Heaven and Hell in China

The second week of school has just ended and TGIF...I guess. Last Saturday I spent the day chilling on the couch with Game of Thrones DVD's because I had a...cold?...flu?...Anyway, got well enough by Sunday that I was able to enjoy a beautiful trip to the Great Wall with friends. As you approach, the circus of stallkeepers starts, too. But the "ripoff" price for water at the Wall is STILL under $1, and everyone says, Oh, Canada, Friends!! It's cute. It was so surreal to be there. Never thought I would see it...and even walk on it...in my life. You just never know. It was way cooler than I thought it would be, actually.

School is amazing. It is hard. There is sooo much to do, but I feel renewed. I feel all the motivation and excitement of a first year teacher, but with the confidence and skills of a Ten Year Vet. ;) There is always more to learn, and with eager and insatiable students, I find myself working harder than I have for a while. Time spent on school work is a pleasure this year. It feels as fun as "playing school" did when I was little. I love fussing over my web sites and lesson plans like I have not for quite a time. The motivation the kids have is contagious and I have caught the BIBA bug. Honeymoon phase perhaps?

My Z visa and work permit can't be processed yet. My paperwork has been DENIED twice. Had to get a THIRD police check. It was empty just like the first two. No crimes. Sorry China. Now they are confused by the last names. Keebler on my university degrees and birth certificate. Sedman on other papers. Evans is mu husband and stepson. They are VERY unhappy with all these names. So I spent six hours working on renewing my tourist visa today. Colleagues had to cover classes for me and the others who had to go today. There is ONE visa office in Beijing for foreigners, for Chinese who need passports and visas, and after waiting three hours in line, right before my turn, the computers at the visa office went down. So not fun. But it is done. Whew.

Wow, Did I Really Move to China?

It is hard to know what to write about first. There is so much to comment on. If I thought life in Qatar was wildly different when I first arrived there, it was nothing like the adjustment to life in Beijing, China. I will say that despite all the reading I tried to do and research I thought I was doing, living here is NOTHING like I expected it would be. 

I am very happy that I chose to come to Beijing. Beijing is one of three "municipalities" of China, which basically means that the city is so massive that it is its own province. I learned this when I was trying to order stuff on amazon.cn, the China Amazon (love it and hate it). I can't compare it to anywhere else really, but I can now see why I did not feel good about going somewhere smaller. This is a major urban center and it is still really hard to get some of your familiar creature comforts and equally as challenging to find a taxi driver who speaks any English. Now, I know that this is China. People speak Chinese. But that does not make it any easier. We have had many hilarious and not-so-hilarious mishaps already. Try doing any of the following in Chinese: a) set up a bank account, b) set up an Internet service, c) buy a sim card for your cell phone, d) tell the hairdresser what you want done to your hair, e) order food or even Diet Coke (and no, you can't say "cola" or "coke light" like you can in other countries...doesn't work) f) order a smoothie or bubble tea, g) get medicine for your stepson's cut leg, h) read the messages that get texted to you by the cell phone company, i) read notices on your door from the property management company, i) understand from the outside of a store what is sold on the inside, h) negotiate the price of your bike, i) explain that you want a drink without sugar, j) explain that you want a drink without alcohol, k) explain that you want your dinner to be peanut free, l) tell your cleaning lady what you would like her to do, m) understand the random person on the other end of the phone who just called you and is clearly enraged....the list, of course, goes on and on.

Brody got his head practically shaved. Paul got his side burns lopped off. Neither was planned. We tried to order a smoothie and ended up getting one bright green, one pure black, and one creamy tan colored beverage on ice. Paul still hasn't found a way to buy a damn sim card. The other day I walked into what I thought was a small store and found a family eating noodle lunch on the floor. Needless to say, each step outside your door is a challenge. So I am glad I am in a big city, where there are at least a few expats and English speakers around. It is always a nice surprise because survival in Chinese can be exhausting.

