This has to come out today as I said to myself I would try and write a blog every month so thank god this is a leap year and I have this extra day! Let’s get started shall we?
Chinese New Year is our first stop in the blog. It was my first holiday from SK and it lasted for 10 days from the 20th. I went to Huizhou from the first 6 and then spent the last 4 back in Guangzhou. I was supposed to start again on the 28th but I was given 2 more days off! In Huizhou I stayed with my friend Jam. Not the nicest apartment, this is me being nice, but it did the job. 4 nights Jam and I stayed up very late watching movies shooting the shit and drinking some beers (well I drank the beers he drank coffee). It was fun but tiring. 1 afternoon I hung out with some other friends, another I went for a massage at my favourite massage place! And on the day of the Chinese New Year I went to my friend Victoria’s house to enjoy it with her and her family and another foreigner who took my job when I left. We had a few drinks, did some chatting, ate some really delicious food and set off some fireworks! It was good fun. After that the young-uns (me and people my age!) went to the bar for a few beers. It was a new bar in Huizhou which was pretty nice. I was supposed to leave on the 25th but ended up leaving on the 26th…another night of movies!
Back in Guangzhou on the 26th and sorted the new bank card out pronto. A few beers with people from work and a lot of Sam time. Really enjoyable! But then DISASTER! I had a few too many shandies with some friends one night and the next day I was vomiting every 30 minutes regardless of eating drinking or breathing. Finally 8pm rolled around and I was feeling a bit better! I lost my keys to the house that night so I couldn’t even leave until crystal came back which was very late the next day. 2 days without leaving the house! So I did some ultimate slobbing. She came back and it was straight to work the next day if I remember correctly but maybe I don't…:D HAPPY
So work! It has been going pretty well. People are nice, the kids are okay mostly and I have thought up some new and slightly less boring games to play games which seem to be working for now. There has been a small shift about of the foreign teachers. One guy from my school has gone to the other and the part time teacher David has now started full time. This man speaks the most shit I have ever heard. It’s hilarious I think he has convinced himself that what he says is true as well e.g. lost his virginity at 10 OR his sister who is a part time English teacher bought 100 bottles of champagne in a club in Guangzhou just a few weeks ago. I like him though he is funny!
I actually was the teacher of a training session recently. I was allowed to choose the topic so I chose to do it on 'new innovative and alternate ways to use the courseware, the software and the computer it self'. My ideas turned to really impress them but my presentation wasn’t that great which I later found out was the important part. Silly Sam! Apparently it was the start to the grooming process to become a future teacher trainer but I quickly dismissed their fears I might want to be one by telling them unless they pay me a lot more money they can chuff off. No more smiles form the Chinese staff there. Despite sucking at the presentation they still asked me to go on stage at a teaching convention a few days ago and have me do a little English demo with some kids. This actually went okay so go me! So I have host or presented 4 out of the 4 events I have been a part of with the school.
I have heard wind of a new contract that could see my salary fall by a few hundred pounds. Although this goes against my current contract (which means they have to give me 500 pounds) no one gives a shit so soon I will be told to sign it or find a new job BUT because they say I am quitting by not signing the new contract they don’t have to pay me the severance fee (happened to others already). I work my ass off compared to the other teachers and although they say they appreciate that, I know they couldn’t give two poodle farts. We shall see how it goes, I was told sometime in March…could be tomorrow! A few Chinese staff have been leaving to as they were also forced into a new contract that gave some a pay cut and kept others the same. They say they consider a lot of things, if they consider effort I am getting a rise! I am the only foreigner that writes lesson plans apparently…
Crystal news time! We have been surviving for a while but it feels just like that. I don’t want to break up but who knows. Recently there was a big scare when I thought I was visiting dumpsville. We talked it out and are trying to make things better. The reasons she was thinking of dumping me were: I can’t take care of myself (I get too hungover) even though I drink at most, twice a week sometimes not even once. The other was that I am too friendly to other girls (the ones I work with) even though I have never actually done anything with any of them and don’t want to its bad enough already she says. Trust being the missing link in this case, which Crystal admitted she didn’t have for me. These I don’t think are good enough reasons as they have both could have been said from the day we started dating. So will keep my hands to myself and not let booze pass these lips! Anyway NOW thinks are better but if she tells me “I think I will not break up with you” again she will be hitting the bricks.
