Wednesday 29th March, 2017 1830
Everyone should start doing this. Very occasionally I respond to one of those Nigerian email scams where I will end up £20 million better off. Sometimes it is an injunction to learn English first, others are met with nautical language and occasionally I play with them.
I chose earlier to try to play with one who was allegedly an envoy of the Director of the FBI (Robert Comey I think) and they were desperate to unite me with my $12.8M ATM card but first I had to provide certain information. There cannot be a soul reading this who hasn’t had something similar. I sent back a query as to why they required my occupation and telephone number in order to issue a bank card. The bit about how I am the beneficiary will come much further down the line if indeed it goes further.
I have thus far received three responses once again requesting the information they need to empty my bank account - sorry, unite me with my fortune - and on each occasion I have pointed out they have not answered my question. I have a feeling I will not hear from them again but I hope I do just for the craic.
Why should everyone do this? Obvious. Tie them up with possible bites and just maybe if a billion people flood them with hopeful leads for a mark, they will get as tired of doing it as we are of receiving their crap in our spam folders. In fact, I am going to do it more often from now on.
This evening it was confirmed the Shenyang Sect will indeed comprise four people (bastards, now I will have to at least make some effort to clean the floors unless I can bribe a student, just in case they want to see my place) so at least the run from the airport is resolved. With four people it will be cheaper taking a cab than the train and being the fattest I will get to sit in the front.
I have been helping Georgina more and more of late with the website for her innovative new recruitment company which took her on. I expect nothing for my assistance, my students have helped me enough over the years and it is nice to repay sometimes. Now this firm allegedly wants to stand head and shoulders above the crowd and they offer a guarantee that they will help with opening a bank account, whichever school they put them in touch with will not only exist but be certified to hire foreign teachers and if the school goes out of business they will pay any unpaid wages.
Sounds great and would indeed be a first in China.
Today though we had a lengthy discussion about the difference between country and nationality. It was time consuming explaining that country and nationality can be quite different. I am British but live in China. Cliff Richard was born in India but is British etc. So I said that for form-filling they should use the country (UK, USA, Aus, NZ etc) but in the teacher profiles they should use the nationality ie Joe Nationality English rather than UK or Sarah Nationality American instead of USA. I am not Nationality UK, I am English first and British second.
She took this to the bosses and what did these people who want to be a breath of fresh air and so innovative say? No, all the other Chinese sites do it this way so we will too!!!!!
So hang on a minute. They want to stand out from the rest but they still want to do it wrong like all the other sheep who simply copy others? Give me strength. I suggested she should perhaps start seeking a job elsewhere at a company that actually walks the walk instead of talking the talk and is hell bent on being a homogenous run of the mill outfit simply following in footsteps.
Then she told me that two days ago she had received a message from someone at Tesla in Beijing asking if she was interested! What??? One of the most innovative (albeit not yet as successful as Apple and Microsoft) companies going and she was ignoring it? A firm that has boundless opportunities for career enhancement and training even if she would probably start on the phones. She wouldn’t be doing five hours of overtime a day for no pay, that’s for sure.
Answers on a postcard please as to what advice I have offered.
A description of daily life in China from the perspective of a Marlerman who uprooted to carve a new life in a foreign field and in the process introduced the Chinese to proper bangers!
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Wednesday 29th March, 2017 1200
Why is it that sleeping problems only manifest themselves when you have to get up early the next morning? Worse, when you do drop off you keep waking up at regular intervals and then the brain can’t relax for thinking about how long it is before the alarm goes off?
Sunday was one such occasion and doubtless tomorrow night will be more of the same. Still, my full day on Monday wasn’t as much of a tribulation as I thought it would be.
Yesterday I only went out in the early evening for a curry but during the day Janet responded to my query as to weekend working when the Shenyang Sect are due to arrive. Despite what others have said, she thinks we may be working on the Saturday, something which would scupper the entire visit. Helpfully, she suggested I could ask to take a day’s leave but I declined as it is not the way I do things. Whilst I realise that this will put the students out as well I suggested I could make up classes the weekend before or better still, maybe do the morning classes on one of my off weekdays and the afternoon one another weekday. That might be better for the students too, for they would have fewer classes on their make up Saturday. Nothing is known for sure yet as by Chinese standards it is far too distant for anyone to have decided - in fact she also thinks I may have to work this Saturday because we have Monday off for Qing Ming and I still await confirmation a mere three days away from the event!
I actually went to bed at a respectable hour last night and awoke at nine-thirty. No sooner had I sat down with a mug of coffee than there was a loud hammering on my door. Dressed merely in shirt and boxers I answered it to see two workmen who it transpired had arrived unannounced to replace my door handle and lock. They hadn’t even advised Brenda so she could warn me to have a shower before they came.
Since I have lived here my front (not that there is a back) door has only ever closed using the key because for some reason it was sans latch. Damned annoying having to lock the door when you are just going ten yards to put your rubbish out. And this is what amuses me about workmen here, they removed the old assembly and then informed me they were going to go and get/buy a new one! Why couldn’t they have brought a new one with them, all the locks are the same!?
Two hours later and I can now close my door without locking it if I choose and once inside I can lock it without needing to use the key, I simply pull the handle up and the deadlock springs into action. All I need to do now is go and get a spare key cut as they only left me one.
However, all this threw my plans into complete disarray. I had intended to go food shopping and be back before now so I could bake an apple pie but I have lost the will now. I will still shop but probably go out for noodles tonight for dinner. I might do the pie tomorrow instead. I want to take some to work for the secretaries and this time I will ask them to give a slab to the dean. A bit of buttering up when you are waiting to see if you are invited to renew your contract never went amiss!
Why is it that sleeping problems only manifest themselves when you have to get up early the next morning? Worse, when you do drop off you keep waking up at regular intervals and then the brain can’t relax for thinking about how long it is before the alarm goes off?
Sunday was one such occasion and doubtless tomorrow night will be more of the same. Still, my full day on Monday wasn’t as much of a tribulation as I thought it would be.
Yesterday I only went out in the early evening for a curry but during the day Janet responded to my query as to weekend working when the Shenyang Sect are due to arrive. Despite what others have said, she thinks we may be working on the Saturday, something which would scupper the entire visit. Helpfully, she suggested I could ask to take a day’s leave but I declined as it is not the way I do things. Whilst I realise that this will put the students out as well I suggested I could make up classes the weekend before or better still, maybe do the morning classes on one of my off weekdays and the afternoon one another weekday. That might be better for the students too, for they would have fewer classes on their make up Saturday. Nothing is known for sure yet as by Chinese standards it is far too distant for anyone to have decided - in fact she also thinks I may have to work this Saturday because we have Monday off for Qing Ming and I still await confirmation a mere three days away from the event!
I actually went to bed at a respectable hour last night and awoke at nine-thirty. No sooner had I sat down with a mug of coffee than there was a loud hammering on my door. Dressed merely in shirt and boxers I answered it to see two workmen who it transpired had arrived unannounced to replace my door handle and lock. They hadn’t even advised Brenda so she could warn me to have a shower before they came.
Since I have lived here my front (not that there is a back) door has only ever closed using the key because for some reason it was sans latch. Damned annoying having to lock the door when you are just going ten yards to put your rubbish out. And this is what amuses me about workmen here, they removed the old assembly and then informed me they were going to go and get/buy a new one! Why couldn’t they have brought a new one with them, all the locks are the same!?
Two hours later and I can now close my door without locking it if I choose and once inside I can lock it without needing to use the key, I simply pull the handle up and the deadlock springs into action. All I need to do now is go and get a spare key cut as they only left me one.
However, all this threw my plans into complete disarray. I had intended to go food shopping and be back before now so I could bake an apple pie but I have lost the will now. I will still shop but probably go out for noodles tonight for dinner. I might do the pie tomorrow instead. I want to take some to work for the secretaries and this time I will ask them to give a slab to the dean. A bit of buttering up when you are waiting to see if you are invited to renew your contract never went amiss!
Sunday, 26 March 2017
Sunday 26th March, 2017 1730
I never realised it had been that long since my last entry!
Thursday I did my weekly food and wine shop and rather than eat up in Anning Town (sounds as if it should be in London!) I made something at home for dinner. It must have been great because for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.
Friday was a teaching day and I took a lunch of a tortilla wrap with ham salad and cream cheese with me. I now know not to wrap such things in cling film overnight, for it became decidedly damp by the time I opened it up. It was however enough to see me not needing a dinner, not that I had the energy after a full day anyway.
