Doors open where once stood walls!

This may seem like a philosophical metaphor, and to an extent it is as today we got a green light for a project with unbelievable potential.

BUT for those of you reading this blog who have borne witness to some of the almost unbelievable occurrences that I've experienced so far and may be finding it difficult to fully believe my tales.....

What happened today has to push your faith in my truthfulness to breaking point! We taken on a site visit to the area being developed for a massive new International School that has just broken ground. The school will cover a site three times that of the Liberty Stadium and provides state of the art teaching, learning and recreation facilities for over 7,000 students from Junior to Pre University level. The Pre Uni level being completed by September!

Scale Model of the New School

 The site to date has only workforce accommodation and a site office setup, the rest is a gaping muddy hole in the ground. We parked the limousine convoy on the main road just outside the gate and transferred into 4x4s to get across the negotiatable mud mountain to the office structure. We alighted and then made our way very carefully, the earth was sodden and very treacherous, around the craters edge ( a good 15-20 ft drop) on a path no more than 6 inches wide. We had a 9 and 6 year old with us and as parents we were unsettled (I don't think this adequately describes the mothers' state of mind!), the last section, a muddy slipery, ancient scaffolding plank, into the gate was particularly nerve wracking.

Office Accommodation and Entrance  

The Scaffold Plank Walk Way over the Pit

 Once safely inside the office's walled compound, we were shown the scale model of the planned build and the poster presentations of the whole infrastructure including a new city that would, eventually, encompass the school.

 Unknown to us, the builders who had been dismayed at the danger we had been in just attempting to access the office had made a decision and by the time we came out they had knocked a whole in the compound wall and built a functional doorway!!

Door in progress!

 I totally believe that the plan will come in on time and by September 2013 there will be a state of the art school complete and fully functioning!

 After this we went strawberry picking followed by a couple of hours fishing and the were hosted to a beautiful farewell dinner by the Director of Education and her team.


 These past three will be engraved in memory for the rest of my life and we still have a week of Beijing to experience! WOW!

Moutai Migraines, Momentous Meetings, Wu Shu and Pizza Hut!

The last couple of days have flown by, although yesterday seemed to last forever due to the Moutai Agenda of the previous evening.

The morning was an unpleasant affair, my Moutai hangover (something I fully intend not to experience again) combined with an early meeting with Deputy Mayor and Heads of Education Bureau, all in Mandarin fully ensured that my head hurt more than I could have believed!

This was followed by a very beautiful and massively formal lunch in beautiful country restaurant, with the delegation and my family, this lead on to a tour of the city’s beach area and new bar quarter that is due to open soon and a walk along the river and the history of Guan Ying Tea at a local tea house. My fuge didn’t lift even after this and I have no idea how my 10 year old son managed to contain his lack of interest and enthusiasm for the whole day but he was astonishing!  

Him and Deb were even dragged along to another lengthy meeting with all the Heads of the Education Bureau to discuss the potential of establishing a bridging type programme to UK study based in Zhuzhou, again mainly conducted in Mandarin.

The day was topped off by another formal dinner, that included sea cucumber ( an acquired taste) all ending around 20.00.

A full on marathon of a day for all of us! Deb commented that she had found it very interesting and now realises that I do actually work for a living!!!!!!!

Today has been a family day just the 3 of us, a visit to the Zhuzhou City Museum, which was fascinating, a bus ride into town which Sen found fascinating and lunch in Pizza Hut, not something I thought I’d do but it did come as a respite from the exotic comestibles that we have partaken of to date.

We had a good stroll around the local shopping malls and I managed a haggle session with a local trader and knocked £10 off a£23 track suit for Sen.

Back at Yandi later on Mrs Ping, ex Kung Fu Champion of China, taught Sen a few moves and provided traditional Wu Shu Gi’s for him to practice in.

We’re off to the city centre for a meal with Mike, just the 4 of us and then to prepare for our last day which seems to have been planned for us by the Director of Education including visits to a local school, the planned site of Zhuzhou’s first ‘International School’ and then a trip to the countryside and a big formal farewell dinner!

It’s been a nonstop work / break 10 days here for me and 5 for Deb and Sen, very interesting and not without incidents.

Jet Lag Kicks in and the Moutai kicks me!

