TravBuddy.com: mfmcp1982's Teaching & Travelling in China, 2004 travel blog Copyright 2005 TravBuddy LLC http://www.travbuddy.com/blogs/9266 ** THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS! ** Spent July & August 2004 in China after graduating from university. I taught English in Jimo in Shandong province for 6 weeks, then travelled around for 3.5 weeks. I came back with over 300 digital photos, and 13 36 exp 35mm films, so expect a few along the way! This is a reflective blog, written 3 years later as I've only just found this site, but I've been wanting to do something like this for a while. ** WORK IN PROGRESS! Will WORK ON WHEN I CAN! ** en-us Fri, 20 Aug 2004 10:35:35 PST More Shopping and Walking http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/More-Shopping-and-Walking-Shanghai-28 Fri, 20 Aug 2004 10:35:35 PST More Shopping and Walking Shanghai, China, Aug 20, 2004

As I mentioned, I had every good intention to go to the Shanghai Museum. I meant to do that 'today' but didn't. I went shopping again, but for sens…

]]> Shopping & Walking & Eating http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Shopping-Walking-Eating-Shanghai-27 Thu, 19 Aug 2004 09:39:40 PST Shopping & Walking & Eating Shanghai, China, Aug 19, 2004

OK, I'll admit it - I'm a bit of a shopping fiend, and I'd picked up quite a few things on my way round China, but Shanghai was IT! Every time I se…

]]> Shanghai Pujiang Hotel http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/On-the-road-again-Shanghai-26 Wed, 18 Aug 2004 22:13:49 PST Shanghai Pujiang Hotel Shanghai, China, Aug 18, 2004

This is not a hostel in the strictest sense of the name. It used to be a grand hotel - Charlie Chaplin and Einstein stayed here - and it still is, …

]]> On the road again... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/On-the-road-again-Shanghai-26 Wed, 18 Aug 2004 03:54:20 PST On the road again... Shanghai, China, Aug 18, 2004

Today I got up early at SAGA to see Laura off - she was catching the bus to Beijing Airport to go back to the UK. I was really sad to say goodbye t…

]]> Great Wall at Simatai http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Beijing-China-25 Tue, 17 Aug 2004 06:26:55 PST Great Wall at Simatai Beijing, China, Aug 17, 2004

I took an organised trip to Simatai from the SAGA Hostel in Beijing. We were driven out in a minibus for about an hour and a half - Simatai is abou…

]]> Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Beijing-China-24 Mon, 16 Aug 2004 13:17:12 PST Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square Beijing, China, Aug 16, 2004

The Forbidden City and Tian'anmen Square are must dos in Beijing. Purely for their historical importance, but the aesthetic side is fascinating as …

]]> Saga Youth Hostel http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Beijing-China-23 Fri, 13 Aug 2004 22:29:33 PST Saga Youth Hostel Beijing, China, Aug 13, 2004

You really get the sense of being in Beijing staying at this hostel. Not because it's traditional in ANY WAY inside, but because it's smack bang in…

]]> A Nine Step Pagoda made entirely without nails? A corpse in the Yangtse River? I Don't Believe It! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/A-Nine-Step-Pagoda-made-entirely-without-nails-A-corpse-in-the-Yangtse-River-I-Dont-Believe-It-Shibao-21 Mon, 09 Aug 2004 11:28:54 PST A Nine Step Pagoda made entirely without nails? A corpse in the Yangtse River? I Don't Believe It! Shibao, China, Aug 09, 2004

I woke up feeling a tad better and headed out onto deck to sit in the sun and read my book. I got extremely odd looks from the Chinese who like to …

]]> Ghost City visit makes me think I'm possessed and in need of an exorcism! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Ghost-City-visit-makes-me-think-Im-possessed-and-in-need-of-an-exorcism-Fengdu-20 Mon, 09 Aug 2004 09:30:02 PST Ghost City visit makes me think I'm possessed and in need of an exorcism! Fengdu, China, Aug 09, 2004

Fengdu is a ghost town (the only one in China) on the Yangtse River, and the first stop on most cruises from Chongqing to Yichang. We were awoken …