On Saturday I sent a report to Janet on the absentees from my classes. Not because I particularly want students who don’t want to come to be forced to attend but more because if they don’t come then at the end of term I will refuse to test them. That will cause grief for both them and me. This way the ball is with the school. It is notable though that the majority of absconders are boys.
I was going to make an apple pie today but decided against, instead I am having roast pork (I would love to be able to get hold of a nice joint of beef). I also composed a letter to the MNOPF regarding my pension options and took the USB stick to a little computer place to have it printed out, signed by me, scanned and put back on my stick. The email will be there waiting for them first thing tomorrow when they open the office.
Shenyang Steve texted to say he would be visiting during Dragon Boat festival and also Jens and Shauna (the couple we met when Joan and I visited Shenyang two summers ago) may also come. Something to look forward to for sure. The festival (if they come on the day) is 30th May which is a Tuesday. I get an awful feeling that I won’t actually get a holiday because if they give 3 days they will be the days I don’t teach anyway. If they do what I hope they won’t and give the students a complete week then I shall have to make up the Monday and Friday and I really don’t fancy two weekends of full days Friday, Saturday and Monday - or worse, one Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon. I think the latter would do for me!
As a temporary measure I have re-potted (badly) the mint seedlings into an empty Choclair container. There weren’t many casualties and hopefully with a greater surface area they will thicken and become stronger because it seems to me that they are taking a long time to grow considering they started off so fast.
Oh well, it must be dinnertime now. The roast spuds MUST be browner than Nanny HMG stipulates by now!
I never realised it had been that long since my last entry!
Thursday I did my weekly food and wine shop and rather than eat up in Anning Town (sounds as if it should be in London!) I made something at home for dinner. It must have been great because for the life of me I can’t remember what it was.
Friday was a teaching day and I took a lunch of a tortilla wrap with ham salad and cream cheese with me. I now know not to wrap such things in cling film overnight, for it became decidedly damp by the time I opened it up. It was however enough to see me not needing a dinner, not that I had the energy after a full day anyway.
On Saturday I sent a report to Janet on the absentees from my classes. Not because I particularly want students who don’t want to come to be forced to attend but more because if they don’t come then at the end of term I will refuse to test them. That will cause grief for both them and me. This way the ball is with the school. It is notable though that the majority of absconders are boys.
I was going to make an apple pie today but decided against, instead I am having roast pork (I would love to be able to get hold of a nice joint of beef). I also composed a letter to the MNOPF regarding my pension options and took the USB stick to a little computer place to have it printed out, signed by me, scanned and put back on my stick. The email will be there waiting for them first thing tomorrow when they open the office.
Shenyang Steve texted to say he would be visiting during Dragon Boat festival and also Jens and Shauna (the couple we met when Joan and I visited Shenyang two summers ago) may also come. Something to look forward to for sure. The festival (if they come on the day) is 30th May which is a Tuesday. I get an awful feeling that I won’t actually get a holiday because if they give 3 days they will be the days I don’t teach anyway. If they do what I hope they won’t and give the students a complete week then I shall have to make up the Monday and Friday and I really don’t fancy two weekends of full days Friday, Saturday and Monday - or worse, one Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon. I think the latter would do for me!
As a temporary measure I have re-potted (badly) the mint seedlings into an empty Choclair container. There weren’t many casualties and hopefully with a greater surface area they will thicken and become stronger because it seems to me that they are taking a long time to grow considering they started off so fast.
Oh well, it must be dinnertime now. The roast spuds MUST be browner than Nanny HMG stipulates by now!
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Wednesday 22nd March, 2017 1840
I do have lazy days, as previously admitted. Yesterday was a particularly fine specimen for I never set foot outside my door to take the rubbish bag out or even go to the beer shop. The only thing I did was bake some ham and have ham, egg and chips for dinner and my, was it satisfying!
I had of course intended when I went to sleep on Monday night to go shopping for western food on Tuesday but I am sure many may empathise when I say that there are some days when if you don’t have to do anything that’s precisely what you feel like doing. And what the hell, if you can get away with it then DO it!
Buying cheese is a half-day outing.
Most readers will doubtless be able to walk two minutes or drive a mile to a corner shop if they need half a pound of cheddar. Not so here. I did have a terrific supplier on Taobao who sold really mature cheddar quite cheaply, the stuff that was a little crumbly. However on the last two occasions I used them I got sub-standard weak and rubbery stuff so now I prefer to source the decent vintage stuff even though a pound costs over £10. One day maybe Chinese traders will realise the value of repeat custom and that you only get it by delivering consistent service.
But that involves an entire morning or afternoon. I could I am sure go there during a lunchtime from school, it’s certainly not far from where I teach but I wouldn’t want to go back to work afterwards. Probably most won’t understand the psychology wherein if I go to do something classed as leisure (a meal, shopping, whatever) I really don’t want to go back to work because my head says I have left - hence I normally don’t leave campus during the 2.5 hour lunch break because I won’t want to come back! I walk outta dem gates and my brain says I am finished for the day. I have more or less always been like this. I may though have to break with tradition on Friday or next Monday because I have singularly failed to find a flowerpot and earth and a bribe of a Japanese lunch may come into play to get a student to accompany me on my break to help liberate my mint babies.
So today at two I set out on the 15 bus to Qingyang Road and the Baian shopping centre where I felt sure I would find my flowerpot. Stupid boy. In the supermarket which sells a few western items the security guard spotted my Ice Tea bottle and made me leave it with him. Because it was a warm day (tomorrow they forecast cold and snow!) I had my Lucky Jacket on so the bottle poked out of the pocket. Now my Ice Tea bottles only ever held Ice Tea once in their lives - when I bought them and proceeded to pour the contents out. Disgusting stuff. The bottles get rinsed and the contents replaced with half a litre of jing jo, which looks like Ice Tea, albeit a bit darker. What the hell, I was only going to shop for ten minutes.
Had it not been for the fact I was almost out of cheese and besides spaghetti I was completely bereft of pasta, I could have saved a complete afternoon. Half a kilo of cheddar, quarter of cream cheese (I can use that in wraps for school lunches in my tortillas), conchiglie and fusilli and I was done. A bit early at 1545 for dinner but I wanted a Gar-Lee at I-Coka, the place I had a steak last time and the one I realised was the same chain as the curry place up the road underneath Pizza Hut.
Now. you go to Pizza Hut, MsDonald’s, KFC or wherever and you expect within reason for the menu to be pretty standard? Well not necessarily in China because there was no curry, although they did have an electronic menu which was also in English. I ended up with a pizza. Oddly, I noticed stuffed jacket spuds were slightly more expensive but only after ordering. Maybe next time.
I still do my cheating on the buses, going back to the same stop and travelling three stops to the terminus, popping another yuan in the bus driver’s machine when we arrive and telling him/her I am going back - all to guarantee myself the seat of my choosing. I mean really, who wants to stand on a bus for 40 minutes unless they are young? And anyway, how could I drink my Ice Tea when I am fighting for my life to stay upright in big city traffic???!!!
I do have lazy days, as previously admitted. Yesterday was a particularly fine specimen for I never set foot outside my door to take the rubbish bag out or even go to the beer shop. The only thing I did was bake some ham and have ham, egg and chips for dinner and my, was it satisfying!
I had of course intended when I went to sleep on Monday night to go shopping for western food on Tuesday but I am sure many may empathise when I say that there are some days when if you don’t have to do anything that’s precisely what you feel like doing. And what the hell, if you can get away with it then DO it!
Buying cheese is a half-day outing.
Most readers will doubtless be able to walk two minutes or drive a mile to a corner shop if they need half a pound of cheddar. Not so here. I did have a terrific supplier on Taobao who sold really mature cheddar quite cheaply, the stuff that was a little crumbly. However on the last two occasions I used them I got sub-standard weak and rubbery stuff so now I prefer to source the decent vintage stuff even though a pound costs over £10. One day maybe Chinese traders will realise the value of repeat custom and that you only get it by delivering consistent service.
But that involves an entire morning or afternoon. I could I am sure go there during a lunchtime from school, it’s certainly not far from where I teach but I wouldn’t want to go back to work afterwards. Probably most won’t understand the psychology wherein if I go to do something classed as leisure (a meal, shopping, whatever) I really don’t want to go back to work because my head says I have left - hence I normally don’t leave campus during the 2.5 hour lunch break because I won’t want to come back! I walk outta dem gates and my brain says I am finished for the day. I have more or less always been like this. I may though have to break with tradition on Friday or next Monday because I have singularly failed to find a flowerpot and earth and a bribe of a Japanese lunch may come into play to get a student to accompany me on my break to help liberate my mint babies.