As for her life! She was also forced into a new contract but her pay is around the same and her workload is a bit better it seems. Her 1st sister has moved to a province quite far away, Sichuan. She has the back of an 80 year old lady which gives her plenty of reason to ask for a back massage 3-4 times a week! I am getting pretty good it think so I might become a masseur one day! Through these problems we thought a trip for valentines would be a good idea.
Xia men. This was a 10 hour bus journey from Guangzhou. We get the bus which was like a bed bus that stunk of 100 feet and had beds designed for skinny Chinese people. Needless to say I struggled a bit. Arrived on Monday morning at 5 30am. Had some rice soup and started our site sighting at 6 30a.m. with our luggage. We first visited Xia Men University. Meant to be one of the prettiest universities in China and it wasn’t bad! It had a big lake in the middle with some black swans and from what I could see at least 50 dead fish floating around on the surface of the water. There were lots of nice building and old trees and things that you associate with a nice looking Chinese university. We then went to a temple which turned out to be at the bottom of a mountain. It was really nice and although only 7 30a.m. quite busy. I convinced Crystal to climb this mountain with me and I really enjoyed it. It was tiring but good fun, some nice views and features. The photos didn't turn out great because of the fog though. Crystal was most impressed by the man who roamed the entire thing looking for plastic bottles. He was a bit like a tan, rubbery sknned, smelly, ninja. When we got back to the bottom it was around 11 so we had some really expensive fish for lunch and then went to one more sight next to the beach this time. It was an Old Dutch fort with cannons. We couldn’t be bothered with it though so we walked along the beach! After some walking and mutual agreement on our exhaustion levels we got the ferry to the little island we wanted to stay on. ‘Gu lang yu’ was the name of the island. Less than a mile across and it was really nice and busy and cool and full of sea food and culture and seafood. We slept for 3 hours from 3 to 6 then went out for dinner and to do some shopping. Lots of thrift and touristy type shops. I only saw one other foreigner the entire time! It seemed like a nice place for lots of Chinese tourists to visit. Crammed with B E A utiful woman (crystal said it not me, I just thought it!). After some shopping some drinks in a few bars. 2 drinks to be exact, cocktails, and that led to crystal being sick in a street near the bar. “These drinks aren’t strong” hahaaaaaaaaa! famous last words if ever I heard em! In bed by 12 and that takes us to valentine’s day.
It rained all day but didn’t stop us from going out and seeing the sites. Later I learned Crystal is an annoying, complaisant so and so when she is out in the rain. She wrote that she loved me in a big heart in the sand because she saw other people doing it and so I returned the favour, how NICE! I still managed to have fun and enjoy all most all of it! We also got a boat trip around the island and it seems I am ok on boats of almost any size now! Another 10 hour bus trip home but this bus was another species. Comfy, empty, clean and minus the gag inducing smell of 500 pairs of 500 year old socks.
So that takes us pretty much up to now.
I saw my first few 6 nations’ rugby games last weekend which was pretty enjoyable. In an Irish bar but no one was cheering for Ireland or at all but me and my group of folks. It was fun. I didn’t go to sleep that night but didn't drink a lot either just hung out with some people all night which was pretty cool. School the next day was tough! I was a real zombie.
Yesterday I went back to ‘Bai Yun Shan’ with crystal to search for Peach flowers. We walked for 3 hours before making it to the garden. Of course I did my fair share of crystal carrying with only another hour walking after to be enjoyed as well. The garden was really nice and there were some nice colours and lots of flowers/trees/plants to see. We took some photos so I hope we can get them up at some point. That takes us to today!
I went to my first IKEA today with the girls from my school which was pretty cool and much more affordable that I thought it would be. I will go back with crystal when we get paid and buy some cool stuff. Sweden in Chinese is ‘Rai dian’ which I thought is a pretty cool sounding word.
Also I have decided I am going to buy a projector when I get paid so I can watch my movies on a big ass, dope ass screen! Any recommendations? Around 300 pounds I am thinking.
Of course thank you for reading and I hope you could leave a comment about your recent goings ons.
Love Sam
