Weekend in Suzhou

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The Real Pacican Curriculum...

In my grade 5 Pacican class, the next page in their book for the music unit was "We are the Champions!" I thought it was odd. I couldn't entirely figure out why that random song was chosen, not that I minded, I love Queen, I just thought it odd they didn't pick a popular song by the Beatles or another classic influential band. I had the real version of the song on my laptop and ready to go. Before the class I decided to pop in the c.d. Pacican gave me and see if they had the song on there, so I could refer the students to their c.d.'s when they arrived home after class.

The song is on the c.d.

Unfortunatly, it is sung so poorly that Freddie Mercury is probably rolling over in his grave. I'm pretty sure my laughter could be heard throughout the whole school. It saddens me that this is not only what I am expected to play for them in an ESL class (the pacican version), but I am appauled by the complete disregard for music in general, Queen and the English language. Please listen to this version of the song. It is so far beyond pathetic it angers me. Queen deserves so much more than this! It bothers me that I'm supposed to be teaching my students about music, to a song that not only has no instrumental accompaniment, but has no melody no heart and is SPOKEN in a monotone voice. It breaks my heart. Sorry this had to happen Freddie.
:(

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS ABSOLUTE PIECE OF SHIT

I am also horrified THIS is what passes for curriculum. Would it be such a big deal to pay for the real thing, as opposed to comletely butchering it?

Made in China...

I went there! Well, I went to a clothing factory. It wasn't as bad as the sweat shops I had visions of, but I was everything I expected a Chinese factory to be: cold and barren with women unfortunately doing all of the manual labour. I found it fascinating to watch how quickly they were able to sew by hand, and at the same time it saddened me. I don't think I'll ever take my clothes for granted after being there and actually getting to see all the effort and very difficult work they have to endure for the smallest details I would never even notice.



We were lead into a room with boxes of garments on the floor. They all said 'sample' on tags hand written in Chinese. There was piles of shirts, different styles, colours, materials. I wondered how the workers managed to get it all done. There were actually very few people working there, although it was most likely because it was a Sunday, that, or we were given a very sterile glimpse of factory life.



Our travels also lead us to a traditional Chinese tea shop where we picked up some fresh tea, vacuum sealed to ensure its quality! We sat down and sampled small cups of tea, prepared traditionally, in the proper pots, etc. It was amazing. Something I'll never forget that left me finally feeling more connected to this place so far from home.

How to Survive in Shanghai for 4 Kuai...

One word: Noodlehouse. For those who know my love for food, these have been my constant love affair since arriving in Shanghai. Canada could really benefit from tapping into the rich tapestry that is the street food market. Every two feet or so, on any street, in any given direction you can find food. Vendors spill out onto the sidewalks day and night, making it all too easy when you're busy and on the go. They have everything from noodles, rice, dumplings to delicious baked goods and pastries, fried dough balls coated in sugar (like timbits), pastry wraps filled with spinach and chives, sesame pastries and snacks, all kinds of meat skewers... it's endless. It astounds me that for only 80 cents Candian (or 4 Kuai here) you can get a bowl of noodles that will last you for breakfast, lunch and supper and sometimes into the next day. And these aren't just any noodles, they're made infront of you to order from a ball of dough, quickly tossed, stretched and folded until noodle like strands appear, then it's tossed into the pot all infront of your eyes when you order. Across the street from my school on North Chezhan Rd, there's a small Muslim noodle shop that, originally my reliable 'go to' in a pinch, has quickly become the centre of my staple diet here in Shanghai, so much so, I'm serenading you with the details! I often go over during lunch and after school to get my fix. I had a fellow teacher and friend scribble down "I want one bowl of noodles" in pignion on a piece of torn paper I keep crumpled up in my pocket. "Wo yao yi wan Lamien" I tell them, pronounced horribly. They now know what I get, so it's a little easier. There's not too many white girls in the area that get noodles on a daily basis, so now they just smile and spare me the embarassment. In front of my eyes, they roll, shape and throw the noodles into the pot and into my bowl within a matter of minutes. I carefully cart the suckers either back to school, or back home to Linping, which usually takes 45 minutes on the bus. Liquid gold, and they're still warm when I get home! I usually add the little chili sauce they have sitting on the table before I leave. No matter how cold I am, or how cold my classroom is, these noodles warm me up within minutes. They put them in a broth with spinach and what I believe is bok choy with tender pieces of beef that serenade your tongue. They seriously taste like heaven. I can't get enough of them on my chopsticks at a time. It's hard to explain, but at home, noodles were always just noodles, I could take or leave them. But here, they're so much more. They're fresh, tastey and they find a way to warm your soul. Canada needs to get on this bandwagon!



Another lovely discovery of mine while out shopping with some friends, was that Pepsi / 7up comes in gigantic 2.5 litre bottles here. For a fizz addict, such as myself, my jaw dropped when I saw them. So I bought one. And then I proceeded to drag it home across town, on the subway... on both lines three AND four, and then walked from the metro station on our street to the apartment with it all the way up to the thirteenth floor. For a bottle of pop it was actually quite heavy. So with all my lesson planning and late nights, I've been trying to make a dent in it. But I now understand why it's not available in North America, the sheer size and weight of the stuff makes it incredibly difficult to pour. In any event, it's just another small thing that helps keep me grounded and closer to home.

