Wednesday 28th May, 2014 1230
If I recall correctly Sunday was a dismal day on which I did nothing but one class at the small school. In addition I was invited to judge an English recital contest in the evening and for reasons known only to the organisers they invited Ollivier to be a judge as well! It turned out to be a combination of students reciting either English or Chinese and patently we couldn’t award marks for the Chinese bits and to be honest the organising was haphazard, to use a kind term. They had printed up small pieces of paper which split down the points to be awarded for the different criteria they were looking for in the contestants but thoughtfully had only produced them in Chinese! Needless to say, the pair of us simply entered the total score on the reverse of the forms.
So far this week it has been a bit warm, hovering around 30-34C. Perfect for the bike as even if I am returning from town in the evening I don’t need to take a jacket in case. This coming weekend is dragon boat festival. We are off Saturday, Sunday and Monday but have to make up classes we would normally do on Mondays.
I carefully prepared my exam dates to take into account the holiday, duly informed the students and rearranged the Monday classes to start their exams this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. However, last night Kevin came to me and pointed out I had made a huge cock up. I have made the rare errors of believing a student who told me their other exams start on the 16th and compounded it by misreading the school calendar. In my defence, not only is it in Chinese but the first month is September on it and the last is June. Ergo I am starting a week too early. Ooops. Hopefully the powers won’t notice and anyway I will give one final lesson to four of my classes afterwards - the other two classes are big ones so I have given myself the luxury of being able to not rush their tests. That is something I will certainly consider with any future large classes.
On Monday Kevin, Vivi, Ollivier and I all demolished the second lasagne I froze from last Tuesday, although the portions were taken to their respective rooms for consumption. Next Tuesday we are having another bash and the menu will be a salad starter, toad in the hole plus mousse au chocolat. The toad should be a success as Ollivier will prepare the batter and I will do the rest. He has just had a trial run at making Yorkshire pudding and the result is pretty good. I have two packs of bangers left so we will combine that with mustard mash, onion gravy and (at Kevin’s request) baked beans. The latter seems a strange choice but what the hell. It will the last of the current academic year and in a month or so Ollivier will go to Shandong province, then France, while Kevin will go to Hong Kong, Macao, the Philippines and England, not necessarily in that order. He and our local hero have been invited to some event in HK and Macao connected with the national speaking competition at which our lad put this school on the academic map of China and was quite rightly lauded by the school. He has in fact since been accepted for a place in the prestigious Shanghai maritime university, no doubt aided a fair bit by his success in Beijing. Not that he’s going to sea, I believe he wants to be a lawyer.
Thursday 29th 1930
Sorry about that folks, I had fully intended to blog last night but whilst down having a beer with Olivier in the early evening yesterday (and coincidentally immediately after I had bemoaned the fact I hadn’t had any translating to do lately) the phone rang. Four files to translate/tidy and as always not long to do it in. They wanted it done before 0900 today. Bang went anything else other than feeding the pets and myself (with an Aussie pasty) so I am finishing off this evening.
Remember above I explained my screw up with dates? Well Amy told me after her test this afternoon that next week is the first of the government inspections (there will be three of them within the next twelve months) to see if we qualify for full status. Considering my plans are/were to be carrying out exams I was thrown into confusion. Which week was it (week 16) and what if they chose my room to inspect? As it happens my submitted teaching plan for next week states “free discussion” so instead of starting the Friday classes (half my weekly workload) on testing I may instead show their film that week instead of after I have finished. I mean, the teaching plan was submitted long before I was given a multimedia classroom! The last thing I want to do is jeopardise the bid for promotion but I think in the unlikely event my class will be chosen to inspect, I will justify it.
My new consignment of bagels and cream cheese arrived this evening COD. Imagine my consternation when presented with two parcels and asked to fork out 470y when I was expecting two hundred and something. No bugger in there at the time spoke English but it ended up with someone opening the boxes and showing me the contents. The two boxes were because the order wouldn’t fit into one and the error was realised, meaning I paid 235y and not exactly twice that as the silly girl had suggested. However, although I have a dozen bagels (one of the poppy seed ones is destined for Yvonne’s gullet tomorrow) I only have one block of cream cheese. I am sure there was one block in each box - which they kindly reduced to one by getting rid of the polystyrene containers - and I returned to see if they had forgotten to put it in. No evidence of it so just now I emailed the firm hoping to get a free replacement sent out. It’s only 26y but I do need it.
At five this evening I was interviewed for the university online newspaper. Apparently they have to interview one teacher a month and as one of the “reporters” is one of my students she chose me for this month after I showed her class my video the multimedia dept made of me. Ollivier will probably be next month’s pinup! The trouble is, it’s in Chinese and not only do I not know what they will say but I don’t know the website address to check!
Still, a three day weekend to look forward to and although I’m not going anywhere it will be nice to relax.
Thursday, 29 May 2014
Saturday, 24 May 2014
Saturday 24th May, 2014 1800
Wednesday we did indeed go shopping but first it was McDonald’s for lunch - I am forcing myself to have a Big Mac meal every time at present as you get a free Coca Cola glass! RT Mart may have cheap wine at 13y a bottle and they may have baguettes and butter but their butchery stinks. Well it does from my perspective because they only have liver (it seems) twice a year whilst Lottemart has normally got it, plus kidneys and other offal I feed the animals. The cats haven’t been pleased since then as it has either been bones or chicken breasts and they are too fussy to attempt to eat them. Pepsi is happy though!