So today at two I set out on the 15 bus to Qingyang Road and the Baian shopping centre where I felt sure I would find my flowerpot. Stupid boy. In the supermarket which sells a few western items the security guard spotted my Ice Tea bottle and made me leave it with him. Because it was a warm day (tomorrow they forecast cold and snow!) I had my Lucky Jacket on so the bottle poked out of the pocket. Now my Ice Tea bottles only ever held Ice Tea once in their lives - when I bought them and proceeded to pour the contents out. Disgusting stuff. The bottles get rinsed and the contents replaced with half a litre of jing jo, which looks like Ice Tea, albeit a bit darker. What the hell, I was only going to shop for ten minutes.
Had it not been for the fact I was almost out of cheese and besides spaghetti I was completely bereft of pasta, I could have saved a complete afternoon. Half a kilo of cheddar, quarter of cream cheese (I can use that in wraps for school lunches in my tortillas), conchiglie and fusilli and I was done. A bit early at 1545 for dinner but I wanted a Gar-Lee at I-Coka, the place I had a steak last time and the one I realised was the same chain as the curry place up the road underneath Pizza Hut.
Now. you go to Pizza Hut, MsDonald’s, KFC or wherever and you expect within reason for the menu to be pretty standard? Well not necessarily in China because there was no curry, although they did have an electronic menu which was also in English. I ended up with a pizza. Oddly, I noticed stuffed jacket spuds were slightly more expensive but only after ordering. Maybe next time.
I still do my cheating on the buses, going back to the same stop and travelling three stops to the terminus, popping another yuan in the bus driver’s machine when we arrive and telling him/her I am going back - all to guarantee myself the seat of my choosing. I mean really, who wants to stand on a bus for 40 minutes unless they are young? And anyway, how could I drink my Ice Tea when I am fighting for my life to stay upright in big city traffic???!!!
Tuesday, 21 March 2017
Tuesday 21st March, 2017 0140
Yes, up late purely because I have my long weekend which this term consists of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I like it much more than Saturday and Sunday!
Lesson Plans
Doubtless out there teachers are reading this blog and certainly my comments will attract plenty of tsk tsks and tut tuts but what the hell, I (to use Yankspeak) tell it like it is.
Some schools, particularly the “international” schools that pay four times what I earn and charge the students God knows what, demand double the teaching hours and on top of that “office hours” to keep you on campus for 40 hours a week or more, require lesson plans.
Now I will never, ever work for an international school. They may be fine for the youngsters who have more energy and know no better but not for me. I like my 9 hours a week and particularly now, not even having to attend the student English Corners which I regard as a complete waste of everyone’s time.
However, let’s get back to lesson plans. For the uninitiated, they are printed documents detailing exactly what you will teach each lesson and what the students will come away knowing.
All well and good so far.
My problem is that; particularly in oral English lessons; it is rot. Whatever you planned is not going to happen.
My job is basically to get the students to actually open up and speak English. If I can do that then I am a very happy “professor”.
So where does the lesson plan come in after five minutes when a student derails the topic of pollution and steers it far away in the direction travelling abroad? What does the teacher do? Steer the lesson back on track or follow the student (and by now the class) in discussing foreign travel??
Well you have one or more students talking in the target language. That’s what you are there for. What do I do? Let the students take it wherever they want. And the lesson plan? Well that went out of the window after five minutes.
Stick to the plan and the only one talking is the teacher. Get a couple or three students arguing and you have exactly what you want.
Before my first ever lesson (I will never, ever forget it!) I spent four hours the night before preparing a lesson plan to last 90 minutes, only to arrive in the classroom to find I had been given the wrong book!!!
That was the first and last lesson plan I have done in almost 7 years and I never saw that book again or taught that lesson. Winging it seems too flippant a term but that is what I do. Ok the books I use I am familiar with but I know the content and even now, delivering the same lesson to six classes a week, every lesson is different because every class is different and they each take it in a different direction. Who am I to stop them?
Lesson plans are a waste of time. Everyone knows it but won’t admit it. I proved that last term when I took 13 periods a week with no course book or guidance as to what to teach. Wasn’t perfect but I learnt and demanded a book (and was given it) for this term. And that was purely for topic materials and ideas.
Lesson plans? As much use as a 10 minute Bill in the House of Commons.
Yes, up late purely because I have my long weekend which this term consists of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I like it much more than Saturday and Sunday!
Lesson Plans
Doubtless out there teachers are reading this blog and certainly my comments will attract plenty of tsk tsks and tut tuts but what the hell, I (to use Yankspeak) tell it like it is.
Some schools, particularly the “international” schools that pay four times what I earn and charge the students God knows what, demand double the teaching hours and on top of that “office hours” to keep you on campus for 40 hours a week or more, require lesson plans.
Now I will never, ever work for an international school. They may be fine for the youngsters who have more energy and know no better but not for me. I like my 9 hours a week and particularly now, not even having to attend the student English Corners which I regard as a complete waste of everyone’s time.
However, let’s get back to lesson plans. For the uninitiated, they are printed documents detailing exactly what you will teach each lesson and what the students will come away knowing.
All well and good so far.
My problem is that; particularly in oral English lessons; it is rot. Whatever you planned is not going to happen.
My job is basically to get the students to actually open up and speak English. If I can do that then I am a very happy “professor”.
So where does the lesson plan come in after five minutes when a student derails the topic of pollution and steers it far away in the direction travelling abroad? What does the teacher do? Steer the lesson back on track or follow the student (and by now the class) in discussing foreign travel??
Well you have one or more students talking in the target language. That’s what you are there for. What do I do? Let the students take it wherever they want. And the lesson plan? Well that went out of the window after five minutes.
Stick to the plan and the only one talking is the teacher. Get a couple or three students arguing and you have exactly what you want.
Before my first ever lesson (I will never, ever forget it!) I spent four hours the night before preparing a lesson plan to last 90 minutes, only to arrive in the classroom to find I had been given the wrong book!!!
That was the first and last lesson plan I have done in almost 7 years and I never saw that book again or taught that lesson. Winging it seems too flippant a term but that is what I do. Ok the books I use I am familiar with but I know the content and even now, delivering the same lesson to six classes a week, every lesson is different because every class is different and they each take it in a different direction. Who am I to stop them?
Lesson plans are a waste of time. Everyone knows it but won’t admit it. I proved that last term when I took 13 periods a week with no course book or guidance as to what to teach. Wasn’t perfect but I learnt and demanded a book (and was given it) for this term. And that was purely for topic materials and ideas.
Lesson plans? As much use as a 10 minute Bill in the House of Commons.
Sunday, 19 March 2017
Sunday 19th March, 2017 1700
So after a full day of teaching on Friday (I even took a lunch of pasta shells, prawns and cherry tomatoes in Caesar sauce as I knew I wouldn’t eat dinner later) I called the MNOPF.
I couldn’t get any information. I had expected it to be because of the bloody Data Protection Act but no, it was because the actuaries need to do their thing. I did however learn that despite what my 2000 paperwork said, I CAN defer drawing the pension right up until the age of 75. I can request 2 years’ quotes each time and so next week I will ask how much it would be in May this year, 2018 and 2021 when I am 65 so I can consider what to do.
It is not as simple a decision as deciding whether I think I will croak before getting any money, more a case of what will I do in 5 years time? Will I be able to, and want to, continue working here in China? Where will I retire to? Certain places require a sizeable bank deposit (many Asian countries ask for sums that are beyond my reach) and to stay in China (my dream) would require me to set up a business. All the aforementioned come with startup costs. It may be that the decision is already made for me in that if I start being an OAP whilst still working, I can save most, if not all of the pension.
For once in my life though I have a somewhat pleasant dilemma and for five years anyway, the choice of not flying cattle class or booking anywhere other than western group hotels. I just hope I don’t go and ruin it by pegging out in my sleep!
Yesterday I did little but I did need a rather large lightbulb. One had blown in my bathroom ceiling arrangement, a rather strange affair with one small lamp in the centre and four large ones in a square around it. The big ones emit heat and are damned handy in winter. I also needed some hypertensive tablets . They weren’t urgent but when I get down to a fortnight’s supply of anything (even toilet paper) I like to get back-up.
There is a chemists in the square but I had never been in there, fearing it would be a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) place. I am sure TCM works for some things but honestly, I can’t see it lowering a systolic of over 200 down to 80, preventing gout or easing the pain of arthritis regardless of how many powdered seahorses I drank as a tea drink.
