China... Oh China
Thursday Schmurzday
Well its safe to say that I am absolutely confused and disorientated by the new format. I'm sure I'll get used to it though, and learn to love the new features.
Today has been a long day, as Thursdays are. I had a Teacher's lesson at lunchtime today which is supposed to involve a large number of teachers coming to my lesson to prepare for an exam that they all have to pass before the end of 2005. What it really involves is my coaching one music teacher who really wants to pass the exam. This is preferable for me, of course.
She started off the lesson by telling me that she had had no time to prepare any answers because she bought a new horse. 'A HORSE?' I said. Who has the time, space and money to keep a horse in Beijing? She meant 'house'. Her and her boyfriend queued up for 4 days to get their new apartment. Yes, this meant they ate, slept and did everything else in this queue to buy a relatively cheap apartment (Y380,000= GBP 25,000). She has got a 30 year mortgage and will end up paying an extra Y280,000 in interest. And I know for a fact that she earns less than Y3000 (GBP200) a month.
She has decided that her and her boyfriend are going to buy the house on their own without any help from their parents. Her parents divorced when she was 4 years old. The grandparents of her parents were related, and decided her parents would get married. She said they never grew to love each other. They both now have other families and she has lived with her grandmother.
Then the teacher who helps me with the teachers lesson and most of my Grade 1 classes started telling me about her living situation. She lives over an hour away from school and she was really disappointed that she didn't know that these cheap apartments were selling, though she admitted she would never have time to queue up for that long. Or the money to buy the house. She takes on as much extra work at school as she can and she spends all the money on her son. She has just paid Y200,000 (GBP13,000) for his primary school, because she wants him to go to a good one. She told me she has just spent 4 days preparing exam papers for the final exams- they are paying her an extra Y50 (GBP3) a month for this.
She works all of Saturday in another primary school for extra money. Every day she looks so immensely tired. She doesn't like the school and thinks the pay is shit. She has been offered a job at a school she used to work at, which she says is really good and better pay. However, its too far from her house and there is nobody to pick her son up from kindergarten. If she moves to that area her husband with either have to commute across the city or take a pay cut by half if he works in that area. She's stuck. She says she's gonna stick it out and retire in 10 years.
All this gave me something to think about anyway.
And its round to Sunday again...
I actually didn't end up working much at all this week. I was told that I would have Friday off because the kids were doing military training which I was ecstatic about, but then I ended up being extremely ill for all of Thursday, and then could only spend Friday resting. I did however for my first meal after the starvation go to a lovely Russian restaurant where the carnage that was my birthday occurred in October. Of course Russia= vodka. And copious amounts. That night I was topping peoples shot glasses up throughout the meal and I think we drank at least 8 bottles between about 16 of us. Anyway, one of the crowd thanked me for my plying her with alcohol- 4 of the group decided to couple off with each other on that evening! (All are still together). However, Friday involved no vodka for me, due to said illness.
I woke up on Saturday at E's house to the sound of a marching band. It was her schools 250th anniversary and they were having a celebration thing with old teachers and stuff. Its so China to have something like this at 730am on a Saturday morning. After much cups of tea and reading of recently acquired Cosmo, I managed to sneak out and home.
The rest of the day was spent preparing for the arrival of JimmyK! Since he can't stay at my school, I had to find an appropriate hotel. I've decided not to inform the school of his visit after the debaucle that was last time. Just think more lies, deception and dinner with the headmaster. No thankyou.
Mainly did lesson planning today and had a fun lesson with the 7 year olds. They are really sweet. Then I called one of my best friends from Uni (C the musical genius), who the other one- S was visiting for the weekend. And due to the musical fusion that has occurred, JimmyK was there too. I was so jealous the three of them there together without me. But it was so ace to chat to them all. I can't wait for me, C and S to be reunitated again, and hopefully it will be in July in CHINA!
Its all teaching, teaching, teaching until Friday when I am giving up all the extra work and concentrating on having fun and most importantly eating good food with JimmyK. Its gonna be like a holiday for me too!