Utilities here are a struggle. You have three to four utility cards. One for toilet water, one for tap water (which you should not drink, so order a third type...bottled...instead), one for gas to cook and one for electricity. Much like a prepaid phone card, these have to be pre-loaded with money, then brought home and swiped through the appropriate machine that may be in your kitchen, in the main hallway of the building, or somewhere else. In order to load money onto the cards, they have to be EMPTY. So you can't add money if there is even a small balance. How do you know you need to add money? The specific utility stops working. So for example, you can be in mid-shower and the water will stop working. Then you have to go downstairs, grab your tap water card, put shoes and a robe on, go into the hallway, swipe your card to get the balance onto the water meter, then go finish your shower. Then go reload your card. The challenge is that no one reloads in the same place. We are lucky. We go to the basement of Building 1 to do tap, toilet, and electric. Gas is paid at a bank about six blocks away. But many of our neighbors have to go to the city grid building, and other banks to do the same tasks. So if your water runs out in the middle of your shower, you may have to go to the BANK. Crazy. This Is China.

It is fun to rant about these crazy things, but I have to say, for the most part I am SHOCKED at how much I love, love, love Beijing. I thought there was no way in hell I would want to live here, and right now I absolutely love it. The food is delicious and cheap. The food is only weird if you choose weird, like when Paul ordered frog, or last night when he ordered duck from a street shop instead of a restaurant and they included a lovely duck head that was barbequed to perfection. I thought it was the foot until I realized I was holding a neck and prying apart the beak with my finger in duck eyeball. I didn't eat the duck last night. In fact, I haven't had one animal product since the duck head incident. It may be a great while before I do. 

I love the green trees and grass everywhere. The streets are lined with elms and weeping willows and beautiful bushy flowering plants. The people, both here in our suburban area of Shunyi, and the ones we have encountered downtown are very polite and kind, unless they are driving. When driving, they rival the Qataris for pure crazy. I love the way people live outdoors in the summer and how people of ALL ages can be seen working out, jumping rope, doing weights, playing sports, walking, jogging, biking, and scootering everywhere and all day long. I love living across from a gorgeous city park where I can hear old men practicing their Indiana Jones whip, or ladies playing pipes, or someone on her karaoke machine, crooning away to some Peking Opera.

I love my school. I love how it is growing and expanding instead of hanging on with its bare teeth in a dying neighborhood. I love that my classroom is huge and bright and new. I love that my students are so sweet and polite and KEEN. I love that I have time before every single class to set up for it. I love that I have a couple of HOURS of prep time every day. I love that when we figured out how to buy medicine for Brody's cut leg it cost us 1 RMB, or 17 cents Canadian. 

I love the sound of the cicadas in the trees. Some people think it is annoying. It reminds me of being in the tropics. I love all the dogs everywhere...and NO, not to eat. The PET dogs everywhere that can understand Chinese way better than I can. I love that I am starting to understand things people say ONCE in a while. I love that there is so much to do here, that I don't know when I am going to get a chance to do it all. 

I love that I just baked chocolate chip cookies for Brody's lunch in my oven that is smaller than most peoples' toasters back home.

I was so freaked out to come here before I left and the first while was so hard. And there are lots of things that are strange and a few things that are frustrating, but overall, I feel excited, and happy, and pleasantly shocked and surprised. I hope the feeling lasts a while.

this is really hard

and I miss the thing that made everything ok

and I had bad dreams last night

First Post in China

Blog Journal

Friday, August 2^nd

5:00 am

Houshayu, Shunyi, Beijing, China

 

I arrived in Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) on Wednesday, August 30^th, after a disappointing Air Canada flight. After flying Qatar Airways in economy a few times, Air Canada economy makes you feel even more a peasant. The food is appallingly bad and it is a long voyage to begin with, but then just as we were about to land in Beijing, a lightning storm diverted us. We had to fly 90 minutes to Seoul, refuel there for 30 minutes, and then fly back to Beijing. When we arrived, four hours late, there was no gate, so another 30 minutes on board. Anyway, I had heard nightmare stories about this airport, but once I got off the plane, the airport itself was better than many. You walk a bit to immigration, which is fast and easy if you have done your visa properly and filled out your customs form. Then another walk to a fast shuttle train that takes you to baggage. Then you sail through the “nothing to declare” section, and you’re through.