To my delight, it is both TCM and western. Right on my doorstep so now I don’t need to go to the one at BHG which invariably either doesn’t have what I want or alternatively not as many as I want. Oh yes.
Then I went underground to get my bulb but whilst there I searched fruitlessly for a stall selling flowers. To be honest I couldn’t see there being one, after all, flowers need sunlight, and I was correct. I still need a decent pot and compost because soon the mint seedlings will need to be transferred to bigger pastures. I shall have to enlist the help of a student or two.
Later I made a roast chicken dinner and could only eat half (so what’s new?) and settled down to what I thought would be a great night of rugby. Well the Scotland game was dire and the scoreline in no way reflected what happened. The reality was that the Scots should have won by a mere five points. Enter France v Wales. Now THAT was a good game apart from the three days of extra time facilitated by the referee.
Then what everyone had been waiting for, the biggie. England to make history and come away with a world record, a grand slam and two trophies. Bring it on!
10-3 down at half time rarely disturbs an England supporter (as long as it is rugby) because the half time bollocking usually bucks them up. Unfortunately after they went to the dressing rooms I can’t remember anything else. I awoke at 0500! Facebook told me we had either drawn or lost (not the score itself) and I went to bed proper.
I avoided logging on anywhere this morning in order to watch part two of the game, knowing we never won the grand slam. Some people will vilify England for not playing better but I think that’s a trifle harsh, the Irish were quite simply at the top of their game (Guinness might have had a hand on Paddy’s day?) and on the day they were better. But do you know, even knowing we hadn’t won, right until the end I kept thinking England would snatch victory from underneath Irish snouts! Fair play and applause must go to the Oirish.
Today I have done little other than wash my bedding (which reminds me, if I don’t put fresh stuff on soon I won’t have a bed to sleep in!) and pop out to buy booze and bananas. I managed to panic a stallholder when I picked up a hand of bananas, go to pay and because there is no demarcation between stalls, went to the wrong stallholder to pay! They took it well though, no doubt once I left they were nattering about the potty old foreigner.
So after a full day of teaching on Friday (I even took a lunch of pasta shells, prawns and cherry tomatoes in Caesar sauce as I knew I wouldn’t eat dinner later) I called the MNOPF.
I couldn’t get any information. I had expected it to be because of the bloody Data Protection Act but no, it was because the actuaries need to do their thing. I did however learn that despite what my 2000 paperwork said, I CAN defer drawing the pension right up until the age of 75. I can request 2 years’ quotes each time and so next week I will ask how much it would be in May this year, 2018 and 2021 when I am 65 so I can consider what to do.
It is not as simple a decision as deciding whether I think I will croak before getting any money, more a case of what will I do in 5 years time? Will I be able to, and want to, continue working here in China? Where will I retire to? Certain places require a sizeable bank deposit (many Asian countries ask for sums that are beyond my reach) and to stay in China (my dream) would require me to set up a business. All the aforementioned come with startup costs. It may be that the decision is already made for me in that if I start being an OAP whilst still working, I can save most, if not all of the pension.
For once in my life though I have a somewhat pleasant dilemma and for five years anyway, the choice of not flying cattle class or booking anywhere other than western group hotels. I just hope I don’t go and ruin it by pegging out in my sleep!
Yesterday I did little but I did need a rather large lightbulb. One had blown in my bathroom ceiling arrangement, a rather strange affair with one small lamp in the centre and four large ones in a square around it. The big ones emit heat and are damned handy in winter. I also needed some hypertensive tablets . They weren’t urgent but when I get down to a fortnight’s supply of anything (even toilet paper) I like to get back-up.
There is a chemists in the square but I had never been in there, fearing it would be a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) place. I am sure TCM works for some things but honestly, I can’t see it lowering a systolic of over 200 down to 80, preventing gout or easing the pain of arthritis regardless of how many powdered seahorses I drank as a tea drink.
To my delight, it is both TCM and western. Right on my doorstep so now I don’t need to go to the one at BHG which invariably either doesn’t have what I want or alternatively not as many as I want. Oh yes.
Then I went underground to get my bulb but whilst there I searched fruitlessly for a stall selling flowers. To be honest I couldn’t see there being one, after all, flowers need sunlight, and I was correct. I still need a decent pot and compost because soon the mint seedlings will need to be transferred to bigger pastures. I shall have to enlist the help of a student or two.
Later I made a roast chicken dinner and could only eat half (so what’s new?) and settled down to what I thought would be a great night of rugby. Well the Scotland game was dire and the scoreline in no way reflected what happened. The reality was that the Scots should have won by a mere five points. Enter France v Wales. Now THAT was a good game apart from the three days of extra time facilitated by the referee.
Then what everyone had been waiting for, the biggie. England to make history and come away with a world record, a grand slam and two trophies. Bring it on!
10-3 down at half time rarely disturbs an England supporter (as long as it is rugby) because the half time bollocking usually bucks them up. Unfortunately after they went to the dressing rooms I can’t remember anything else. I awoke at 0500! Facebook told me we had either drawn or lost (not the score itself) and I went to bed proper.
I avoided logging on anywhere this morning in order to watch part two of the game, knowing we never won the grand slam. Some people will vilify England for not playing better but I think that’s a trifle harsh, the Irish were quite simply at the top of their game (Guinness might have had a hand on Paddy’s day?) and on the day they were better. But do you know, even knowing we hadn’t won, right until the end I kept thinking England would snatch victory from underneath Irish snouts! Fair play and applause must go to the Oirish.
Today I have done little other than wash my bedding (which reminds me, if I don’t put fresh stuff on soon I won’t have a bed to sleep in!) and pop out to buy booze and bananas. I managed to panic a stallholder when I picked up a hand of bananas, go to pay and because there is no demarcation between stalls, went to the wrong stallholder to pay! They took it well though, no doubt once I left they were nattering about the potty old foreigner.
Thursday, 16 March 2017
Thursday 16th March, 2017 1706
So after getting my cigars I had my less than satisfactory curry at a very small Dico’s at the train station and headed back home for a quiet evening in - as usual.
Yesterday was the weekly shop, which I delayed until late afternoon because I couldn’t be bothered cooking myself. Off to the sweet pork place, where I had a dry hotpot of prawns, peppers, onions etc. Very nice and at 50y including rice, I wasn’t about to leave any king prawns. It did mean I overate and suffered all evening as a result but although plenty of vegetables were left, there was not a prawn standing at the end. It really is a place I need to take a partner or two, I can’t even finish one dish on my own. But nice to go there, Mama is always pleased to see me and it’s pleasant to sit inside watching the pedestrian traffic milling around outside. Always reminds me of my first few days in Lanzhou.
I still haven’t found a decent flowerpot with compost and now the mint seedlings are a good inch tall and densely populated. I need to fix that before long if I am to be able to have minted new potatoes come summer.
I had intended to take a trip to the western supermarket in the city today but cancelled it due to lack of interest and a bit of a grumbly belly after last night’s Bacchanalian feast. Instead, I motivated myself to make macaroni cheese, one aluminium tray is baking as I type and three others are nestled in the freezer for future occasions. The two remaining shepherds pies that I oversalted are currently on the pavement outside defrosting and awaiting the attention of the wild cats and dogs when they get a whiff - although when I was standing in the kitchen I observed many Chinese people pause whilst walking past, clearly puzzled as to what the hell they were!
I think for the first time I have actually got my body clock to where it should be. I was in bed before midnight last night and awake before eight this morning. Perfect for tomorrow’s 0500 rise. Of course that will all be destroyed at the weekend due to the final round of the 6 Nations and I will doubtless be wrecked early Monday morning. Still, it’s only once a year.
Last night Georgina asked me if I wanted a job. Having already told her I have no interest in teaching online, I was surprised when she asked again. The job? She is going to put me forward to someone as a candidate for running her new company’s foreign teacher blog! I gather I would need to moderate it also but it seems there is money in it. Seems like a damned good excuse to start from blog number 1, tidy the entries up and post them. Hardly a great deal of work, eh??!! Fingers crossed because that sort of work I am more than happy to do.
I was earlier looking through my papers to find the change of address form for the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund. The last statement I received was for benefits at the end of 2000 so I thought a current one would be good.