On Thursday my idea had been to use the left over mince - I bought way too much for the lasagne - and stick it with spuds but I had a telephone call. It was from Hu (at least I think that’s his name) asking if he could invite me to dinner. He is a teacher at No.11 middle school and for the past year I have been correcting their English language newspaper in the same way I do it for here. I agreed and donated the mince to Ollivier.
It actually worked out very well, for my bike wasn’t charged so I thought it would be the bus. Kevin took me on his way to teach kids but it was a little early as he wanted a McDonald’s for his dinner. I was quite happy to sit with him and drink my Jing Jo medicine wine (gutrot but much tastier than baijiou as previously stated) and I had taken my camera with me. As luck would have it a really lovely girl who works there happened to be on duty at the time so I got a shot of her. I have no idea how far up the ladder she is but whenever a party of school kids go there she seems to be the one with the microphone, taking them outside after they have eaten and leading them in line dancing to disco music. She has far more patience than me.
Then it was off to meet Hu because in typical Chinese fashion he had set the time to meet but then arrived twenty minutes early himself. He had also brought his daughter Lynne along and when I asked where we were going he answered with a question, “Where is the place you mentioned before?” I had to think as it was so long ago (this was the first time we had actually met, previously it was just emails) I had to wrack my brain and then realised it was the Sichuan place, just around the corner. We had a nice meal during which it was agreed if I wanted to travel for a few days in China in the summer that Lynne was happy to come and live in my flat to look after the mogs in my absence. If none of my students are staying in the holidays and if I do in fact decided to take a few days to visit another city then I will contact her. Towards the end of the meal it all became perfect, as Kevin finished his teaching and was able to join us for a while, meaning I got a lift back - saving 30y on a taxi. Another bonus was that Hu had brought a bottle of Hennessy wine costing 300y that he had been given. Very nice it was too, and although I am familiar with their cognac I have never before seen wine from them.
Friday was the naughty boy birthday meal. I had let the little swine sweat for nearly a fortnight, insisted he invite two of my wives (Amy and Chris) and someone to partner him, who turned out to be one of the monitors, Lemon. We only went just off campus to the new place upstairs that has the photos on the wall. The food is fine as long as you don’t order the fiery stuff. They did, with the fish hotpot, one mouthful of which was painful enough for me not to do it again. On the table next to us was a group of girls and boys, the latter having imbibed possibly more pijou than they should, for late on one of them started getting tired and emotional. So much so in fact that the staff, who by that time were sitting at another table playing cards (people eat early here) were looking on, clearly concerned.
I decided to see if I could defuse the situation before violence erupted. I was successful but at a cost. The belligerent lad suddenly became my best friend, wanting hugs and photos! The girls with us did say though they thought I had done a good thing.
Today I was absolutely shattered and didn’t want to teach kids but at least I was done by just after eleven, did my shopping and then went to see the nice girl in McDonald’s - collecting another glass in the process. I had every intention of having a kip this afternoon but never did so it is definitely an early lights out for me tonight. We are set for heavy rain tomorrow, great, at 1630 I have to partner Cinny as a judge for an English recital competition. I’ve also just realised I need to get my skates on dreaming up exam topics. Dragon boat festival is next weekend and we have Sat, Sun and Mon off although we have to make up Monday’s classes another time. A week Monday is when I was going to start my exams and I am trying to get the two classes I have that day to agree a time I am also free to start them. I don’t mind doing them on my free Wed or Thur this coming week if it leaves me free the following weekend.
It’s all go!
Wednesday we did indeed go shopping but first it was McDonald’s for lunch - I am forcing myself to have a Big Mac meal every time at present as you get a free Coca Cola glass! RT Mart may have cheap wine at 13y a bottle and they may have baguettes and butter but their butchery stinks. Well it does from my perspective because they only have liver (it seems) twice a year whilst Lottemart has normally got it, plus kidneys and other offal I feed the animals. The cats haven’t been pleased since then as it has either been bones or chicken breasts and they are too fussy to attempt to eat them. Pepsi is happy though!
On Thursday my idea had been to use the left over mince - I bought way too much for the lasagne - and stick it with spuds but I had a telephone call. It was from Hu (at least I think that’s his name) asking if he could invite me to dinner. He is a teacher at No.11 middle school and for the past year I have been correcting their English language newspaper in the same way I do it for here. I agreed and donated the mince to Ollivier.
It actually worked out very well, for my bike wasn’t charged so I thought it would be the bus. Kevin took me on his way to teach kids but it was a little early as he wanted a McDonald’s for his dinner. I was quite happy to sit with him and drink my Jing Jo medicine wine (gutrot but much tastier than baijiou as previously stated) and I had taken my camera with me. As luck would have it a really lovely girl who works there happened to be on duty at the time so I got a shot of her. I have no idea how far up the ladder she is but whenever a party of school kids go there she seems to be the one with the microphone, taking them outside after they have eaten and leading them in line dancing to disco music. She has far more patience than me.
Then it was off to meet Hu because in typical Chinese fashion he had set the time to meet but then arrived twenty minutes early himself. He had also brought his daughter Lynne along and when I asked where we were going he answered with a question, “Where is the place you mentioned before?” I had to think as it was so long ago (this was the first time we had actually met, previously it was just emails) I had to wrack my brain and then realised it was the Sichuan place, just around the corner. We had a nice meal during which it was agreed if I wanted to travel for a few days in China in the summer that Lynne was happy to come and live in my flat to look after the mogs in my absence. If none of my students are staying in the holidays and if I do in fact decided to take a few days to visit another city then I will contact her. Towards the end of the meal it all became perfect, as Kevin finished his teaching and was able to join us for a while, meaning I got a lift back - saving 30y on a taxi. Another bonus was that Hu had brought a bottle of Hennessy wine costing 300y that he had been given. Very nice it was too, and although I am familiar with their cognac I have never before seen wine from them.
