Radio silence...

Well this is interesting. This afternoon after attending the ‘English teachers meeting’ for the entire school, which was all in Chinese and the only thing I understood, was Elke - E.L.K.E. and then everyone was looking at me. Ok, “Hi.” I didn’t realise they wanted me to introduce myself. These people are very interesting. One of the teachers told me what they wanted, so I said, “As long as you are happy for me to speak English, because I haven’t quite got the hang of Mandarin yet.” They were more than happy for me to speak English.

After the meeting, I walked across the road to see what sort of food I could get that my body is craving. I want fresh veggies, without all the 'stuff' on them (I'm going t have to buy myself a steamer), I want something like a big fat sandwich, with I don’t know what on it, anything that is not pork, or chicken, anything, peanut butter, vegemite (not that I even really like vegemite) anything. However all I could find was, wait for it, OREO COOKIES!!! Yuuuuummmm.... I did find some bread, but nothing I wanted to put on it, so I thought I would wait, find myself a toaster in town, and I think that in the big shopping centre Claire took me to, I will find something to put on it. We shall see. I don’t normally eat bread, but already I am sick of rice. Uh oh, I still have 8 ½ months to go. :) The meals here are all cooked in a way that they are covered in oil. I'm sick of it. Tasty? Yes, but give me fresh food. I'm going to have to start breaking my back and cooking in that short kitchen of mine.

I have a sore throat. I think it is from eating the animal throat the other night, it’s Karma. I could quite easily curl up in my bed or on the couch and go to sleep. I would, only I was asked by the communications teacher today if I would mind doing an interview for their live broadcast tonight at 1815.

I only had to observe two classes today and go to the meeting. When I got back to my apartment this afternoon, Claire was waiting with another computer technician to see if they could connect my computer to the internet. I will give them this they are tenacious little devils (meant in the kindest of ways). Give them a task and they see it through until the end, no matter how impossible it may seem.  The technician today was a lovely lady who did not speak English, or at least she didn’t speak any to me, and as soon as she saw my computer was vista, she launched into a spiel to Claire, of course none of which I understood, however I understood enough to know “This will not be easy.” After an hour or more, (I didn’t take note of the time I arrived back) I thought it was a no go, but Claire made one more phone call and then said, you will have to wait 12 hours and then the password will work. “What’s the password?” “Your telephone number”, hey, I know that. So here I am, writing on my computer (home sweet home :)) in readiness to post this blog for you tomorrow morning before I head out for another day of observing English classes.

Tomorrow I will have more classes to observe than today. Today was a little disorganised, nobody knew what I was meant to be doing, least of all me. So I just sat and waited (done that before), and the desk they have allocated to me in the year 7 English teachers staff room has one of the few computers on it, so while I was waiting, I replied to the email I received yesterday from Australia.  Each department in each year has their own staffroom. I didn’t realise, but there are about 40 English teachers here at the school who are Chinese nationals, and two foreign English teachers. It is Matt and my job to review what they have learnt in class, correct pronunciation and add to the lesson anything we think is appropriate, as well as give lessons in cultural differences. They are good kids who are willing to learn, so I’m sure I’ll be able to have some fun in my classroom with them.  Each time I walked up to a classroom today and the kids realised I was coming in, they got so excited, it was refreshing to see.

I’m sure you are all dying to hear what happened with my dinner last night. Well, you can relax, I’m about to tell you. I was walking out of the school when I realised I left behind the list of meals Fiona wrote down for me, I was more than halfway to the restaurants and I thought, “Oh, bugger it, I’m just going to grab a bite from one of the street vendors.” Then two seconds later, Matt jumped out of the shadows, well, at least that’s how it seemed, he scared the shit out of me. We ascertained that we were both heading out to dinner so once again; he invited me to come along. He would be dining with Eric again and another year 8 English teacher HiJack. Yep, that’s his name. Apparently, when he came to the school, he kept saying, “Hi Jack.” To everyone and so that became his name. Cute story.