We all got up early and eagerly for the car journey to Happy Valley Theme Park, a new, massive Disneyland style tourist attraction (those who know me will know how enthusiastic the prospect of this made me) about 40 minutes outside the city.  As we set off Sen started complaining of feeling unwell and by the time we arrived at our destination, which was truly ginormous and very very very new, Sen had become very tearful and so we turned round and headed back to Zhuzhou!  The jet lag had hit him.

We chilled out at home and watched DVDs and Sen was introduced to “The Life of Brian” he loved the ‘weelease woger’ sketch!

After lunch I had to give a presentation to 150 students at Hunan University of Technology, Deb and Sen came with me and got to see me at work! It wasn’t my most enjoyable presentation as the students had been forced to attend on an afternoon when there is usually no need for them to attend classes and were therefore less than attentive!

Evening dinner was a meal with the Bin Chens, the Yandi Teaching team and parents of a prospective student at their fabulous restaurant, the food was fantastic and the Moutai was flowing. There was clearly an agenda to get me drunk as the Moutai flowed mainly in my direction, my glass being topped up while my attention was elsewhere.... an agenda that was successful, I have total memory loss of the end of the night although, thankfully, I’m told I continued to behave impeccably until I fell off my bed!!!

Jet Lag's For Wimps and so are important dinners!

Deb and Sen got to bed early and slept through to 8am, a good solid 10 hours! Both rose bright and cheery and excited to be here. After breakfast we took a stroll around the block , out on to the river bank, I thought Mike and I got stared at a lot but that paled into insignificance at the amount of attention a blond haired western woman and a 10 yr old child get, it didn't take long for the requests of photos to be taken with us and of us , to start. We met a student fro No2 School who wanted to talk to us in English, this was the first time he'd spoken to native speakers and was overwhelmed  by the experience. After Lunch we went into the city and the local park, we hired a motor boat and Sen captained us around the lake  for half an hour, we saw numerous Wedding  preparation shoots and nearly hit a bridge or two! Later we went into the city and they experienced the joys of  a loclal supermarket, pigs ' faces, black chickens and all! We returned  to Yandi in the afternoon just in time to get  ready for an important dinner with some very senior officials of the city education department. To be honest Sen could do nothing in the future that would make me prouder of him than he did tonight, his manners were impeccable and the way he handled himself with so much maturity, far beyond his years, was impressive not just to me but to the very distinguished guests we dined with. After dinner we had a kick about, Just the three of us, until bedtime and that was as, if not more, special than anything the marvellous day had offered. Tomorrow brings promises of theme pals and university visits.

Winter Pyjamas, Baby Rabbit Hoopla and Canines in Football Kits!

The excitement of my family's imminent arrival resulted in my not getting to sleep until the early hours of the morning last night and also in my awakening in the late hours of the morning! And only then did the new day meet me with a tumultuous greeting at around 11.45am, I was shocked out of sleep by what sounded like Armageddon,  the Chinese being lovers and inventors of fireworks do not miss a chance at letting some off, and over here that means something very different to what the wimpy 'elf'n'safety' laws of the UK allow.  I was brought most violently to conciousness by a 5 minute long volley of explosions that would have had the bravest of battle hardened soldiers diving for cover. It was about a mile away but still made the windows rattle!

Once up and about we set off for a walk across the river (using the bridge of course) to the temple and park on the opposite bank, to kill some time before we would leave for the airport to meet Deb and Sen.

It's been another lovely day, warm enough not to need coats and even a bit warmer than that in the sunshine, the park was heaving with families, the young and the very old some in winter pyjamas some win wedding dresses, many dogs (some in pyjamas some in football kits) the usual kind of congregation for a weekend day anywhere in the world!

 Wedding Dresses

 Dogs in Leeds Utd Kit

 Baby Rabbit Hoopla

Winter Pyjamas

After a good walk around the fun fair with all the usual sideshows e.g. 'Hoopla The Live Baby Rabbit', 'Catch a Goldfish with Hook and Line' etc and taking a few photos and having more than a few photos taken of us, we headed home and then for the airport.

We arrived 5 minutes after the flight landed so by the time we got into the arrivals hall Deb and Sen came out moments later, much hugging and kissing and happiness ensued and now I have them safely installed in the apartment and heading for sleepsville. Sen hasn't slept since leaving Swansea 30 something hours ago, he'll either sleep through jet lag or be the most hideous kid on the Mainland or both but I don't care he's here and a new exciting adventure begins for all of us..... Bring it on 

And the Swansea City AFC have beaten Manchester City!!! What a fantastical day!!!!!!