Friday was the naughty boy birthday meal. I had let the little swine sweat for nearly a fortnight, insisted he invite two of my wives (Amy and Chris) and someone to partner him, who turned out to be one of the monitors, Lemon. We only went just off campus to the new place upstairs that has the photos on the wall. The food is fine as long as you don’t order the fiery stuff. They did, with the fish hotpot, one mouthful of which was painful enough for me not to do it again. On the table next to us was a group of girls and boys, the latter having imbibed possibly more pijou than they should, for late on one of them started getting tired and emotional. So much so in fact that the staff, who by that time were sitting at another table playing cards (people eat early here) were looking on, clearly concerned.
I decided to see if I could defuse the situation before violence erupted. I was successful but at a cost. The belligerent lad suddenly became my best friend, wanting hugs and photos! The girls with us did say though they thought I had done a good thing.
Today I was absolutely shattered and didn’t want to teach kids but at least I was done by just after eleven, did my shopping and then went to see the nice girl in McDonald’s - collecting another glass in the process. I had every intention of having a kip this afternoon but never did so it is definitely an early lights out for me tonight. We are set for heavy rain tomorrow, great, at 1630 I have to partner Cinny as a judge for an English recital competition. I’ve also just realised I need to get my skates on dreaming up exam topics. Dragon boat festival is next weekend and we have Sat, Sun and Mon off although we have to make up Monday’s classes another time. A week Monday is when I was going to start my exams and I am trying to get the two classes I have that day to agree a time I am also free to start them. I don’t mind doing them on my free Wed or Thur this coming week if it leaves me free the following weekend.
It’s all go!
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Wednesday 21st May, 2014 1200
I’m getting more frequent!
Positive things to talk about are the fact that Kevin and I haven’t been told we are staying another year but equally we haven’t been told we’re not either. Our feeling is that we would have been notified by now if we needed to find other jobs.
Another good thing that has just happened in the last 24 hours is some work now seems to be coming my way. A couple of months ago Ollivier asked me if I could do some Chinglish to English translation for the company he does English to French for. The money for effort ratio was respectable and I was looking forward to more of it. Weeks went by and nothing happened, then when Coco asked them why no more was forthcoming, she was told they had found someone else who understood Chinese as well. I assumed that was the end of that.
Yesterday I received a direct email asking me for details of my bank account and my CV, I answered and within a couple of hours another translation/editing job was emailed to me early in the evening. In typical Chinese fashion the deadline was this morning. Being busy for the evening (I will come to that later) I sent a reply stating as such and that I would endeavour to complete it by noon today. In return I was telephoned and informed the latest had to be 1159hrs. At this point I had no idea how many words there were but in the event there were only about 1,500 - an hour’s work. It was completed just after ten this morning. Now this, I sincerely hope, will continue. Discussing it with Kevin last night I think we both agreed it was most likely because the “person who understands Chinese” screwed it up - I hope so. Ollie makes a fortune, sometimes doubling his teaching salary for the month and for me at least, this sort of thing is easy.
The reason I was busy last night was because it was Western Wednesday on a Tuesday (due to Kevin’s commitments) and with an afternoon class in the way it makes it so much harder to juggle the cooking. I had prepared the rudiments of a cream of tomato soup on Monday - no cream available but I added potato and milk yesterday.
As usual there were three western teachers with a student apiece. I had invited Yvonne but (I would say unbelievably but this is China) at lunchtime yesterday, after agreeing she would come, she received notification of an extra class last night. It is just plain wrong but there’s nothing I can do about it. Instead I invited Chris, Kevin brought Gabby and Ollivier invited a nice girl whose name for the life of me I can’t remember.
After class I sweated buckets in the kitchen. My air-conditioner is in the master bedroom and of course because I have cats who are banned from it, the door is always closed, meaning the rest of the place is warm. Midway through cooking the gas bottle emptied. I am now on my third bottle since moving in whilst Kevin and Ollivier are still on their first! For main course I prepared lasagne. Well actually two lasagna, since my lovely big Pyrex dish was smashed I am left with two smaller metal ones and I didn’t think one would be enough. It was and as a result the second now sits in my chest freezer.
Kevin brought one of my Danish camemberts plus some edam, Ollivier provided emmental and baked two desserts. Now, I hate Ollivier at our western meals because the students much prefer his chocolate mousses, cakes and tarts to my food. Last night however was sweet. He buggered it up completely! Whilst anyone who cooks knows occasionally disasters occur (Lord knows I’ve had enough to know) but this was not only satisfying but very amusing to boot.
I had given him the tin of peaches Yvonne gave me on my birthday for him to make a peach tart with in the knowledge that she would be there to eat it. Instead of cooking the base and then adding the peaches he baked them, resulting in green peaches tasting no different to apples! And then there was his piece de resistance, his mothers secret recipe for surprise cake.
Well that was a surprise all right - I think it was supposed to be like a souffle but a more disastrous result is impossible to imagine. As soon as he presented it, I immediately thought it was an Aunt Bessies Yorkshire pudding! (See photo). Good things sometimes come from bad though and this is one of them. My last effort at toad in the hole was a complete failure but in the future Ollivier can attempt his surprise cake and I will provide sausages and make onion gravy - together we can make it work!