Teaching in Shanghai

My brief time playing tourist is over and now it's time to get to work, work I extremely under-estimated when I decided to come to Shanghai. My teaching week is pretty full from 8:40 - 4:10 Monday to Friday. I'm generally out the door by 7:30 and back after 5:00. I teach 5 Pacican classes (one of each grade level) at Liang Cheng Primary school and 2 Grade 5 classes, 1 Grade 2 class, 1 Grade 3 class and 2 grade 4 classes at ZhongZhou school. My classes at ZZ have over 40 students in each, at Liang Cheng they have 20, so if you've done the math, I have 11 classes in total and teach around 340 students. My classes tend to be a bit of a mixed bag, some of them are great, smart and delightful to teach. I also have classes that don't have any motivation or drive to be there.


I've also found some difficulties at Liang Cheng primary school. It's unfortunate, because it makes my job very hard. My classroom is on the top floor of the school, down the hall on its own, away from the rest of the classrooms and goings on in the school. The teachers that once in a while sit in to TA my class don't take it seriously, conversational English isn't important in their eyes. Their attitudes are often reflected in the students attitudes and I find it difficult to keep them on track and motivated. My classroom is also dreadfully cold, with no heat, windows that let so much air in they are pointless and a door that won't close. My room is often more cold than the actual air outside. The other day when it was raining it was so damp in my room when I went to erase the board and seared it with damp water. I couldn't write on the board for the rest of the afternoon because the chalk wouldn't stick!

My days off are Saturday and Sunday. This weekend we went for a little shopping Western style. I picked up some pants and a jacket at H&M (thank god they have one here!). It was nice to not have to barter for once and I was able to try things on without feeling pressured to buy. We also went through a nice walk through the French Consession. Sometimes when we visit certain areas of the city it doesn't feel as though we're in China at all. It could really be any major city, anywheres in the world. We went to an Indian restaurant for a late lunch and found ourselves being serenaded by a remix of a Snoop Dogg song. It's weird. Just when you think you've got the place figured out, there's something in the way that throws it all off, I guess that's the draw of the place though - it always keeps you guessing!

North American Invasion!

The funny thing about Shanghai is that you never feel very far away from home. The entre time I've been here, I've found myself continually bombarded by things I'd rather not experience, like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion blasting in my ear off Tony's c.d. in the BSK van. Even on th way to Zhu Jia Jiao, Ryan Seacrest made an appearance on the local radiostation with his radio show... I coldn't help but wonder if he even realizes he's being broadcast in China! I have to admit though, I'm finding the transition to living here a lot easier because of the Westernization that at the same time makes me sad everything here is going West. Everywhere I look, there's North American and European models staring back at me from billboards, alomst every sign is in English and the bus and subway annoncements are also broadcast in English. I guess I was just waiting for a true Asian experience I'm never going to get because this is the 'true Shanghai.'



We've discovered a lovely store in our beloved Rainbow City Lifestyle mall nextdoor called E-Mart. E-Mart is China's answrer to Costco and Walmart, all in one. I have to say, it makes life here so easy, because even the littlest things that I take for granted are available at the snap of a finger. Convernience, comforting and close to home, probably not a lot much more I could ask for!




We also took a really quick stroll down Nanjin Road East last night. It was very rainy and freezing cold, so we didn't stay long. Basically, Nanjing is Shanghai's answer to NYC's Times Square, complete with giant light up buildings and a coke bottle (we didn't make it far enough down to see it).



I suppose all of these things have made Nova Scotia feel as though it's right next door, which has helped. But I can't help but feel as though the city is experiencing a great loss by idolizing North America. It's too bad.

If Shanghai is supposedly the 'New York City of the East'... then I live in the Bronx...

Well, I'm here. It's been a rough couple of days without internet, but I finally managed to sneak onto someone's wireless signal. Our flight from Toronto was dreadfully long (13.5 hours) but they managed to feed us well (there was 3 meals!). In fact, there was more food given to us on the plane than I had places to put it; we had three large meals and one snack, and yes, air canada uses chopsticks on its flights to Asia! I managed to get some sleep on the plane, enough that when I finally got to Shanghai the 12 hour time differene didn't really bother me. It was a breathtaking flight, particularly when I randomly opened the window and saw the barren landscape of Russia staring up at me from below. Cold and lifeless, it really makes you wonder just how many of the world's corners remain untouched, uninhabited and undiscovered. The mountainous landscape over Mongolia and Northern China was also beautiful. Carved and raw with rivers running throughout it; I had never seen anything quite like it in my life.

