November Update

We've had a few weeks of cold weather now, some days of 2-3 degrees celsius, others a bit higher. Bizarrely, with the Hunan climate, some odd days are still 15-20 degrees, but they are getting more rare. Sub zero lows this weekend apparently. I had no idea it would get this cold - I've bought a coat, thick socks and thermal underwear so I should be alright.

 

Things are still going very well, the hectic hours aren't getting on top of me and I'm finding time for myself when I can. It's actually been particularly hectic recently with family activity days on Saturdays where we 6 interns are assigned to a student and their family for a day out. They are fun and the parents are incredibly generous and keen to please, but they are long days, starting at 9ish and not finishing till 6ish. We start with all the families together while we interns run some games and activities, and then after lunch the families take us out somewhere. Last Saturday we all went to a big aquarium with Grade 5 kids and parents, followed by lunch in the biggest restaurant in the world (I think) -  an unbelievable castle of a place that could seat 5,000 customers and employed about 300 chefs and 400 serving staff! Then my family took me to a Buddhist temple and a great restaurant where stinky tofu was the delicacy (pretty good actually).  These family days would perhaps be a bit less exhausting if the parents spoke decent English, but their English level is usually similar to my Chinese level so we can't get too far!

 

Apart from this, with the semester coming to an end in about 6 weeks, I've had to think about my next course of action. Basically I've decided to stay a further 6 months in China and am looking into jobs in Universities in Changsha with Soren, another intern and friend. I've applied for one in Changsha already. If I get it I'll be working a much more managable 16 hours a week for a much more generous 5,000 - 6,000 yuan (500 - 600 pounds). Plus I'll be living in the beautiful Yuelu university district right at the foot of the mountain. I'm very excited but it's early days yet - I only sent off my cv and documents recently but received a very favourable reply. I'm not certain I won't get itchy feet and wish I'd gone to a placement in a different city, but I think it's the best course of action I can take. Not really sure I feel confident or brave enough yet to move to a completely new city all alone. I think I would be ready to do that in a year or two but the vast Chinese cities can be a pretty daunting place to get to grips with. If I stay here in Hunan and get better pay with more free time I'll be able to travel to different regions and cities easily during term time, so hopefully my travel needs will be satisfied. Also I have some great friends here, Chinese and English, and I love the city. But yes... still not certain about what to do.

Matt

Family Day Out in Old Town

On November 7th we had our first 'Cultural Exchange Trip' which is basically a day out with selected families of our students. I spent the day with Bobo, a little hellraiser, and his parents - along with the other teachers and their families. We went to Old Town which has great importance in Hunan's extensive military history. Us foreign teachers were in charge or running different ice breaker games and activities, which went pretty well I reckon. We then mooched about the town with our allocated families, so I got to try a bit of shadow puppetry and pot making with Bobo, a bit of boating and lots of tea. It was a great day out... but a long one!

Yuèlǔ Mountain

...and here are some further overdue photos of a visit to the ancient Confucian Academy and Buddhist temple on Changsha's beautiful Yuèlǔ mountain.

Day Trip to Sháoshān

Here are some long overdue photos of a day trip Sháoshān - Mao Zedong's home village. Unfortunately I don't seem to have any shots of the huge amounts of hilarious Mao merchandise on sale at various stalls :(