 

When I arrived, there was no one to meet me, which was very distressing. As it turns out, the airline didn’t notify anyone of what was going on with the flight, even the arrivals board was wrong. So poor Andy, the Middle School Social Studies teacher, had gone to the airport once at midnight to get me, and then came back at 4:30 and waited forever for me to emerge, until the lovely Chandra got my sister’s frantic email that I was still at the airport and by 7:45 am, I was finally on my way OUT of the airport, with a very kind Andy guiding me to my new home.

 

I had no idea what to expect of the apartment. I have heard and read many stories and blogs of teaching in China, and many people have reported living on a postage stamp. Of course, I knew that it would be nothing like the large and spacious accommodations I had in Doha, where there is space, space, space to build. But I am happy to report that I am very pleasantly surprised with the new pad.

 

The first moment of delight came when Andy pushed the button for the top floor, Floor 9. I am going to include some pics with this blog, but here is a basic description of things I love about this apartment.

1.       It has many large windows in the kitchen, living room, and both bedrooms (in the bedrooms, they are floor to ceiling) which have a BEAUTIFUL view of the massive park across the street and have a view of both sunrise and sunset, as they are north facing.

2.       It has a decent kitchen, markedly inviting than my Calgary apartment. It sort of reminds me of a 50’s diner. It has stainless steel counter tops, a smallish stainless steel fridge with freezer on the BOTTOM (yes!) that I had to unwrap, as it has never been used. It has a two-burner gas stovetop, with a lovely and huge stainless steel hood fan. The cupboards follow the 50’s look, as they are glossy and painted, with brushed silver handles. But instead of the black or red colour that you might see in a 50’s diner, they are VIBRANT FUSCHIA. Like, wow. The kitchen is a bright and happy place. Floors and walls of the kitchen are a creamy tile.

3.       The light fixtures in here are hilarious. The living room sports a modern crystal chandelier with leaf-shaped prisms. Then each room has a patterned light cover. Stars, feathers, maple leaves…are just some of the patterns etched into the frosted glass.

4.       The bathrooms are small, but continue on the same theme, with plain white fixtures, except for a stunning accent of a bubble gum pink in the cabinetry. There is a half bath on the main floor where there is also a washing machine, and the one upstairs has a shower. As the bathroom is completely tiled, the shower is open…no divider of any kind…a concept that I always wanted to try in the house on Cedardale, but never had the cash to implement. That bathroom has an amazingly complex lighting system or heated and non heated lights that I have not totally figured out yet, but which I anticipate I will be grateful for when winter comes.

5.       The staircase up to the second level is a floating staircase…all the floors that aren’t tile are a pretty maple coloured laminate wood flooring. It is much kinder on the feet than a house full of tile.

6.       We have a king size bed in our room with a large Ikea-style closet provided, and a truly insane white fabric headboard, studded with rhinestones the size of a loonie. Brand new sheets were provided, and they are ultra-amusing and very comfortable. So nice to have had some bedding and pillows on arrival. The bedroom is painted…guess what…cupcake pink. I am surprised to say I don’t mind it too much. It is certainly an upbeat and happy colour. Unfortunately for Brody, his bedroom is also pink, so I will need to MAN it up a bit. He has a very cool pine bed frame though, that has “outdoorsman” written all over it. Both mattresses are brand new, thank heaven for blessing us. No bed bugs to worry about. The couch is brand new too. In fact, from the look of it, no one has lived in this apartment before.