]]> Yangtse River Cruise http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Another-race-across-town-Chongqing-19 Sun, 08 Aug 2004 13:31:10 PST Yangtse River Cruise Chongqing, China, Aug 08, 2004

I cruised from Chongqing to Yichang for 3 nights on board what seems to have been a cruise boat for locals, not tourists! We were two of only 4 Wes…

]]> Another race across town! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Another-race-across-town-Chongqing-19 Sun, 08 Aug 2004 02:33:34 PST Another race across town! Chongqing, China, Aug 08, 2004

We arrived into Chongqing with five hours to go before our boat set off. Which was just as well. We thought the bus station was near the dock on t…

]]> Hmm, Chengdu is smoggy, crowded and dirty - let's move on http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Hmm-Chengdu-is-smoggy-crowded-and-dirty-lets-move-on-Chengdu-18 Sun, 08 Aug 2004 02:23:16 PST Hmm, Chengdu is smoggy, crowded and dirty - let's move on Chengdu, China, Aug 08, 2004

Like the title says, we didn't think much of the city. We had to race across town from the train station to the bus station for the express to Chon…

]]> Yaay Pandas - oh wait no, we've missed the train and are stuck in Xian! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Yaay-Pandas-oh-wait-no-weve-missed-the-train-and-are-stuck-in-Xian-Xian-17 Sat, 07 Aug 2004 02:18:55 PST Yaay Pandas - oh wait no, we've missed the train and are stuck in Xian! Xian, China, Aug 07, 2004

Yup, it happened. It's the first time something like this has happened to me while travelling, and to be honest, it was my fault. We spent the mor…

]]> Shuyuan International Youth Hostel http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Yaay-Pandas-oh-wait-no-weve-missed-the-train-and-are-stuck-in-Xian-Xian-17 Sat, 07 Aug 2004 22:28:35 PST Shuyuan International Youth Hostel Xian, China, Aug 07, 2004

This hostel is in a really good location, just inside the city walls, beside the south gate. We booked it for our night in Xi'an in advance on a …

]]> Non stop 14 hour bus,a damp dorm room,a head collision with a ceiling fan,& the Terracotta Warriors http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Non-stop-14-hour-bus-a-damp-dorm-room-a-head-collision-with-a-ceiling-fan-the-Terracotta-Warriors-Xian-16 Fri, 06 Aug 2004 01:44:51 PST Non stop 14 hour bus,a damp dorm room,a head collision with a ceiling fan,& the Terracotta Warriors Xian, China, Aug 06, 2004

As you can tell from my title, we packed lots into our time in Xi'an! My travelling companion Laura, who was a classroom helper at our school, and …

]]> Xie Xie from me to the kids, and vice versa http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Xie-Xie-from-me-to-the-kids-and-vice-versa-Jimo-15 Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:28:37 PST Xie Xie from me to the kids, and vice versa Jimo, China, Aug 06, 2004

Before we left Jimo, there was a fairly emotional farewell to my homestay family. Ms Mao and her mother in law were crying and asking me to stay lo…

]]> Experiences in Qingdao... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Experiences-in-Qingdao-Qingdao-14 Tue, 20 Jul 2004 12:36:42 PST Experiences in Qingdao... Qingdao, China, Jul 20, 2004

They were many and varied. We had a few great nights out, ranging from formal dinners to pizza at the Sailing Club. We also went shopping quite a …

]]> How to keep a bunch of English teachers amused in small town China... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/How-to-keep-a-bunch-of-English-teachers-amused-in-small-town-China-Jimo-13 Sun, 18 Jul 2004 07:24:48 PST How to keep a bunch of English teachers amused in small town China... Jimo, China, Jul 18, 2004

Why eating, drinking and singing karaoke in Jimo of course! That and a few trips into Qingdao for shopping, sun bathing and visiting the aquarium, …

]]> How to keep Chinese kids entertained for five weeks at Ershibahzhong (No 28 school) http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/How-to-keep-Chinese-kids-entertained-for-five-weeks-at-Ershibahzhong-No-28-school-Jimo-12 Thu, 15 Jul 2004 13:23:57 PST How to keep Chinese kids entertained for five weeks at Ershibahzhong (No 28 school) Jimo, China, Jul 15, 2004