Imagine my surprise when I spotted that this pension becomes payable in 2 months! I was convinced it would be my 65th birthday with the state pension to follow a year later. I now need to contact them to make sure and if so, tell them where to pay it. Apparently by law the pension has to increase by 3% compound per annum (something else I never noticed before) so I could be in for a nice surprise and my final 5 years working (hopefully in China) will be with possibly a 50% payrise depending on the exchange rate for sterling. Sadly since the EU vote the pound has slumped from 10y to the pound to about 8.5y which makes a fair difference. Still, that much extra would make my life here so much more enjoyable and of course I could tuck some away for when I pack up work.
So after getting my cigars I had my less than satisfactory curry at a very small Dico’s at the train station and headed back home for a quiet evening in - as usual.
Yesterday was the weekly shop, which I delayed until late afternoon because I couldn’t be bothered cooking myself. Off to the sweet pork place, where I had a dry hotpot of prawns, peppers, onions etc. Very nice and at 50y including rice, I wasn’t about to leave any king prawns. It did mean I overate and suffered all evening as a result but although plenty of vegetables were left, there was not a prawn standing at the end. It really is a place I need to take a partner or two, I can’t even finish one dish on my own. But nice to go there, Mama is always pleased to see me and it’s pleasant to sit inside watching the pedestrian traffic milling around outside. Always reminds me of my first few days in Lanzhou.
I still haven’t found a decent flowerpot with compost and now the mint seedlings are a good inch tall and densely populated. I need to fix that before long if I am to be able to have minted new potatoes come summer.
I had intended to take a trip to the western supermarket in the city today but cancelled it due to lack of interest and a bit of a grumbly belly after last night’s Bacchanalian feast. Instead, I motivated myself to make macaroni cheese, one aluminium tray is baking as I type and three others are nestled in the freezer for future occasions. The two remaining shepherds pies that I oversalted are currently on the pavement outside defrosting and awaiting the attention of the wild cats and dogs when they get a whiff - although when I was standing in the kitchen I observed many Chinese people pause whilst walking past, clearly puzzled as to what the hell they were!
I think for the first time I have actually got my body clock to where it should be. I was in bed before midnight last night and awake before eight this morning. Perfect for tomorrow’s 0500 rise. Of course that will all be destroyed at the weekend due to the final round of the 6 Nations and I will doubtless be wrecked early Monday morning. Still, it’s only once a year.
Last night Georgina asked me if I wanted a job. Having already told her I have no interest in teaching online, I was surprised when she asked again. The job? She is going to put me forward to someone as a candidate for running her new company’s foreign teacher blog! I gather I would need to moderate it also but it seems there is money in it. Seems like a damned good excuse to start from blog number 1, tidy the entries up and post them. Hardly a great deal of work, eh??!! Fingers crossed because that sort of work I am more than happy to do.
I was earlier looking through my papers to find the change of address form for the Merchant Navy Officers Pension Fund. The last statement I received was for benefits at the end of 2000 so I thought a current one would be good.
Imagine my surprise when I spotted that this pension becomes payable in 2 months! I was convinced it would be my 65th birthday with the state pension to follow a year later. I now need to contact them to make sure and if so, tell them where to pay it. Apparently by law the pension has to increase by 3% compound per annum (something else I never noticed before) so I could be in for a nice surprise and my final 5 years working (hopefully in China) will be with possibly a 50% payrise depending on the exchange rate for sterling. Sadly since the EU vote the pound has slumped from 10y to the pound to about 8.5y which makes a fair difference. Still, that much extra would make my life here so much more enjoyable and of course I could tuck some away for when I pack up work.
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Haha!
Just received this moments after posting
http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_
Andrei and Juliette on Chizhou TV. Brilliant but I will stick to Santa!
Just received this moments after posting
http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_
Andrei and Juliette on Chizhou TV. Brilliant but I will stick to Santa!
Tuesday 14th March, 2017 1800
So Sunday was rather short, given my time in bed but in the late afternoon I began to become very glad I hadn’t eaten the majority of the chicken burger the night before. My instincts had been right and I found myself spending a fair amount of time seated an a throne I generally only like to sit atop once a day. I think that was the last time I shall visit that little eatery.
Knowing that I had a full day’s teaching ahead of me on Monday, I cooked some chicken legs to take to work. It may seem idiotic to continue with food that upset my bowels previously but of course this way I was certain to know it was cooked properly - and it was. I played safe with my evening meal too, salmon fillet, spuds, peas and mayonnaise. Can’t go far wrong with that unless you make your own mayonnaise. I didn’t.
And so it came to pass that I actually went to bed on Sunday night at 2230. A little later than anticipated but not so late as to have left me debilitated all the following day.
I have no idea why but if I slept more than two hours in fits and starts then I will be amazed. I can’t recall ever experiencing such a catalogue of mini-nightmares in one session without being in the grip of a fever in my life.
Amazingly though, I managed to make it through Monday’s classes with just the one gigantic yawn in the first class. You become a good actor when you become a teacher.
A handful of students are now beginning to rise to the surface to be recognised and that is good to see. It shows that they care and better still, they want me to notice them. I can ask for little more. In fact in one of the classes I was getting more answers to my questions than in some of my English major classes in Chizhou. I couldn’t care less if the answers are wrong, give me ten wrong ones and I am a lot happier than getting none at all. I am now thinking of getting an official certificate with the school stamp embossed on it to give to all the students who pass my exam at the end of term. Unrelated to their BA of course but the Chinese love a certificate and although it will not be officially recognised by the board of education, it may well serve as a little extra feather in their caps. Additionally, it may spur the less motivated ones to shift their arses.
So today was cigar day. I awoke at 1000 and had only just made a coffee when Brenda phoned. She was calling to tell me the school didn’t think my idea of them linking up with that seafaring film company was really for them. That’s fine, I just thought some of the engineering students may have thought about it but no problem. Then it was can you come and meet me at the campus security gate?
Hold on, I have only just woken up? I have plans today, I am making my monthly cigar trip and that takes three hours or so. Why do I need to meet you?
I will take you to get more gas.
Well I did that myself on Saturday and I have enough now to last until June.
Oh, you can bring the receipt so we can pay you the money.
Sorry, you will think I am strange but am not dressed and I haven’t showered and I don’t like leaving home before a shower, can we do it another time - it’s only 102y and I can wait?
Brenda decided to come and see me within half an hour at home. This being China I did entertain fleeting thoughts that perhaps she was also coming to wield the axe regarding my staying another year but I thought well, if it is to be then at least I have plenty of notice to find another place. My experience is that there is always another motive and I was right but not as aforementioned.
They want me to give a couple/few seafaring career talks to students on Peili campus, which is not where I teach. Now that I will happily do for them with enough notice to get someone to prepare a PPP or slide show for me because I am incapable. I really should find out how to do such things but then this will be the first time I have really WANTED one, far less needed one. It could prove interesting.
Early afternoon saw me head off for my cigars. I have been there twice before. Just twice, a month apart. My liking for Wang Guan cigars and being the only one in the city to do so has clearly marked me out because as soon as I walked into China Tobacco I heard people saying “Sway-Jar” (cigar) and almost immediately the security man produced 500 of them! Oh well, at least it appears while I am here I shouldn’t have any problem getting them any more!
So Sunday was rather short, given my time in bed but in the late afternoon I began to become very glad I hadn’t eaten the majority of the chicken burger the night before. My instincts had been right and I found myself spending a fair amount of time seated an a throne I generally only like to sit atop once a day. I think that was the last time I shall visit that little eatery.
Knowing that I had a full day’s teaching ahead of me on Monday, I cooked some chicken legs to take to work. It may seem idiotic to continue with food that upset my bowels previously but of course this way I was certain to know it was cooked properly - and it was. I played safe with my evening meal too, salmon fillet, spuds, peas and mayonnaise. Can’t go far wrong with that unless you make your own mayonnaise. I didn’t.
And so it came to pass that I actually went to bed on Sunday night at 2230. A little later than anticipated but not so late as to have left me debilitated all the following day.
I have no idea why but if I slept more than two hours in fits and starts then I will be amazed. I can’t recall ever experiencing such a catalogue of mini-nightmares in one session without being in the grip of a fever in my life.
Amazingly though, I managed to make it through Monday’s classes with just the one gigantic yawn in the first class. You become a good actor when you become a teacher.
A handful of students are now beginning to rise to the surface to be recognised and that is good to see. It shows that they care and better still, they want me to notice them. I can ask for little more. In fact in one of the classes I was getting more answers to my questions than in some of my English major classes in Chizhou. I couldn’t care less if the answers are wrong, give me ten wrong ones and I am a lot happier than getting none at all. I am now thinking of getting an official certificate with the school stamp embossed on it to give to all the students who pass my exam at the end of term. Unrelated to their BA of course but the Chinese love a certificate and although it will not be officially recognised by the board of education, it may well serve as a little extra feather in their caps. Additionally, it may spur the less motivated ones to shift their arses.