7.       Stuff provided by the school that impresses me: large wooden kitchen table with four chairs, nice big, modern couch in grey,, silver, and fuschia, of course, a TV stand and decent sized flat screen, a water cooler, basics in the house on arrival like a few cooking items and dishes, some peanut butter, jam, bread, water, and two oranges. Toilet paper and paper towels, along with a face cloth, bath towel, and kitchen cloths. I can’t tell you how nice this was. The teachers who arrived here in prior years did not experience this kind of hospitality and they took it upon themselves to make it better for the next people that would come along. I very much admire and appreciate this attitude and I am VERY happy to be on the receiving end of their thoughtfulness.

 

The compound the building is in is called “Sugar Bay”. Quite a few of the teachers live here, and in a couple of other locations. We are a ten minute, and very pleasant walk from BIBA. I did the walk twice yesterday. It is a nice quiet sidestreet, and the whole way to the school is along the massive park I spoke of. The final street that the school is on when you turn off the main road is lined with enormous and beautiful willows. It is a gorgeous and quiet walk. The school is absolutely gorgeous. It is very clean and well organized, with a ton of play space, including multiple play structures (kindergarten gets their own), basketball courts, and an outdoor track. The elementary building is three stories, and contains its own music room, a MASSIVE art room, a science lab, computer lab, resource room, and an adorable little theatre that I came upon quite by accident. It is fully pimped out with sound and lighting equipment, a wooden stage, and beautiful red cushioned theatre seats.

 

The middle school building is next door, and it is…well…bloody SWANKY! The doors and interior walls are all glass and the rooms have a ton of natural light. It feels more like an office or a hotel than a school. My art room in that building is clean and organized and positively enormous. I have quite a bit of work to do, figuring out where things are and what I want to do with them, but there are so many possibilities. There is a ton of storage and I am excited to get to work.

 

The park I keep mentioning is really neat. It contains an amphitheatre, where musicians go and just play whenever. The other day someone was playing jazz and when I opened our windows, I could hear the music in the bedrooms. It also has basketball courts, outdoor workout equipment, lovely walking paths, and all kinds of other neat stuff, including an art gallery and a hot pot restaurant. At the opposite end of the park is a sweet market. It is a bit intimidating because I don’t a word of Chinese yet, but I am trying to get by with pointing. I force myself to go every day and get one or two things crossed off my list, just so that I don’t get shy about shopping. There is a huge butchery, a massive vegetable market, a fruit market, a couple of vendors selling peking duck, or noodles that you buy by the pound, nice and fresh, and take home to cook up, there are several clothing stores, some electronics stores, odds and ends stores, a fabric place, and quite a few small convenience stores that sell a variety of things from coke zero and green tea to laundry detergent.

 

Yesterday, Chandra took a few of us to Pinnacle Plaza, which is a westernish shopping centre. There is a Starbucks there, as well as a few yummy restaurants. Most importantly, there are two  exciting businesses there: an organic health food store, and Jenny’s, a very western grocery store, full of goods that are more familiar to us expats. I have been subsisting on whatever I could find, my one dollar dragonfruits, an egg and leak stuffed pocket thingy from a street vendor, and some cashews. So I was pretty excited to be able to buy coconut oil, organic brown rice, oatmeal (Paul is coming!), Meditteranean salt, free range eggs, mac and cheese for Brody, and some lemon mint juice for a little taste of Qatar.

 

Overall, I am so surprised and grateful for how things are working out. I have been offered four positions in China, and this is the one I finally decided to take. The pay is competitive, but still…I have heard so many terrible stories of peoples’ experiences in China…I have been very nervous of what might be awaiting us. I had no idea what to expect and I was so afraid that it would be a concrete jungle with throngs of people everywhere and that Paul would want to immediately turn around and go home. I know that there are parts of Beijing that will be like that.
Anyway, enough already. I am wiped. Back for another hour of snoozing...