We walked down the street to one of the local restaurants and took our seats at the table. I could not figure out why they only gave us one menu to look at, but Matt explained to me later, that the person who takes the menu, orders for everybody and then pays for everybody. Matt was the one who had taken the menu, so Matt was the one who ordered (I should say, tried to order, the other two had to help) and paid. This is going to take a bit of getting use to. The other teachers didn’t even thank Matt, I guess because he volunteered by taking the menu. I don’t know, but I said if he wanted my share I was more than willing to pay. I got a big, “No way. That’s how it is done here”. So I told him he would have to remind me next time so I can be the one to take the menu. (I have a feeling he will not remind me). It’s funny, it’s my habit to allow others to go first, so I will not automatically be the first to take the menu. I’m sure I will get use to it in time; enough times feeling bad that Matt paid and I’m sure, I’ll get it together. (He also paid the other night but I thought that was just a welcome thing, obviously not). This is something else that makes me realise how Chinese can be perceived as rude in other countries, they cannot afford to wait for others otherwise they will never get anywhere, so what westerners may perceive as rudeness, is actually just people trying to get where they need to go. I am yet to come across someone who loses their patience or shows frustration, well other than when I look in the mirror of course, but I am getting much better. :) I have a feeling this year in China is going to do me the world of good.

I am feeling better today (emotionally), I think I’m on the mood rollercoaster, up (happy), down (sad), whoa, look out this bend's a curly one... I’m on an up run now. So we’ll see what the ride turns out like. I have walked around with a big smile on my face all day, maybe it’s because I am (nearly) doing what I have come here to do.

However, I am not feeling very well. I have been drinking lots of warm water today to try to sooth my throat. I have no lemon - that’s what I forgot down the street. I’ll go and get one before my interview. That sounds funny saying that. The whole time I have been in China, people have treated me almost like a movie star, well; really a cross between a movie star and a sideshow freak, I like the movie star part better, and that is the main reaction. People will walk past me and stare, then smile, sometimes wave, sometimes shyly look away, only to glance back again. It’s what I imagine movie stars would get walking down the street. I don’t know. Anyway, I’m off for my interview, I shall tell them all about my latest movie. :) Jacky is the communications teacher, and he is lovely. When I went into the meeting today he came up to me, introduced himself, and asked if I would do the interview (at the time I didn't realise it would be live). Then he told me if I needed anything just to let him know. He sat next to me in the meeting and helped translate for me. The teacher on my left also helped translate. I know there will be a competition amongst the entire Chinese English teachers (not Matt or me), I’m not sure what the competition is, I did ask, but the reply was, “I think the teachers at this school have too much pressure on them.” (Again, not Matt or me). I just hope there is something I can do to help the year seven teachers beat the other years. Matt teaches year eight and some year nine students, but there are more students in year seven so we have the same amount of classes. Twenty per week, this is nothing really. The other teachers work very long hours, so I just hope I can help them out as much as possible.

I’m trying to remember some of the questions you have asked about my job to answer them for you. Nothing is coming to mind, so I will talk a little about the school. The school I am at is a mixture between private and public (I’m not sure how that works), apparently it is quite a famous school and more than one teacher has asked me if I had ever heard of this school. Unfortunately, it is not very famous in Australia. Oh, Sylvia asked how big the classes are. They are big. No more than 50 per class, today I sat in one that had 48 students. It is a very popular school and many parents want to send their children here, so I don’t think they mind the size of the classes.

The first class I sat in on this morning was with Joanna (the teacher) who, when we were leaving the classroom, introduced me to one of the female students and then said something to the student in Chinese. The student started speaking to me in what seemed like rehearsed English, asking how I was and making general conversation. This girl had all her friends around her and then the teacher said, “This is my very best student.” I find this odd. I can’t come to terms with them showing such obvious favouritism (for want of a better word). Does it make the other students want to try harder? I’m sure this is a question I will find the answer to in time.

Well my interview is in half an hour, so I had better go and make myself beautiful. :) Just kidding - you can’t improve on perfection. LOL Still kidding. I need to go and put something warmer on to wear and then I want to see if I can find a lemon. I think I’m getting a fever. I just hope it’s nothing too serious.

Which reminds me, when I came into the school on the first day after the national holidays, the guards at the gate were “shooting everyone in the head” with a thermometer gun. I was a little horrified to start with and then I found out what they were doing. It was a funny sight and I wish now I had taken a photo. I did not have a fever that day, but now I am hot and cold, I have a headache, and my throat hurts. I don’t want to get sick. Not after all I have been through to get here.

Send me some wellness vibes folks; I need all the help I can get.

With love from a hot and cold Elke in China.

....

Later that day...