So today was cigar day. I awoke at 1000 and had only just made a coffee when Brenda phoned. She was calling to tell me the school didn’t think my idea of them linking up with that seafaring film company was really for them. That’s fine, I just thought some of the engineering students may have thought about it but no problem. Then it was can you come and meet me at the campus security gate?
Hold on, I have only just woken up? I have plans today, I am making my monthly cigar trip and that takes three hours or so. Why do I need to meet you?
I will take you to get more gas.
Well I did that myself on Saturday and I have enough now to last until June.
Oh, you can bring the receipt so we can pay you the money.
Sorry, you will think I am strange but am not dressed and I haven’t showered and I don’t like leaving home before a shower, can we do it another time - it’s only 102y and I can wait?
Brenda decided to come and see me within half an hour at home. This being China I did entertain fleeting thoughts that perhaps she was also coming to wield the axe regarding my staying another year but I thought well, if it is to be then at least I have plenty of notice to find another place. My experience is that there is always another motive and I was right but not as aforementioned.
They want me to give a couple/few seafaring career talks to students on Peili campus, which is not where I teach. Now that I will happily do for them with enough notice to get someone to prepare a PPP or slide show for me because I am incapable. I really should find out how to do such things but then this will be the first time I have really WANTED one, far less needed one. It could prove interesting.
Early afternoon saw me head off for my cigars. I have been there twice before. Just twice, a month apart. My liking for Wang Guan cigars and being the only one in the city to do so has clearly marked me out because as soon as I walked into China Tobacco I heard people saying “Sway-Jar” (cigar) and almost immediately the security man produced 500 of them! Oh well, at least it appears while I am here I shouldn’t have any problem getting them any more!
Saturday, 11 March 2017
Saturday 11th March, 2017 1930
Managed an unbroken sleep until 1100 which will come in handy given that the England match won’t finish until 0200 or so.
Decided not to cook but instead go and buy some more gas (not bad, after six months I have used 100y which is a lot less than the electricity!) and then continue on to the fried chicken place near the gas shop. The only other time I went there I had a whole chicken which was fine. Please bear in mind Chinese chickens are runts, even I can eat a whole one.
So when I walked down to Peili Square I found police on point duty. The vehicular traffic lights functioned but the pedestrian red and green men were out. Ok not a problem, I may be an idiot in some respects but I have enough wit to observe the colour of light the cars get and to only cross when they are on red and even then keeping a weather eye out because well, this is China.
Oh no. I had a copper blowing his whistle just as I was about to start my way to the central part where the bus stop is. Nope, I wasn’t allowed to cross there, I should go further back and take the stairs to the overpass. Not said in English of course but I got the idea.
I looked at the bobby to indicate “rowlocks”, pointed up the road and said I would cross 50 yards further up where the barriers have cutouts. I felt treated like I was either a simpleton or a geriatric walking with the aid of a Zimmer frame. I am still alive and no cars were injured in the process of my crossing the road.
After buying another 3 months worth of gas I continued towards the chicken place. I don’t know what other people think of drones (the latest fad, not the bees) but I believe they should be illegal, point blank. One will bring an airliner down one day. However, did I not see a group of three young men with what I assume was a very expensive piece of kit, setting it up on the pavement in front of me. I walked past and stopped to watch. The control box was very hi-tech and the operator tested the navigation lights were working and that the underslung camera swivelled and pivoted correctly. A few bob there I thought. Then it took off vertically and silently. It was at that point that I suddenly felt unsafe.
Batteries run out (my student’s phones last less than a day) and electronics malfunction. This thing was made of metal and were it to plummet to earth on a major street (which this is) from 300 feet the force of impact as it collided with someone’s skull would probably be fatal. So no, their manufacture and sale for public use should be outlawed, ditto model planes and choppers. Sure, in the west you can confine them to being flown in designated zones but here? Above a busy 6 lane road on a Saturday evening with thousands of pedestrians?
This time though when I got to the chicken outlet I opted for set deal C which consisted of a chicken burger, fries and a cola. Ridiculous, thought I, for the princely sum of 10y. Well it WAS ridiculous but not for the reason of cost. The fries were lukewarm and soggy (ok so McDonald’s are often guilty of that but the place was in fact busy so there was no excuse) and I did not like the burger at all. Maybe it’s just me but whenever I’ve had a chicken burger in China I always feel the chicken is undercooked and of course chicken can be deadly in that respect. I left most of it and hardly touched the fries. If I ever go there again I will stick to the whole chicken - at least they cook that properly.
Managed an unbroken sleep until 1100 which will come in handy given that the England match won’t finish until 0200 or so.
Decided not to cook but instead go and buy some more gas (not bad, after six months I have used 100y which is a lot less than the electricity!) and then continue on to the fried chicken place near the gas shop. The only other time I went there I had a whole chicken which was fine. Please bear in mind Chinese chickens are runts, even I can eat a whole one.
So when I walked down to Peili Square I found police on point duty. The vehicular traffic lights functioned but the pedestrian red and green men were out. Ok not a problem, I may be an idiot in some respects but I have enough wit to observe the colour of light the cars get and to only cross when they are on red and even then keeping a weather eye out because well, this is China.
Oh no. I had a copper blowing his whistle just as I was about to start my way to the central part where the bus stop is. Nope, I wasn’t allowed to cross there, I should go further back and take the stairs to the overpass. Not said in English of course but I got the idea.
I looked at the bobby to indicate “rowlocks”, pointed up the road and said I would cross 50 yards further up where the barriers have cutouts. I felt treated like I was either a simpleton or a geriatric walking with the aid of a Zimmer frame. I am still alive and no cars were injured in the process of my crossing the road.
After buying another 3 months worth of gas I continued towards the chicken place. I don’t know what other people think of drones (the latest fad, not the bees) but I believe they should be illegal, point blank. One will bring an airliner down one day. However, did I not see a group of three young men with what I assume was a very expensive piece of kit, setting it up on the pavement in front of me. I walked past and stopped to watch. The control box was very hi-tech and the operator tested the navigation lights were working and that the underslung camera swivelled and pivoted correctly. A few bob there I thought. Then it took off vertically and silently. It was at that point that I suddenly felt unsafe.
Batteries run out (my student’s phones last less than a day) and electronics malfunction. This thing was made of metal and were it to plummet to earth on a major street (which this is) from 300 feet the force of impact as it collided with someone’s skull would probably be fatal. So no, their manufacture and sale for public use should be outlawed, ditto model planes and choppers. Sure, in the west you can confine them to being flown in designated zones but here? Above a busy 6 lane road on a Saturday evening with thousands of pedestrians?
This time though when I got to the chicken outlet I opted for set deal C which consisted of a chicken burger, fries and a cola. Ridiculous, thought I, for the princely sum of 10y. Well it WAS ridiculous but not for the reason of cost. The fries were lukewarm and soggy (ok so McDonald’s are often guilty of that but the place was in fact busy so there was no excuse) and I did not like the burger at all. Maybe it’s just me but whenever I’ve had a chicken burger in China I always feel the chicken is undercooked and of course chicken can be deadly in that respect. I left most of it and hardly touched the fries. If I ever go there again I will stick to the whole chicken - at least they cook that properly.
Saturday 11th March, 2017 0200
And a very happy birthday to one of my long-term readers, ex shipmate and friend of 38 years, Ian Brightmore, Chief Engineer who hopefully is in fact ashore for his big day today. I hope you have a good one and do not end up with your arms covered in grease at your advanced years!
Ok so why am I up so late after an 0500 start? Well I discovered this morning that I had made a mistake which not one of my readers corrected - bit like Chinese students really. I misread the final fortnight of the 6 Nations and in my mind both England matches were being played on Sunday nights. Today I discovered that they are in fact on Saturday nights and therefore I CAN watch them! So I needed to stay up a bit late tonight (forget the other match which starts here in two hours) anyway.
Now since arriving in China (and please, we all have solitaire and other mindless things on our computers with which to pass the time so no judgements!) I have been playing Tagged and when they introduced cash runs, those as well. It’s infuriating at times when you lose but it is something you can play any time of day or night against whoever is online. Tonight someone bought me and started snaffling my pets so I fought back but this chap (American) had far more virtual money than me. We did however come to an agreement to help each other. As a result I have now risen to the dizzy height of being Number 8 player in China (4068 in the world) which although utterly meaningless, when you have been dabbling for 7 years gives a childish pleasure.