And just like that...
... the sandstorms of yesterday are but a breeze today. The sky is blue, the sun is shining and my lesson this afternoon is cancelled, meaning I am free from hell until 10:35 tomorrow morning. Going to have an afternoon coffee with the wonderful J, and then a tai ji lesson with Mr Wang who makes me laugh sooo much, then hot pot at the place with free beer and ice cream! Could today get any better.
Wow- i have found one good thing about being a teacher.... how many other jobs are there where you suddenly find yourself with nothing to do for the afternoon at least once a month.....
Nothing or everything?
There are so many things to write about... but part of me doesn't have the energy to write them down. I guess when I start writing things will flow and then this will be a long and rambling entry...
The Weekend: British Council lunch at a French Restaurant on Friday lunchtime. A nice excuse for us all to tell them how much we love our schools, how much our school love us and how wonderful they are for setting it all up. Total bull****. However, got to drink free wine at lunchtime though which can never be a bad thing. We followed the lunch with afternoon drinks and then 'the best pizza in Beijing' (and that's official- says me).
Saturday saw me doing pretty much nothing at all, to make a change. At night met chinese-S for dinner. However, we decided to skip dinner and go and buy shoes. It was spend 150 get 150 in vouchers so we both bought shoes. We then had 150 left over and couldn't find anything to buy.... we ended up getting kicked out when all the shop assistants started leaving. We went back on Sunday morning to spend the voucher and I bought some trousers, a belt and some tops. Fun. It was also the first time I have seen a fish the size of a small child being carried through a department store. Sunday carried on with me cleaning the apartment and then teaching in the evening.
Just lately..: Things at school have been rough. They have changed my timetable around so I can't go to tai ji on thursdays. They have given me a lesson in a time when all the teachers have a meeting so there is nobody to attend my class (to help me translate to the 11 year olds). However, when talking to the woman who is supposed to be my liason person (i refer to her as b***h usually), its obvious that she doesn't really give a shit about me, my timetable or any of the other teachers for that matter. The school treats its staff terribly. They are tired, and no consideration is given for the commitments that they have outside school (like children for example).
Although it sounds like I may just be comparing it with England, which is not a fair comparison, using the information my friends have given me about their schools I can safely say that my school is shit. And the leaders are shits. And, I feel like a 2nd class worker in this school.
Monday: Its been ups and downs really. Ups have included tormenting a sleeping boy and dinner with chinese-S. Downs have included teaching a lazy, good for nothing, class of robots, having b***h asking the other teachers if I do extra work (the philosophy of the school is use lies and deception at all times), and teaching in general.
I don't know. I don't really want this to sound like a moany post. Its just that teaching and dealing with my school in general had become tedious and a source of great stress. I am sad to say it, but I am actually counting down the days until this is over. I can't wait to return to country where I can get a job I enjoy and where I will be valued as a normal and legitimate human being. I will be sorry to say goodbye to the people and China in general- but to my school..... that I can't say.
Nothing or everything?
There are so many things to write about... but part of me doesn't have the energy to write them down. I guess when I start writing things will flow and then this will be a long and rambling entry...
The Weekend: British Council lunch at a French Restaurant on Friday lunchtime. A nice excuse for us all to tell them how much we love our schools, how much our school love us and how wonderful they are for setting it all up. Total bull****. However, got to drink free wine at lunchtime though which can never be a bad thing. We followed the lunch with afternoon drinks and then 'the best pizza in Beijing' (and that's official- says me).
Saturday saw me doing pretty much nothing at all, to make a change. At night met chinese-S and we met for dinner. However, we decided to skip dinner and go and buy shoes. It was spend 150 get 150 in vouchers so we both bought shoes. We then had 150 left over and couldn't find anything to buy.... we ended up getting kicked out when all the shop assistants started leaving. We went back on Sunday morning to spend the voucher and I bought some trousers, a belt and some tops. Fun. It was also the first time I have seen a fish the size of a small child being carried through a supermarket. Sunday carried on with me cleaning the apartment and then teaching in the evening.