The kids in class got restless really easily. I have two theories about this: 1) The rooms were so hot, and after lunch time they got smelly from …

]]> Let's teach Chinese kids Scottish Country Dancing in 35c heat - what a good idea... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Lets-teach-Chinese-kids-Scottish-Country-Dancing-in-35c-heat-what-a-good-idea-Jimo-11 Thu, 08 Jul 2004 12:49:29 PST Let's teach Chinese kids Scottish Country Dancing in 35c heat - what a good idea... Jimo, China, Jul 08, 2004

One of our pre-teaching activiteis was to teach the kids something of our own culture, so Christine - the other girl from Glasgow who was there - a…

]]> Day off and no children... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Day-off-and-no-children-Jimo-10 Wed, 07 Jul 2004 15:25:54 PST Day off and no children... Jimo, China, Jul 07, 2004

...is this a bad sign considering I'm supposed to entertain two lots of 30 kids for the next 6 weeks? We had a day off, so I spent the day thinkin…

]]> First Day at School! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/First-Day-at-School-Jimo-9 Tue, 06 Jul 2004 02:10:29 PST First Day at School! Jimo, China, Jul 06, 2004

There's no doubt we'll all remember our first day at school - four/ five years old, terrified about leaving the happy nursery school/ mum and dad, …

]]> Homesick....aargh http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Homesickaargh-Jimo-8 Mon, 05 Jul 2004 10:59:44 PST Homesick....aargh Jimo, China, Jul 05, 2004

Well, that awful feeling had hit me once more, the same as it did the first night in Qingdao. As I went to bed, sweltering and feeling the mosquito…

]]> My new family http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/My-new-family-Qingdao-7 Sun, 04 Jul 2004 03:11:35 PST My new family Qingdao, China, Jul 04, 2004

Firstly, it's very odd that I'm writing this three years to the day that the events below actually took place. I can't believe it's 3 years since I…

]]> First Full Day in China...meeting the locals, sampling the national brew http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/First-Full-Day-in-Chinameeting-the-locals-sampling-the-national-brew-Qingdao-6 Sat, 03 Jul 2004 14:20:33 PST First Full Day in China...meeting the locals, sampling the national brew Qingdao, China, Jul 03, 2004

Well, after a seriously dodgy night's sleep, and even more frightening shower (see previous entry re: shower draining onto floor of bathroom near p…

]]> Dubai to Shanghai http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Dubai-to-Shanghai-Dubai-3 Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:09:31 PST Dubai to Shanghai Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Jul 02, 2004

Well, my flight landed on time in Dubai, shortly before midnight on the 1st of July. As I mentioned in my previous entry, I had just over three hou…

]]> Seven hour wait becomes ten... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Seven-hour-wait-becomes-ten-Shanghai-4 Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:11:07 PST Seven hour wait becomes ten... Shanghai, China, Jul 02, 2004

So, the delights of Shanghai airport were quickly found, surveyed and discarded. I called home from my mobile (something I discovered when I got h…

]]> Qingdao at last! http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Qingdao-at-last-Qingdao-5 Fri, 02 Jul 2004 09:13:54 PST Qingdao at last! Qingdao, China, Jul 02, 2004

Mercifully, the flight from Shanghai's Pu Dong Airport to Qingdao was short, and I landed 3 and a half hours late, just after 2am, cleared security…

]]> Hit the Road Jack... http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/Hit-the-Road-Jack-Glasgow-2 Thu, 01 Jul 2004 09:07:49 PST Hit the Road Jack... Glasgow, Scotland, Jul 01, 2004

Well, this way D-Day...departure day. It was all supposed to go so smoothly...but I slept in, the rest of the packing had to be done in a rush, Mu…

]]> How quickly can I pack a rucsack with everything I need for 2 months? http://www.travbuddy.com/travel-blogs/9266/How-quickly-can-I-pack-a-rucsack-with-everything-I-need-for-2-months-Glasgow-1 Wed, 30 Jun 2004 09:06:57 PST How quickly can I pack a rucsack with everything I need for 2 months? Glasgow, Scotland, Jun 30, 2004

Well, this was the day before I left...I graduated from St Andrews University the week before with a degree in Social Anthropology (AKA I'm pretty …

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