But that’s not important. What is, is that it kept me up. It means there is every chance I shall be able to stay awake later to watch the oldest international competition in the world and also see England extend their record-breaking winning streak.
Friday was a struggle but not as much as last week. It took me until about eleven to nod off, really annoying when nine would be the optimum. And of course with me unless there is a proper bed on offer a daytime nap is out of the question. I made it though and certainly there were a few students missing from each class, most of which had not asked for leave of absence. The word is getting around - Steve counts heads and takes a roll call! Suddenly I am getting texts and notes after class starts because their mates have alerted them I know they are AWOL. Too late, he cries! Marks lost in final exam. Tough maybe but I make no apology. Last term my classes were treated as a drop-in. Now I know the school wants exams, even though it won’t affect their degree I have leverage. Just what I asked for and as with the text books, I got it. Haha! I shall prevail!
Actually on the whole this first week of using the book hasn’t been bad. A few teething problems but there will be none next week. For instance, every class “forgot” their homework (I simply ask for a few students each week to relate an interesting tale) and it was amusing to see them all giving me bemused looks when I know full well every class was told yet they denied all knowledge. The first unit in the book by chance gives me opportunity to emphasise the importance of them bringing me stories or nuggets of news. No prisoners next week.
I had to laugh during the second period of the last class today. Before class I had a message from (insert Chinese name) saying sorry, she couldn’t come, she had something to do. Well that’s fine, she told me, I can mark her as present for marking purposes, that’s all I ask.
Except when I tried to find her in my attendance book she wasn’t there. I asked the students to look at the Chinese names. Nope. Not there. Bloody hell.
When I restarted after the break they told me she wasn’t a student, she was a teacher! As soon as they said that I knew who it was. She is a teacher/admin in the office up the corridor and likes to sit in on my classes to improve her English. Bless her! She asked for leave!
And a very happy birthday to one of my long-term readers, ex shipmate and friend of 38 years, Ian Brightmore, Chief Engineer who hopefully is in fact ashore for his big day today. I hope you have a good one and do not end up with your arms covered in grease at your advanced years!
Ok so why am I up so late after an 0500 start? Well I discovered this morning that I had made a mistake which not one of my readers corrected - bit like Chinese students really. I misread the final fortnight of the 6 Nations and in my mind both England matches were being played on Sunday nights. Today I discovered that they are in fact on Saturday nights and therefore I CAN watch them! So I needed to stay up a bit late tonight (forget the other match which starts here in two hours) anyway.
Now since arriving in China (and please, we all have solitaire and other mindless things on our computers with which to pass the time so no judgements!) I have been playing Tagged and when they introduced cash runs, those as well. It’s infuriating at times when you lose but it is something you can play any time of day or night against whoever is online. Tonight someone bought me and started snaffling my pets so I fought back but this chap (American) had far more virtual money than me. We did however come to an agreement to help each other. As a result I have now risen to the dizzy height of being Number 8 player in China (4068 in the world) which although utterly meaningless, when you have been dabbling for 7 years gives a childish pleasure.
But that’s not important. What is, is that it kept me up. It means there is every chance I shall be able to stay awake later to watch the oldest international competition in the world and also see England extend their record-breaking winning streak.
Friday was a struggle but not as much as last week. It took me until about eleven to nod off, really annoying when nine would be the optimum. And of course with me unless there is a proper bed on offer a daytime nap is out of the question. I made it though and certainly there were a few students missing from each class, most of which had not asked for leave of absence. The word is getting around - Steve counts heads and takes a roll call! Suddenly I am getting texts and notes after class starts because their mates have alerted them I know they are AWOL. Too late, he cries! Marks lost in final exam. Tough maybe but I make no apology. Last term my classes were treated as a drop-in. Now I know the school wants exams, even though it won’t affect their degree I have leverage. Just what I asked for and as with the text books, I got it. Haha! I shall prevail!
Actually on the whole this first week of using the book hasn’t been bad. A few teething problems but there will be none next week. For instance, every class “forgot” their homework (I simply ask for a few students each week to relate an interesting tale) and it was amusing to see them all giving me bemused looks when I know full well every class was told yet they denied all knowledge. The first unit in the book by chance gives me opportunity to emphasise the importance of them bringing me stories or nuggets of news. No prisoners next week.
I had to laugh during the second period of the last class today. Before class I had a message from (insert Chinese name) saying sorry, she couldn’t come, she had something to do. Well that’s fine, she told me, I can mark her as present for marking purposes, that’s all I ask.
Except when I tried to find her in my attendance book she wasn’t there. I asked the students to look at the Chinese names. Nope. Not there. Bloody hell.
When I restarted after the break they told me she wasn’t a student, she was a teacher! As soon as they said that I knew who it was. She is a teacher/admin in the office up the corridor and likes to sit in on my classes to improve her English. Bless her! She asked for leave!
Wednesday, 8 March 2017
Apologies for the previous (now deleted) post, summat happened to corrupt the end. Try again!
Wednesday 8th March, 2017 1530
Well, teaching just two days a week and for the most part staying home the rest of it doesn’t exactly provide ample material to blog about.
I’m not sure I will entirely get used to a day that starts at 0500 and finishes at nearly 1800 but at least I get five days a week off.
It was good though on Monday to get back to teaching familiar things now that my text book is here and despite the school’s concern that my chosen book would be too difficult for non-English majors, I like to think the day went well.
Bonnie my internet shopper is no more. On Monday I mentioned her name and another student stood up in class. “No, I said, Bonnie, you’re not Bonnie”.
“Yes”
Pointing to “Bonnie” I said “She’s Bonnie”
“No, I’m Bonnie, she is Molly”
What???? I called Molly Bonnie several times last Monday and never once did she correct me! Typical Chinese students! I swear if I told them to swap names they would do so! So now Molly is my Taobao girl.
She also brought my latest shop for me. Everything had arrived bar the kidney beans (I shall get them on Friday no doubt) and when I opened one box I couldn’t for the life of me think what was in it. I thought there had been a mistake. After scratching my head for a few minutes it suddenly dawned that this was my mint seeds. I was expecting a packet from Suttons but what I got was a clear plastic bag of seeds, a bigger bag of starter compost together with a pot and a dish for catching excess water!
They are now sitting on my windowsill with me watching to see when they sprout, although something tells me perhaps I shouldn’t have planted ALL the seeds! I may have to buy another lot and be a little more frugal.
I have gotten exceptionally lazy now. Last night I went for some noodles near home and ended up with chow mien, albeit a spicy one the like of which I have never encountered. I have come to the conclusion that it is idiotic to eat noodles with chopsticks. For starters it is difficult (especially with hand-pulled ones) and secondly when you pull a three metre length from the plate it invariably splatters your front with sauce. So, to huge amusement from the staff, I took along my own fork. Much more civilised and decorous!
I was going to go for a curry today and was waiting for the text from my bank to say I had been paid before doing so. That psychological thing about having a lower than planned amount in reserve. Plenty there as it happens, enough to repay Capt Orange plus a bit towards my summer travels but still. Anyway, the text came about an hour ago but I am so lethargic I have decided it is easier to cook! I have a couple of jars of pasta sauce so a chicken breast is defrosting for that purpose. Tomorrow I shall shop but on the way I plan to have that curry.
Next month sees the commencement of the annual hiring season for next year so soon I suppose I must grasp the nettle and pop the question - do they want me to stay for another students as to what my classes are like. I really don’t want to have to go through the palaver I had last year when I left Chizhou. It is stressful and more importantly, bloody expensive. Fingers crossed, all my foot stamping is over, most occurred in the first term, things are more or less the way I want and I hope I am what they want. Plus I want the 2nd year pay rise.
Yes I still pine for Chizhou but that’s a no and in many ways this place treats the foreign teachers with more respect. So far I have been paid bang on time or a day or two early with the exception of once when it was two days late. I can’t complain about that in China. Also another thing I like is that I don’t have to worry about turning on too many appliances and tripping the breakers as so often happened at the last place.
Mind you, it’s going to be embarrassing when I go back to the electricity lady - I still have more than 800y left so as it is starting to get warm now it may be a top up for the summer holidays.
Wednesday 8th March, 2017 1530
Well, teaching just two days a week and for the most part staying home the rest of it doesn’t exactly provide ample material to blog about.