Gabby was the only student to eat all her lasagne, not surprising given the lack of cheese in the Chinese diet whilst all present pronounced my soup “so-so” - including me. Next time I think I will ditch the potato and use a lot more tomatoes. Regardless, it was a nice evening and I think possibly half a case of wine was consumed, mainly by Ollivier and me. In fact for once I did get a little tipsy and afterwards when I was walking the dog I found myself weaving a bit. I was concerned about oversleeping and not meeting the translation deadline (and as a result losing any chance of future jobs) so unusually I set an alarm on a day off. I need not have worried.
Lucy is now here after nearly two weeks of not cleaning. I am proud to say I have actually swept up a few times in her absence so despite Pepsi having bowel malfunctions yesterday the place is not as bad as she feared.
Tomorrow I am hoping Ollivier will go shopping in the car so I can bulk buy cheap plonk and lunch on a big Mac meal, not because they are haute cuisine but because at present they are giving away free tumblers with each one. On Friday I have been invited to dinner, as have two of my “wives” - Amy and Chris. Who invited me? The boy who disrupts my class! He is desperate to redeem himself and when I got his text I immediately sent back that this was bribery. I felt compelled to accept the invitation when he responded with “yes it is”!!
It’s a glorious day with 29C outside so once Lucy has finished I shall shower and take the dog out. Having bought far too much mince for the lasagne I will also try to find local produce to use it for my dinner tonight.
And I will need a siesta this afternoon………
I’m getting more frequent!
Positive things to talk about are the fact that Kevin and I haven’t been told we are staying another year but equally we haven’t been told we’re not either. Our feeling is that we would have been notified by now if we needed to find other jobs.
Another good thing that has just happened in the last 24 hours is some work now seems to be coming my way. A couple of months ago Ollivier asked me if I could do some Chinglish to English translation for the company he does English to French for. The money for effort ratio was respectable and I was looking forward to more of it. Weeks went by and nothing happened, then when Coco asked them why no more was forthcoming, she was told they had found someone else who understood Chinese as well. I assumed that was the end of that.
Yesterday I received a direct email asking me for details of my bank account and my CV, I answered and within a couple of hours another translation/editing job was emailed to me early in the evening. In typical Chinese fashion the deadline was this morning. Being busy for the evening (I will come to that later) I sent a reply stating as such and that I would endeavour to complete it by noon today. In return I was telephoned and informed the latest had to be 1159hrs. At this point I had no idea how many words there were but in the event there were only about 1,500 - an hour’s work. It was completed just after ten this morning. Now this, I sincerely hope, will continue. Discussing it with Kevin last night I think we both agreed it was most likely because the “person who understands Chinese” screwed it up - I hope so. Ollie makes a fortune, sometimes doubling his teaching salary for the month and for me at least, this sort of thing is easy.
The reason I was busy last night was because it was Western Wednesday on a Tuesday (due to Kevin’s commitments) and with an afternoon class in the way it makes it so much harder to juggle the cooking. I had prepared the rudiments of a cream of tomato soup on Monday - no cream available but I added potato and milk yesterday.
As usual there were three western teachers with a student apiece. I had invited Yvonne but (I would say unbelievably but this is China) at lunchtime yesterday, after agreeing she would come, she received notification of an extra class last night. It is just plain wrong but there’s nothing I can do about it. Instead I invited Chris, Kevin brought Gabby and Ollivier invited a nice girl whose name for the life of me I can’t remember.
After class I sweated buckets in the kitchen. My air-conditioner is in the master bedroom and of course because I have cats who are banned from it, the door is always closed, meaning the rest of the place is warm. Midway through cooking the gas bottle emptied. I am now on my third bottle since moving in whilst Kevin and Ollivier are still on their first! For main course I prepared lasagne. Well actually two lasagna, since my lovely big Pyrex dish was smashed I am left with two smaller metal ones and I didn’t think one would be enough. It was and as a result the second now sits in my chest freezer.
Kevin brought one of my Danish camemberts plus some edam, Ollivier provided emmental and baked two desserts. Now, I hate Ollivier at our western meals because the students much prefer his chocolate mousses, cakes and tarts to my food. Last night however was sweet. He buggered it up completely! Whilst anyone who cooks knows occasionally disasters occur (Lord knows I’ve had enough to know) but this was not only satisfying but very amusing to boot.
I had given him the tin of peaches Yvonne gave me on my birthday for him to make a peach tart with in the knowledge that she would be there to eat it. Instead of cooking the base and then adding the peaches he baked them, resulting in green peaches tasting no different to apples! And then there was his piece de resistance, his mothers secret recipe for surprise cake.
Well that was a surprise all right - I think it was supposed to be like a souffle but a more disastrous result is impossible to imagine. As soon as he presented it, I immediately thought it was an Aunt Bessies Yorkshire pudding! (See photo). Good things sometimes come from bad though and this is one of them. My last effort at toad in the hole was a complete failure but in the future Ollivier can attempt his surprise cake and I will provide sausages and make onion gravy - together we can make it work!
Gabby was the only student to eat all her lasagne, not surprising given the lack of cheese in the Chinese diet whilst all present pronounced my soup “so-so” - including me. Next time I think I will ditch the potato and use a lot more tomatoes. Regardless, it was a nice evening and I think possibly half a case of wine was consumed, mainly by Ollivier and me. In fact for once I did get a little tipsy and afterwards when I was walking the dog I found myself weaving a bit. I was concerned about oversleeping and not meeting the translation deadline (and as a result losing any chance of future jobs) so unusually I set an alarm on a day off. I need not have worried.