We landed in Shanghai at around 4pm local time (we left at 7:45 am Halifax time, one day earlier). We were welcomed by a warm and balmy 18 celcius and sunny late afternoon breeze. This was music to my ears after having left a frosty - 10 Halifax the morning before. Unfortunately, with the heat came the compounded effects of humidity and smog, making the breathing situation not ideal. It was hard to see that there was infact blue sky above us. All the pollution gave the air a very grey and almost orangy hue. I can't quite describe the smell I experienced when I first set foot outside. I don't quite know what I expected it to smell like, but once the smell invaded my nostrils it screamed 'gigantic Asian city.' Its an interesting blend that I hope I will eventually adjust to. It unfortunatly leaves your skin and clothes feeling dirty. I blew my nose into a kleenex and everything that came out of it was black, which makes me understand why so many people wear masks. The air leaves a bitter taste in your mouth that you can't quite get rid of and really makes me appreciate living in Canada. The immigration check at the airport went very smoothly, a million times more efficient than in North America. Before I knew it, we were on our way to home sweet home in Puxi (pronounced pu - she), just on the other sude of the bund from Pudong. As we drove into the city, the sunset was gorgeous, setting off the Oriental Pearl Tower and glittering off of all the buildings that surrounded it. We continued driving for what seemed like an endless amount of time. Every street looked the same, filled with large glittering neon signs with outdoor vendors spilling their goods onto the street for anyone who happened by. Eventually we turned down a street with a fairly shady looking slum to our right. Sure enough, we turned to the left. It was like night and day. Our building is located on Lin Ping Rd., filled with large high rise complexes. Inside, our apartment was more than I had imagined it to be. We walked into a large room with a large closet, sofa, tv, kitchen table with chairs. Our place is very spacious with a large balcony and a great view. Our three bedrooms are also fairly spacious and we have 2 bathrooms, one located down the hall and the other located off the bedroom I am staying in.

This morning I awoke to an odd sound I couldn't at first place. Amidst all the honking outside I realized I heard the faint chirp of birds. Upon a latter investigation, I located the chirping in the ceiling directly above the bathtub. Our building is concrete, so structurally, I don't understand how they are there, or how they plan on getting out. They do make it feel remotely like home however, so I don't mind if they stay.

Our adventures today had us at the medical clinic for our standard medical exam first thing in the morning. All of us were starving and not fully prepared for what was ahead of us. We were not notified before the trip we needed at least 8 passport photos for the medical and our residence application permits, so we managed to get a few done on site quite hastily. The medical exam process was a bit of a three ring circus. We had to fill out a sheet (entierly in Mandarin) and we were shuffled, from one waiting room, to another, until finally we were given our johnny shirts and a locker for our belongings. From there we were randomly shuffled again from room to room, for blood work, ekg, ultrasound, eye test, radiology exam... it was quite chaotic, not knowing where to go next or quite what to do when we got in there. It didn't take too long and finally, I was able to eat the rationed mars bar I had brought with me.

After our medical, we drove to BSK / Pacican and were given a brief introduction and overview. We were then taken to get more passport photos taken for the residency app. (we needed 2 more!) and we then walked up the street to purchase cell phones with the aid of a BSK coordinator. It's funny how much more grounded I felt when I finally had my cell phone in hand. It's hard to understand how grounded it makes you feel to have that one piece of technology that can connect you with the rest of the world when you're standing, alone in a city where you couldn't even ask for directions to get back home. In the afternoon we continued with a beginning session at BSK and then we had to go to the police station to get the residency permit. This was an adventure I was not at all expecting, and hope is not a sign of things to come. Andy, the coordinator accompanying us got us lost several times. We had to briefly take the bus, and when we got off walk for quite a piece. We went down a lot of random alleyways and sidestreets that clearly would not house a police station. As we walked over dug up streets, I couldn't help but feel as though I was back home, trying to rock across an uneven pile of jagged rocks on the beach, trying hard to keep my feet straight. Andy kept apologising for the confusion, explaining the police station had moved. When we finally got to the station, it was clear it had always been there, and always would be. A large goverment building with glass doors and granite floors, it clearly had been there for quite a while. Exhausted and sweating (it was 21c today!) we waited for awhile until our applications were ready. Andy at this point decided to tell us he was off the clock and we were on our own for getting back to BSK on the otherside of town. Needless to say, none of us were impressed. The cab ride was great, comfortable and no nonsence. We arrived at BSK in due time, with 1/2 hour to spare before dinner. We decided to explore the area, where we came across a supermarket where I purchased mostly comfort food. Some kind of cappucino cakes, skittles, tropican melon juice and a bottle of water. It is astounding the products you can find there. They have eveything, including cucumber AND blueberry flavoured lays! I wasn't brave enough to buy a bag of either. Dinner went well and I was surprised at how quickly I recalled how to use chopsticks. One thing is for sure, I'm certainly not going to starve!

Once we arrived back at Lin Ping, we decided to explore our surroundings and see what we could find (we are in desperate needs of cleaning supplies, of any kind. We were surprised to see everything we had around us right at our fingertips. Several boutiques selling just about anything you would ever need. We also ran into Rainbow City Lifestyle mall, which I plan on going back to to take pictures! It was very bright and pink, with their cherry blossom logo just about everywhere they could put it. I ended up buying a blue sparkly Hello Kitty umbrella for the rain they have forcast for tomorrow. Hopefully it will survive!

Cheers for now,
Sarah