

My train left at 3:30 pm from Shanghai South station so I had time to kill. After heading back to the hotel I showered checked out and braved the streets in search of lunch. Fortunately I found it at a Xinjiang restaurant just down the road. For the uninitiated Xinjiang is a region in the far West of China and their cuisine revolves around barbecued lamb ( the are largely Muslim in faith...the people in Xinjiang that is, not the lambs), bread and salads. So I had some BBQ lamb sprinkled with cumin salt and chili served on flat bread and accompanied by a salad of cucumber, tomato and red onion dressed in fragrant peanut oil and garlic. Yum, yum! Outside the store I jumped a cab to the train station and at 3:30 I was ensconced in my first class seat (think plush airplane seating with plenty of legroom) as the train started to accelerate towards it's top speed of 200 km. Thankfully I had my MP3 player and the books that I had just bought to help pass the time. The guy next to me was going to Nanchang as well (I saw his ticket...he didn't speak once during the trip) and proceeded to make himself comfortable for what turned out to be a long sleep. I sat back and listened XTC's excellent English Settlement as we glided out of Shanghai, it made for a nice counter-point. I was back in Nanchang by around 8:30 pm and home by 9:15. 

A pretty good trip made all the better to hear that Alice had arrived back in Oz safe and sound albeit tired and sick of flying (three flights in one day and a delay of a couple of hours out of Shanghai). 

 

Testing times

I have just finished testing some of the Freshman (1st year) students for the International Business course here at the Uni. I had to do one-on-one English language tests for 57 new students to gauge their level of proficiency. Basically I just asked them some questions and noted their fluency, pronunciation and correct use of vocabulary. It sounds boring and painful I know but I would much prefer to be in my position rather than the students. They were 'packin' it' to put it nicely. I have never seen so many nervous twitches and quivering lips. Not to mention the litres of cold sweat that dripped from their pale little faces. It was bad enough to have to sit any test but the degree of nastiness was obviously increased through the addition of a big hairy blue eyed foreign teacher asking the questions.  As I walked along the corridor outside the room I could sense the students willing me on past their room. Keep walking, keep walking, that's it. Just a few steps further...Crap that big weird hairy foreign dude is testing our class!!!

All twitching and sweating aside they actually did quite well. Kudos to them.

Ahh Nanchang...the tourist capital of China...not!!

On Sunday Alice and I did the Nanchang tourist crawl. This consists of a visit to two places. The home of Ba Da Shan Ren and Teng Wang Ge (a pavilion on the river). We ended up with a guide called Helen (one of the students at the Uni) who had never been to either place. 

As it was my second visit to Ba Da Shan Ren's house and fourth time at Teng Wang Ge (I told you there was no where to go didn't I?)  I felt like the guide. Still it was a good day and we had a good wander around the sights before being taken to lunch...and all courtesy of the University. So here are some pictures so that you may wonder at the curiosities of the dusky orient!!!

Ba Da Shan Ren was an artist whose real name was Zhu Da (1626-1705). He lived and worked in a quiet traditional courtyard house near a lake on the current outskirts of Nanchang. The house is peaceful and cool as you can see from the courtyard above.

Some of the fretwork doors opening onto a courtyard...nice!

One of Zha Da's paintings. Sorry not a good shot...

Teng Wang Ge is one of the more famous towers South of the Yangtse river. It's current concrete form is due to several fires throughout the last couple of centuries. It is impressive.

Michelle's Mum Alice and our student guide (come tourist) Helen at Teng Wang Ge.

Around the house

It has been a week since the last blog and things have been ticking along nicely. Our teaching is underway and we are slowly building a home for ourselves here. So far we have only been assigned part of our teaching load as the freshman students are yet to arrive. This is good as it means we get paid for the full load and only have to do a few classes. The full deal will begin in October. 

Another nice thing is that China has its public holidays at the end of the year. So I got to have some days off back in Oz and now I get some more here in the PRC. Nice. 

I thought that it was about time that I posted some photo's of the house and surrounds so here they are. 

Lounge, Dining and through to the kitchen...and a two year old doing strange things to the TV.

Penny's bed and part of her bedroom. 

This is our chair. Comfortable looking eh? We have dubbed it 'the rack' and have vowed to make it comfortable some how. There is nothing worse than coming home after a long day and having nothing but a straight backed wooden torture device to sit on...unless you're into that of course.

This is the view of one of the teaching buildings from our balcony. At the moment I have three classes in this building and Michelle has one. The rest of her classes are in an older building on the northern end of the campus. 

Here is a gratuitous cute shot of Penny and another of a brassy little Chinese kid who was bossing Penny around in the playground. Can you say Cheese??

There are HOW many in my class?

Well we are a couple of days in and there have been a few teething problems. The internet has been sporadic and we have been given 2 different passwords to log on with. All sorted now, for the moment anyway...

I have started teaching and have now finished 2 of the 3 classes that I have this week. The 1st year students have yet to arrive so the work load will increase when they do. They are big classes, over 60 students in each although not too hard to control. That may change after the novelty of having a foreign teacher wears off though.

Penny is doing well and we are slowly setting up a little house here. We have been back to the wonderful Metro superstore and picked up some butter, cheese, beef, lamb and other western staples. We even had spag bog last night for dinner. Tre decadent for China. Anyway off to the playground where Michelle, Penny and Alice await.