Lucy is now here after nearly two weeks of not cleaning. I am proud to say I have actually swept up a few times in her absence so despite Pepsi having bowel malfunctions yesterday the place is not as bad as she feared.
Tomorrow I am hoping Ollivier will go shopping in the car so I can bulk buy cheap plonk and lunch on a big Mac meal, not because they are haute cuisine but because at present they are giving away free tumblers with each one. On Friday I have been invited to dinner, as have two of my “wives” - Amy and Chris. Who invited me? The boy who disrupts my class! He is desperate to redeem himself and when I got his text I immediately sent back that this was bribery. I felt compelled to accept the invitation when he responded with “yes it is”!!
It’s a glorious day with 29C outside so once Lucy has finished I shall shower and take the dog out. Having bought far too much mince for the lasagne I will also try to find local produce to use it for my dinner tonight.
And I will need a siesta this afternoon………
Sunday, 18 May 2014
Sunday 18th May, 2014 1140
Long breaks between blogs are becoming a habit but purely because of late I have been finding it difficult to make time.
On Tuesday as I said, we had Joanna’s class graduation dinner. To my intense disappointment, early in the day the final class of my three that are leaving also invited me to their dinner. They had all been defending their theses throughout the day and it appeared Joanna’s class would start their bash later than the other so I really tried to arrange it so I could go to Vivian’s party, take some snaps and have a quick beer before heading on to Joanna’s. Sadly it was not to be, for when I collected Joanna at south gate, students from both dinners were either boarding buses or waiting for one, meaning they would take place simultaneously. I couldn’t be in two places at once so only attended Joanna’s.
Being a Wednesday’s child I am used to bad luck and the moment we set off on the bike it started spitting with rain. The cape I carry only shelters one but thankfully the rain stayed light and although I got a bit damp, due to my bulk Joanna was shielded from it.
I thought I had been to most places in town to eat lavish feasts but clearly not, for I never even knew this one existed. I asked Joanna how many teachers they had invited. The norm is that all the teachers sit on one table and the students elsewhere but I don’t like that arrangement and normally fly in the face of convention. I want to be with my students - they pay for it, they are the ones leaving and I can see the teachers every day at work. To my astonishment she told me they had only invited two, me and their form teacher. From memory, they have eight teachers in total so I felt touched and honoured indeed to have been invited.
The form teacher (Ivy) sat on “my” table - there were three in all - and at one point confided to me that she felt very sad. I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was. Because I never see the Chinese teachers displaying any emotion at these dos whilst I always choke down boulders in my throat (especially when all the girls start singing), I had thought perhaps they were immune. Plainly not all of them.
The food itself was the usual fare, consisting of about thirty dishes, most of which I didn’t like or were too fiery for consumption by a soft western palate. I am accustomed to that now. There was one dish however that intrigued me. It looked like a platter of chips or perhaps roast turnips. On enquiring I was told with a giggle it was “pigs skin”. It was their turn to be amazed when I immediately grasped one with my kwai-zer (chopsticks) and popped it into my mouth. I love crackling. It could have been good had they added salt but it was perfectly edible nonetheless.
Although I possess a small appetite I wasn’t eating enough to satisfy and I confess I had decided to pop to McDonald’s when it was over to get some “proper” food before riding home. However, very late on in the meal, a dish arrived which instantly piqued my interest. Joanna had, unbeknown to me, perused the menu, and mindful of my tastes, ordered it especially for me. The only thing missing from what was very nearly a perfect sweet and sour pork was pineapple. No McDonald’s for me that night after all!
Despite my terrible melancholy at the impending departure of the best of my first intake and all they had done to teach me to be a teacher, it was a very good evening. I shall always remember them all.
On Thursday Ollivier took me in his car shopping, which was a good opportunity to stock up on bottles of cheaper wine than I can buy on campus. I never have room on the bike after I have bought the food. We also went to McD for lunch when I sank to the lowest depths of the gourmand scale - I got a McDonald’s discount card! Friday was the normal heavy day with me vowing to get an early night because I was scheduled for 0830 with the kids downtown. Before my morning class here though I was asked to be present for Vivian’s class graduation photo, which made me slightly late for my class and saw me creased by the time I went to another building and scaled five floors. Downtown on Saturday I was due to finish at 1110 but when I got there the owner begged me to do another lesson at 1550. One of the Chinese teachers had quit. After much cajoling I caved in but because of Pepsi I had to ride all the way home, let her out, recharge the bike for a few hours and then go back again. Thankfully the forecast rain stayed away but when I finished at 1110 the owner hurried to me to beg me to do yet another class finishing at noon because Kerry (another teacher) had taken ill. This time I refused on the grounds it would be insufficient time for the bike to get enough juice for a second round trip.
I was shattered last night as a result but thankfully Ollivier had borrowed my pizza trays and together with two of his students knocked up half a dozen. I’m not quite certain of the toppings other than pineapple and black olives, it may have been tinned tuna as well. I was given one to cook at my leisure and although better than his first attempt it was still too wet and too cheesy. Ollivier reads this so I should hasten to add that he is our resident Michelin chef for desserts! I also think he never used yeast for his dough (possibly because I mentioned the first one was too thick) but all you have to do Ollie is roll it thinner! You will get there in time. It did though save me from cooking for myself and I struggled to finish a 9-incher, being stuffed to the gunwales when I did.
Before that my delivery from Jinkou arrived (it was only shipped out on Friday) and now my freezer is replete with steak & kidney pies, Cornish pasties, sausage rolls and beef burgers. Expensive treats but complete necessities for me.