I have just come home from my interview. It was great. Each afternoon at about 1800 the communications class broadcast a live show. They play a bit of music, talk about western culture, and every now and again, interview a foreign English teacher. Today was my turn. Jacky showed me the list of questions they had for me, but I find in these situations it’s best not to be too prepared, so I just read the questions, corrected the errors I found, (one question was on the great barrier reef, but they had written ‘Big fortify Reef’ , how sweet is that?! It was the students who came up with the questions. One was on the culture of Australia; this is something I have wanted to talk about here for some time now, because too many people say Australia doesn’t have any culture. It sure does, we just don’t have a millennia old culture, well, the Aboriginals had been living the same way for longer than any other race on earth until white man came and ruined it all for them, but, really, this is an argument for another day. My answer today was to say that we are a very relaxed and friendly nation, and because modern Australia is so young we do have a very young culture and that because of the many immigrants we have, we have adopted many aspects of other cultures and incorporated them into our own. Therefore, we really have one of the most multicultural cultures in Earth.

I didn’t think it was too bad an answer for a spur of the moment one. When I saw that question, all I could think was "cricket and beer", but I didn’t want to say that, so I didn’t think any more of the questions until I was sitting in the hot seat.

Let’s see, what other questions were there? They wanted to know about our natural environment. Diverse, from desert, and rainforests, to snow capped mountains and glorious beaches. I talked about the Eucalyptus forests and the koalas that like to eat the leaves of the Eucalyptus tree. That got a good response, the interviewer took the microphone and said how she likes koalas (but of course) and there was a chorus of assents from around the room.

The girl who interviewed me was very good, she responded to some of the things I said and didn’t just read from her notes.

She mentioned the Great Barrier Reef and said how it is very beautiful. It was not a question so I had to come up with some response that was not just a yes, it is. Geez I can be eloquent when I have to be. So I talked about how beautiful it is and all the many different corals, fish and other animals that live there. Then I talked about how it is in danger of being destroyed and that we need to do a lot to try to protect it.

Then she asked me the hardest question of all. Why did I come to China? Well, I couldn’t say, “because I couldn’t get a job in the country I wanted straight away and it was easier to get a job here”. Now that would have been rude. So I talked about my Chinese friends back in Australia and how they are always talking about their country, and my interest in the Chinese culture and what a great opportunity it is to try to learn the language. Phew, I think I did all right with that one.

There were a few more questions on what I would like to see in China and what interests me in China. I just said the list is too long to mention everything one by one, so I’ll start with the Great Wall (The Big Fence), the Terracotta Warriors and of course the Pandas of Chengdu.

It was a great interview, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Jacky was impressed, he gave us the big ‘thumbs up’ at the end, and then invited me to come back again anytime I like. Ok, I’ll be back tomorrow (just kidding). Then Jacky invited me to dinner. It was a shame I had grabbed something to eat when I went in search of my lemon (which I found) and wasn’t hungry, I would have loved to have had dinner with him. (I wonder who would have grabbed the menu first). He asked for my mobile phone number, but because I don’t know it yet, I took his and said I’d call, which I will because he is lovely to talk with, his English is superb (the best I have come across so far in China) and I really liked him. I think I just made my first friend here at the school. Matt’s not included, because we pretty much have to be each other’s friend.

So now it’s 19:37 and I am going to have a warm shower, (oh, I found a switch on the water heater and flicked it, now the water is hotter and lasts longer, but there is still no pressure) and get ready for bed.  Then I can curl up and I might even read a book for the first time in months. I was looking at my books today, I only brought a couple of novels with me, and they are both books I gave to someone, which they then gave to me to bring with me. I gave Jacqui a book for her birthday this year that is all about the power of friendship, and because she loved it so much, she wanted me to read it. Then Margaret gave me one when I was staying with dad. I wanted to save Jacqui’s book for when I got to China, so asked Margaret if she had a good one I could read while I was staying with dad. She gave me one I had given to her some years ago which she had held onto because she loved it so much, but when I couldn’t read it at home (I couldn't concentrate), she said I could bring it with me. The other one I have is the one I bought the other day in Chengdu. So now, I have a choice. I think I’ll go with Jacqui’s first. The one about friendship, because right now my friends have never been more important to me, and that goes for all my beautiful TravBuddy friends too. I am so grateful for your continued support, the encouragement you give when I am feeling low or when things aren’t quite going my way, laughing with (at) me when a laugh is needed, and just for being there. I can’t tell you how much I love and appreciate each and every one of you.

My head is still hurting, but I no longer feel hot and/or cold, however my throat is still sore, but the hot lemon water is helping. I'm going to bed.

So goodnight my lovelies, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite. :)