Just lately..: Things at school have been rough. They have changed my timetable around so I can't go to tai ji on thursdays. They have given me a lesson in a time when all the teachers have a meeting so there is nobody to attend my class (to help me translate to the 11 year olds). However, when talking to the woman who is supposed to be my liason (i refer to her as b***h usually) she doesn't really give a shit about me, my timetable or any of the other teachers for that matter. The school treats its staff terribly. They are tired, and no consideration is given for the commitments that they have outside school (like children for example).
Although it sounds like I may just be comparing it with England, which is not a fair comparison, using the information my friends have given me about their schools I can safely say that my school is shit. And the leaders are shits. And I feel like a 2nd class worker in this school.
Monday: Its been ups and downs really. Ups have included tormenting a sleeping boy and dinner with chinese-S. Downs have included teaching a lazy, good for nothing, class of robots, having b***h asking the other teachers if I do extra work (the philosophy of the school is use lies and deception at all times), and teaching in general.
I don't know. I don't really want this to sound like a moany post. Its just that teaching and dealing with my school in general had become tedious and a source of great stress. I am sad to say it, but I am actually counting down the days until this is over. I can't wait to return to country where I can get a job I enjoy and where I will be valued as a normal and legitimate human being. I will be sorry to say goodbye to the people and China in general- but to my school..... that I can't say.
A serious problem
I read about this on the Guardian website today. You should check it out as it is clearly a seriously overlooked environmental issue.
(he he he)
Finished forms, Mother-in-laws and the Weekend
Its official. The forms that have been driving me crazy for the last I don't know how many months have been completed. Yes, by me! Finished the forms for the Masters to the one Uni I really wanna go to. I'm very excited about starting the course, so everybody keep your fingers crossed, ok? I'm doubly excited cos my best friend S, from Uni, might be going to the same Uni next year! Looks like I might have a housemate for next year.... :-)
Now rewind back to the weekend. Friday was super brilliant. I was in an excellent mood, as I finished at 12 and then went shopping with J. Bought some cool t-shirts and cheap scarves. Then Friday night went to the American diner and had a fry-up. Such a treat, you wouldn't believe.
Saturday was quite lazy, but in the evening I went to the cinema. Only the second time in 8 months- usually I go to the cinema at least once a week. It was the lengthy, but epic 'Return of the King'. I already saw it on DVD but it is best at the flicks. Then I got forced into watching the rugby, which started at midnight over here. It was def the first time I have bothered to actually watch rugby and I did quite enjoy it after I was enlightened to some of the rules....and I thought it had none ;-) Sunday was mainly just some Sex and the City and then a full evening of teaching.
Tonight I cancelled my lesson at the company to fill in THE form, and I went out for an early dinner with one of my colleagues. She's in her early 30's and she has a young daughter of about 2. Her husband is in the army and is always getting sent off on courses and things (he's currently in Wuhan). She lives with her husbands parents, and her mother in law looks after her daughter while she is at school. The trouble is that she doesn't get on with her mother in law at all. She says she is scared everytime she goes home- it appears this woman has a horrific temper. Not only will she shout at everyone, but she kicks doors and smashed things. Apparently her relatives describe her as 'crazy'.
She told me a story of when her husband was a small child. The mother in law was carrying him when she had an argument with her father. Apparently she dropped the child on the floor and tried to kick him before being restrained. My friend even said that she probably wouldn't have married her husband if she had known what the mother in law was like. That's a pretty strong statement. The trouble is that without the mother in law they have no-one to look after their child and they don't trust a babysitter to take of her. The light at the end of the tunnel is that when the daughter goes to kindergarten, my friend thinks the mother in law will move back to her home town in the south of China. Only two years left of suffering....
With the one child policy and the increasing number of elderly dependents a couple will have, it makes you wonder how many other young women have no choice but to put up with the wrath of their mother in law...