Last night I cashed in some survey vouchers to buy an instant download of Master and Commander to show to my students over the coming fortnight. We have just two weeks left before we start examining. Remember I mentioned earlier I am a Wednesday’s child? The bloody thing won’t download because I don’t have a compatible device and even trying to just watch it on my laptop there is no sound! Kevin has been in Shanghai this weekend but I am praying he can do his Bob the Builder act on it. He has very kindly located Get Carter with English subtitles for me (gratis) but everything I try to do that has anything to do with computers always seems to go disastrously wrong!
Long breaks between blogs are becoming a habit but purely because of late I have been finding it difficult to make time.
On Tuesday as I said, we had Joanna’s class graduation dinner. To my intense disappointment, early in the day the final class of my three that are leaving also invited me to their dinner. They had all been defending their theses throughout the day and it appeared Joanna’s class would start their bash later than the other so I really tried to arrange it so I could go to Vivian’s party, take some snaps and have a quick beer before heading on to Joanna’s. Sadly it was not to be, for when I collected Joanna at south gate, students from both dinners were either boarding buses or waiting for one, meaning they would take place simultaneously. I couldn’t be in two places at once so only attended Joanna’s.
Being a Wednesday’s child I am used to bad luck and the moment we set off on the bike it started spitting with rain. The cape I carry only shelters one but thankfully the rain stayed light and although I got a bit damp, due to my bulk Joanna was shielded from it.
I thought I had been to most places in town to eat lavish feasts but clearly not, for I never even knew this one existed. I asked Joanna how many teachers they had invited. The norm is that all the teachers sit on one table and the students elsewhere but I don’t like that arrangement and normally fly in the face of convention. I want to be with my students - they pay for it, they are the ones leaving and I can see the teachers every day at work. To my astonishment she told me they had only invited two, me and their form teacher. From memory, they have eight teachers in total so I felt touched and honoured indeed to have been invited.
The form teacher (Ivy) sat on “my” table - there were three in all - and at one point confided to me that she felt very sad. I shouldn’t have been surprised but I was. Because I never see the Chinese teachers displaying any emotion at these dos whilst I always choke down boulders in my throat (especially when all the girls start singing), I had thought perhaps they were immune. Plainly not all of them.
The food itself was the usual fare, consisting of about thirty dishes, most of which I didn’t like or were too fiery for consumption by a soft western palate. I am accustomed to that now. There was one dish however that intrigued me. It looked like a platter of chips or perhaps roast turnips. On enquiring I was told with a giggle it was “pigs skin”. It was their turn to be amazed when I immediately grasped one with my kwai-zer (chopsticks) and popped it into my mouth. I love crackling. It could have been good had they added salt but it was perfectly edible nonetheless.
Although I possess a small appetite I wasn’t eating enough to satisfy and I confess I had decided to pop to McDonald’s when it was over to get some “proper” food before riding home. However, very late on in the meal, a dish arrived which instantly piqued my interest. Joanna had, unbeknown to me, perused the menu, and mindful of my tastes, ordered it especially for me. The only thing missing from what was very nearly a perfect sweet and sour pork was pineapple. No McDonald’s for me that night after all!
Despite my terrible melancholy at the impending departure of the best of my first intake and all they had done to teach me to be a teacher, it was a very good evening. I shall always remember them all.
On Thursday Ollivier took me in his car shopping, which was a good opportunity to stock up on bottles of cheaper wine than I can buy on campus. I never have room on the bike after I have bought the food. We also went to McD for lunch when I sank to the lowest depths of the gourmand scale - I got a McDonald’s discount card! Friday was the normal heavy day with me vowing to get an early night because I was scheduled for 0830 with the kids downtown. Before my morning class here though I was asked to be present for Vivian’s class graduation photo, which made me slightly late for my class and saw me creased by the time I went to another building and scaled five floors. Downtown on Saturday I was due to finish at 1110 but when I got there the owner begged me to do another lesson at 1550. One of the Chinese teachers had quit. After much cajoling I caved in but because of Pepsi I had to ride all the way home, let her out, recharge the bike for a few hours and then go back again. Thankfully the forecast rain stayed away but when I finished at 1110 the owner hurried to me to beg me to do yet another class finishing at noon because Kerry (another teacher) had taken ill. This time I refused on the grounds it would be insufficient time for the bike to get enough juice for a second round trip.
I was shattered last night as a result but thankfully Ollivier had borrowed my pizza trays and together with two of his students knocked up half a dozen. I’m not quite certain of the toppings other than pineapple and black olives, it may have been tinned tuna as well. I was given one to cook at my leisure and although better than his first attempt it was still too wet and too cheesy. Ollivier reads this so I should hasten to add that he is our resident Michelin chef for desserts! I also think he never used yeast for his dough (possibly because I mentioned the first one was too thick) but all you have to do Ollie is roll it thinner! You will get there in time. It did though save me from cooking for myself and I struggled to finish a 9-incher, being stuffed to the gunwales when I did.
Before that my delivery from Jinkou arrived (it was only shipped out on Friday) and now my freezer is replete with steak & kidney pies, Cornish pasties, sausage rolls and beef burgers. Expensive treats but complete necessities for me.
Last night I cashed in some survey vouchers to buy an instant download of Master and Commander to show to my students over the coming fortnight. We have just two weeks left before we start examining. Remember I mentioned earlier I am a Wednesday’s child? The bloody thing won’t download because I don’t have a compatible device and even trying to just watch it on my laptop there is no sound! Kevin has been in Shanghai this weekend but I am praying he can do his Bob the Builder act on it. He has very kindly located Get Carter with English subtitles for me (gratis) but everything I try to do that has anything to do with computers always seems to go disastrously wrong!