Lovely day, and it's not over yet!

It's been a cracking day today, my first day off for 10 days! The sun was shinning the sky was blue, I slept until 10am, don't think I've done that for 9 years ( there are some benefits to not having my family with me!) Went for a long long walk into and around the city, saw some brilliant sights, the Chinese at work and shopping two things they put a lot of graft into! The city was buzzing, thousands of people milling around enjoying their fee time. Took loads of great pics, industrial scenes, people flying kites on the beach, fishermen on the river bank (I hope the fish I've been eating don't come from this river!). We stopped for a coffee and sat on the steps outside Mac Donalds and were surrounded by a large group of young children all wanting to practice their English and take photos with us, this attracted an even bigger crowd, all shouting "hello" and laughing, beautiful experience. The Chinese people's face light up when they smile and the genuine warmth they give off is enchanting. Settling in now to Watch "the BOYS" take on the Italians, c'mon WALES! My family are at Heathrow waiting for boarding, only 18 hours til I get to see them coming through arrivals in Changsha, getting quite emotional just thinking about it. Woohoooo!

Great Work Opportunity

Currently I'm based in the Zhuzhou Yandi Institute it’s a great central base for getting to meetings etc locally and only 1 hour from Changsha, Hunan Province Capital.  The Institute is a centre for education development focusing on the improvement of English language provision and English language teacher development in the province.  It is a very forward thinking, pretty much pioneering project for China.

I work as an External Verifier for the Institute and this role came about as a result of teaching the President’s son, now a PhD Alumni of Swansea University, a number of years ago.

The Yandi Institute is currently looking for two qualified, preferably Swansea University, CELTA trained teachers, must be native British English speaker and hold a first degree. For a starter contract of 10 weeks to deliver English classes, primarily, to two local middle schools approx 15 minute walk from the institute and 30 min bus ride.

The main aim of the roles are, working under the direction of the DoS and senior teacher both native English speakers,  to encourage communication, via topic based input, in large groups in the middle schools and generally contribute to the day to day running and development of Yandi’s English Language centre.

This is a brilliant opportunity to experience China in a city, that I believe, offers an excellent introduction to this country as it is small, safe and has large open areas.  The people of Zhuzhou City are super friendly, warm, generous and welcoming.  The staff in the institute, from the cleaners to the President, are simply lovely people who will go out of their way to help even if they do not speak English.

The package on offer is:

• 10 Week Contract (starting as soon as you can get here)
• Visas paid for
• Return flights to the UK
• Free Accommodation – You’ll live in the Yandi Institute in these really well appointed 3 bedroom apartments. Free Wifi, Air Conditioning, 40” inch flat screen TV, leather 3 piece suite, large double beds, desk in each bedroom etc.
• 3 meals a day - served in the dining room, all prepared by the kitchen staff and all very tasty.
• Take home salary of 4000 RMB per month = £100 per week which is almost double that of local teachers and offers a great standard of living as accommodation and food is covered. Example of cost of living+ Bus fares 10p, 1hour taxi ride £20, shorter trips £1, beer 35p per litre, a decent meal for two in a good restaurant £7-10. 

There are plenty of Western outlets if / when you miss home - MacDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut etc but the food is so good here you shouldn't!

What is required of you?

• The main thing is flexibility, China seems to operate chaotically on a day to day basis, this week for example all Western goods were banned in one supermarket and taken off the shelves, then the ban was lifted and shelves restocked! Be prepared for change of duties at a moment’s notice etc!
• Prepared to work harder than you’d expect at times, as in all roles this is a prerequisite these days.
• Dedicated to offering an excellent experience to your students and to maintain the professional standards required of a quality English language teacher. 

There is realistic potential of kick starting or further developing a real career with this opportunity as Yandi is forging ahead with real groundbreaking plans.

If you have read any of this blog you'll see that I've fallen in love with China, I haven't lived here but have good friends that have and wish they'd come here when they were younger.

Here are some pictures:

Bedroom

Chinese staff Office

Classroom

Courtyard Seating Area

Dining Room

ELC Staff Office

ELC Staff Office

ELC Staff Office

Extra Office

Courtyard view to Street

Courtyard and Car Parking

Flat Kitchen Area

Kitchen for Dining Room

Lecture Theatre

Flat Living Room

Living Room

Bedroom

Swansea Students' Visit

Wet-room / Toilet

Western Restaurant