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Monday 12th May, 2014 1300
It’s been a week but this time I make no apology. I have either been busy, sick or too damned tired!
Last Tuesday was the grand opening show for the foreign language month and despite being implored to be backstage by five (the show kicked off at seven and we were act seven of twelve!) I arrived at six along with the other foreign teachers. We had rehearsed for all of 15 minutes and to be honest it was always going to be a case of winging it once on stage so what the hell.
Not long before curtain up I went outside for a smoke and when I returned found backstage in darkness. Thinking this was to make the opening more dramatic, I was soon disabused by being told we had a power cut! All credit to the students - both cast and audience - because undeterred, they used their mobile phones on stage and in the seats to provide some illumination and some of the cast performed impromptu acts. Shortly before Prof Fang decided to have the whole thing postponed (more than an hour later) they even implored me to sing a song. I still have a parade ground voice thankfully and sang Botany Bay (the Rolf Harris version) and was somewhat surprised to find someone assisting in the chorus, later discovering it was Kevin from the seats.
The show went ahead on Wednesday instead. I spent the entire show either out the back or outside, not daring to take my front row seat as I couldn’t risk sitting down. Not because I wouldn’t be able to get up again but because I feared the effect of expansion on my girth might pop a button or two on the slightly too small shirt we obtained on line. I have to say it was a marvellous show all round - the students taking part had invested a lot of time and effort - and I think I can safely say it was well received by all. It was amusing at the end when all the cast members came on stage for the obligatory photos and Prof Fang stood next to me. She said “That was amazing, you really looked like an official - did you get the clothes from Taobao?” I casually informed her they used to be my work clothes. I have since learnt from her assistant that she opined ours was the best act - not bad considering they were worried because I point blank refused to audition (the others didn’t know this) on the basis I wanted it to be a surprise to everyone.
On Thursday Ollivier and Coco took my documents to the bank to try and finally free my e-money. The first attempt succeeded only in removing another 500y from my cash account but the second try worked. The problem was, the opticians ran out of money so after many weeks I was reunited with proper, hard cash on Sunday when I went to the bank myself.
Friday was my birthday. I felt terrible when I woke up and in fact did so until Sunday lunchtime. I did however rejoice because I had spent the past year with a nagging fear in my brain. Forty-one years ago at HMS Conway I had predicted I would die from a massive heart attack when I was 57. Nonsensical I know but the thought was there.
Not wanting to leave my special day uncelebrated (although not feeling much like it) I took Chris to a restaurant near campus for dinner. I could only eat a few morsels and really just wanted to take to my bed. “Happy birthday my backside” was my thought!
On Saturday I almost cried off the little school but seeing as I had no pet meat I had to go to town anyway. I lunched royally on a BLT and double McCheesburger and instantly regretted it and that evening, despite good intentions of blogging I just wasn’t in the mood. Trying to be interesting and faintly amusing is impossible when you are tired and ill.
Sunday morning saw a marginal improvement which became better as time wore on. Just as well because I had invited Joanna for dinner (and by extension Balance because Joanna quit her job in Nanjing and is now living with her) and had given her the choice of restaurant. She opted for Browning’s the “western” place. It’s expensive and I’m not that keen on it (less so now) but we duly went there. I think it has changed hands. The menu which used to be in both Chinese and English with photos is now a leaflet only in Chinese. They had no beer and the wine bottles in the wine racks weren’t for sale! Joanna solved that problem by nipping next door and buying a bottle of wine from the shop but even that was not without problem. I paid 68y, got the restaurant to uncork it and then Joanna came racing back in because the owner had just realised he had BOUGHT it for 98y!!! I gave her 30y with the instruction to tell the chap I wouldn’t pay any more seeing as he made the mistake and not me but she returned with my money. He apparently said as it was his mistake he would swallow it - either that or Joanna said something to dissuade him.
Ollivier had baked me a pineapple upside-down cake to take to the restaurant, which was enjoyed by the three of us and hopefully after work the two waitresses who we gave a slice each for later. The third that remained was taken home by my companions.
On Monday I showed both classes films. Amy’s class is the first one on Mondays and there is an extremely disruptive boy in it. For nearly two years I have been warning him that his behaviour must improve and for two years he has been promising, only to behave for one lesson and revert to being a little **** the next. Well yesterday instead of watching the film (with English subtitles) he simply sat right at the back of the room playing games on his phone. I left him to it but when the film and class ended I announced that I hoped everyone had watched it closely as it would form the basis of their end of term final examinations. It won’t of course and the comment was aimed squarely at the boy who said nothing at the time but then bombarded me with texts after begging for the name of the film. I refused and there then ensued hours of messages during which I told him there was no question he was going to fail, followed in turn by empty promises (as before) that he would improve. A little late in the day seeing as we perhaps have but two lessons left before the exams start. He even gave Amy a long apologetic letter to give to me which I told her would make no difference, he had really blown it this time. I won’t fail him - although I really should - but by God I am going to make him sweat.
Tomorrow evening is a night I have been anticipating for four years and not necessarily with joy - Joanna’s class graduation dinner. I shall of course be extremely proud but also I will be sad, this was my first ever best class and I shall miss every one of them. The good thing is that Joanna may well stay for a while in town before she finds a job closer to her hometown.
Since four o’clock it has been raining, heavily at times, and I am hoping that perhaps it will have cleared by tomorrow night so Joanna and I can take my bike to the meal - if not it will have to be the bus.
It’s been a week but this time I make no apology. I have either been busy, sick or too damned tired!
Last Tuesday was the grand opening show for the foreign language month and despite being implored to be backstage by five (the show kicked off at seven and we were act seven of twelve!) I arrived at six along with the other foreign teachers. We had rehearsed for all of 15 minutes and to be honest it was always going to be a case of winging it once on stage so what the hell.
Not long before curtain up I went outside for a smoke and when I returned found backstage in darkness. Thinking this was to make the opening more dramatic, I was soon disabused by being told we had a power cut! All credit to the students - both cast and audience - because undeterred, they used their mobile phones on stage and in the seats to provide some illumination and some of the cast performed impromptu acts. Shortly before Prof Fang decided to have the whole thing postponed (more than an hour later) they even implored me to sing a song. I still have a parade ground voice thankfully and sang Botany Bay (the Rolf Harris version) and was somewhat surprised to find someone assisting in the chorus, later discovering it was Kevin from the seats.
The show went ahead on Wednesday instead. I spent the entire show either out the back or outside, not daring to take my front row seat as I couldn’t risk sitting down. Not because I wouldn’t be able to get up again but because I feared the effect of expansion on my girth might pop a button or two on the slightly too small shirt we obtained on line. I have to say it was a marvellous show all round - the students taking part had invested a lot of time and effort - and I think I can safely say it was well received by all. It was amusing at the end when all the cast members came on stage for the obligatory photos and Prof Fang stood next to me. She said “That was amazing, you really looked like an official - did you get the clothes from Taobao?” I casually informed her they used to be my work clothes. I have since learnt from her assistant that she opined ours was the best act - not bad considering they were worried because I point blank refused to audition (the others didn’t know this) on the basis I wanted it to be a surprise to everyone.
On Thursday Ollivier and Coco took my documents to the bank to try and finally free my e-money. The first attempt succeeded only in removing another 500y from my cash account but the second try worked. The problem was, the opticians ran out of money so after many weeks I was reunited with proper, hard cash on Sunday when I went to the bank myself.
Friday was my birthday. I felt terrible when I woke up and in fact did so until Sunday lunchtime. I did however rejoice because I had spent the past year with a nagging fear in my brain. Forty-one years ago at HMS Conway I had predicted I would die from a massive heart attack when I was 57. Nonsensical I know but the thought was there.
Not wanting to leave my special day uncelebrated (although not feeling much like it) I took Chris to a restaurant near campus for dinner. I could only eat a few morsels and really just wanted to take to my bed. “Happy birthday my backside” was my thought!
On Saturday I almost cried off the little school but seeing as I had no pet meat I had to go to town anyway. I lunched royally on a BLT and double McCheesburger and instantly regretted it and that evening, despite good intentions of blogging I just wasn’t in the mood. Trying to be interesting and faintly amusing is impossible when you are tired and ill.
Sunday morning saw a marginal improvement which became better as time wore on. Just as well because I had invited Joanna for dinner (and by extension Balance because Joanna quit her job in Nanjing and is now living with her) and had given her the choice of restaurant. She opted for Browning’s the “western” place. It’s expensive and I’m not that keen on it (less so now) but we duly went there. I think it has changed hands. The menu which used to be in both Chinese and English with photos is now a leaflet only in Chinese. They had no beer and the wine bottles in the wine racks weren’t for sale! Joanna solved that problem by nipping next door and buying a bottle of wine from the shop but even that was not without problem. I paid 68y, got the restaurant to uncork it and then Joanna came racing back in because the owner had just realised he had BOUGHT it for 98y!!! I gave her 30y with the instruction to tell the chap I wouldn’t pay any more seeing as he made the mistake and not me but she returned with my money. He apparently said as it was his mistake he would swallow it - either that or Joanna said something to dissuade him.
Ollivier had baked me a pineapple upside-down cake to take to the restaurant, which was enjoyed by the three of us and hopefully after work the two waitresses who we gave a slice each for later. The third that remained was taken home by my companions.
On Monday I showed both classes films. Amy’s class is the first one on Mondays and there is an extremely disruptive boy in it. For nearly two years I have been warning him that his behaviour must improve and for two years he has been promising, only to behave for one lesson and revert to being a little **** the next. Well yesterday instead of watching the film (with English subtitles) he simply sat right at the back of the room playing games on his phone. I left him to it but when the film and class ended I announced that I hoped everyone had watched it closely as it would form the basis of their end of term final examinations. It won’t of course and the comment was aimed squarely at the boy who said nothing at the time but then bombarded me with texts after begging for the name of the film. I refused and there then ensued hours of messages during which I told him there was no question he was going to fail, followed in turn by empty promises (as before) that he would improve. A little late in the day seeing as we perhaps have but two lessons left before the exams start. He even gave Amy a long apologetic letter to give to me which I told her would make no difference, he had really blown it this time. I won’t fail him - although I really should - but by God I am going to make him sweat.
Tomorrow evening is a night I have been anticipating for four years and not necessarily with joy - Joanna’s class graduation dinner. I shall of course be extremely proud but also I will be sad, this was my first ever best class and I shall miss every one of them. The good thing is that Joanna may well stay for a while in town before she finds a job closer to her hometown.
Since four o’clock it has been raining, heavily at times, and I am hoping that perhaps it will have cleared by tomorrow night so Joanna and I can take my bike to the meal - if not it will have to be the bus.
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