I’m not sure I will entirely get used to a day that starts at 0500 and finishes at nearly 1800 but at least I get five days a week off.
It was good though on Monday to get back to teaching familiar things now that my text book is here and despite the school’s concern that my chosen book would be too difficult for non-English majors, I like to think the day went well.
Bonnie my internet shopper is no more. On Monday I mentioned her name and another student stood up in class. “No, I said, Bonnie, you’re not Bonnie”.
“Yes”
Pointing to “Bonnie” I said “She’s Bonnie”
“No, I’m Bonnie, she is Molly”
What???? I called Molly Bonnie several times last Monday and never once did she correct me! Typical Chinese students! I swear if I told them to swap names they would do so! So now Molly is my Taobao girl.
She also brought my latest shop for me. Everything had arrived bar the kidney beans (I shall get them on Friday no doubt) and when I opened one box I couldn’t for the life of me think what was in it. I thought there had been a mistake. After scratching my head for a few minutes it suddenly dawned that this was my mint seeds. I was expecting a packet from Suttons but what I got was a clear plastic bag of seeds, a bigger bag of starter compost together with a pot and a dish for catching excess water!
They are now sitting on my windowsill with me watching to see when they sprout, although something tells me perhaps I shouldn’t have planted ALL the seeds! I may have to buy another lot and be a little more frugal.
I have gotten exceptionally lazy now. Last night I went for some noodles near home and ended up with chow mien, albeit a spicy one the like of which I have never encountered. I have come to the conclusion that it is idiotic to eat noodles with chopsticks. For starters it is difficult (especially with hand-pulled ones) and secondly when you pull a three metre length from the plate it invariably splatters your front with sauce. So, to huge amusement from the staff, I took along my own fork. Much more civilised and decorous!
I was going to go for a curry today and was waiting for the text from my bank to say I had been paid before doing so. That psychological thing about having a lower than planned amount in reserve. Plenty there as it happens, enough to repay Capt Orange plus a bit towards my summer travels but still. Anyway, the text came about an hour ago but I am so lethargic I have decided it is easier to cook! I have a couple of jars of pasta sauce so a chicken breast is defrosting for that purpose. Tomorrow I shall shop but on the way I plan to have that curry.
Next month sees the commencement of the annual hiring season for next year so soon I suppose I must grasp the nettle and pop the question - do they want me to stay for another students as to what my classes are like. I really don’t want to have to go through the palaver I had last year when I left Chizhou. It is stressful and more importantly, bloody expensive. Fingers crossed, all my foot stamping is over, most occurred in the first term, things are more or less the way I want and I hope I am what they want. Plus I want the 2nd year pay rise.
Yes I still pine for Chizhou but that’s a no and in many ways this place treats the foreign teachers with more respect. So far I have been paid bang on time or a day or two early with the exception of once when it was two days late. I can’t complain about that in China. Also another thing I like is that I don’t have to worry about turning on too many appliances and tripping the breakers as so often happened at the last place.
Mind you, it’s going to be embarrassing when I go back to the electricity lady - I still have more than 800y left so as it is starting to get warm now it may be a top up for the summer holidays.
Sunday, 5 March 2017
Sunday 5th March, 2017
Has it really been so long?
Well Thursday was a nothing day (Plenty of those days here with no playmates) and of course Friday was my second working day of the week. I actually managed to get to bed well before midnight for once, as indeed I hope to tonight.
I am certain I am not the only one to have woken in darkness the next morning needing another hour or so in bed but bursting for the toilet, getting up and going to the loo and turning the light on to see how much more sleep you can have. I am also not the first to find it will be a scant ten minutes! Sod it, I stayed up.
Satisfyingly, I wasn’t tempted to nod off even on the bus back home and during the day I met my other three classes. The final class was I think 46 pupils so the final tally is not far off 240. Introductions done, tomorrow we start the work and I shall see what I can do with basically twelve score of level 1 English speakers. Could be a rough ride, for me at any rate.
Now when I finished I had what I thought was a 50 minute wait for the school bus home - that was a given. What I didn’t know was that the Dean had a meeting and the bus wasn’t leaving without her so I sat on that bloody bus for nearly an hour before we left 45 minutes late. Oh sorry, she said when she arrived and I don’t care if she is my boss, I was pissed off. I made it plain that had I left when my work finished I would be already home by then and it would have been nice to have known in advance. I will be having words with Janet tomorrow, she can let me know when there are meetings and I will take public transport. Sod that.
In preparation for the rugby I forced myself to stay up late, waking early Saturday afternoon, only to discover that yet again there WAS no rugby this weekend. Great.
This afternoon I went for a haircut, the owner doesn’t even get up off his chair any more, he knows I want the girl as she cuts it nice and short. Then before I went to buy my booze I went to the underground market in search of a cooling pad for my laptop. For years Kevin told me my laptop was cooking itself and lately I think it has been. Found one for 40y (about £4.40) and came home. Whilst it seems to work a treat it was not without problems.
You see, they have legs at the back to angle the computer towards you. My machine is quite a large one (being old) at I think 18” and where the little rubber feet on the laptop normally anchor the set to the cooler, mine simply straddle it, meaning the bloody laptop slides off.
Talk about Heath Robinson. The cooling pad is now supported by two empty Fishermans Friends tins and the laptop is sitting horizontally atop that. Nice and cool, granted, but by God my shoulders ache as I type this! If only I could find Blu-Tak here!
Ah well, proper lessons tomorrow.
Has it really been so long?
Well Thursday was a nothing day (Plenty of those days here with no playmates) and of course Friday was my second working day of the week. I actually managed to get to bed well before midnight for once, as indeed I hope to tonight.
I am certain I am not the only one to have woken in darkness the next morning needing another hour or so in bed but bursting for the toilet, getting up and going to the loo and turning the light on to see how much more sleep you can have. I am also not the first to find it will be a scant ten minutes! Sod it, I stayed up.
Satisfyingly, I wasn’t tempted to nod off even on the bus back home and during the day I met my other three classes. The final class was I think 46 pupils so the final tally is not far off 240. Introductions done, tomorrow we start the work and I shall see what I can do with basically twelve score of level 1 English speakers. Could be a rough ride, for me at any rate.
Now when I finished I had what I thought was a 50 minute wait for the school bus home - that was a given. What I didn’t know was that the Dean had a meeting and the bus wasn’t leaving without her so I sat on that bloody bus for nearly an hour before we left 45 minutes late. Oh sorry, she said when she arrived and I don’t care if she is my boss, I was pissed off. I made it plain that had I left when my work finished I would be already home by then and it would have been nice to have known in advance. I will be having words with Janet tomorrow, she can let me know when there are meetings and I will take public transport. Sod that.
In preparation for the rugby I forced myself to stay up late, waking early Saturday afternoon, only to discover that yet again there WAS no rugby this weekend. Great.
This afternoon I went for a haircut, the owner doesn’t even get up off his chair any more, he knows I want the girl as she cuts it nice and short. Then before I went to buy my booze I went to the underground market in search of a cooling pad for my laptop. For years Kevin told me my laptop was cooking itself and lately I think it has been. Found one for 40y (about £4.40) and came home. Whilst it seems to work a treat it was not without problems.
You see, they have legs at the back to angle the computer towards you. My machine is quite a large one (being old) at I think 18” and where the little rubber feet on the laptop normally anchor the set to the cooler, mine simply straddle it, meaning the bloody laptop slides off.
Talk about Heath Robinson. The cooling pad is now supported by two empty Fishermans Friends tins and the laptop is sitting horizontally atop that. Nice and cool, granted, but by God my shoulders ache as I type this! If only I could find Blu-Tak here!
Ah well, proper lessons tomorrow.
Thursday, 2 March 2017
Thursday 2nd March, 2017 0130
Well what can be the most mundane thing to continually blog about? Housework? Cooking? Well I hate the former and yes I do blog about the latter. Supermarket shopping? I like to think that though I mention it I rarely go into that much detail.
I have to say though that on this occasion I am going to offer a little more on supermarket shopping at BHG. Now, in China it is fatal to look as if you are searching for something because the under-employed staff are eagle-eyed and will pounce on you and try to get you to buy beauty products if you are looking for Lux soap or 10kg of rice when you are looking for pasta.
Ditto the wine section. If I drank one bottle of plonk a week then sure, I could afford to splash out on a mid-priced wine but I drink a bottle every night so when I find a really cheap one that I can actually drink then I stick to that. Well a fortnight ago my 14.5y (£1.60 at the Brexit exchange rate) choice dried up and so I found myself looking for the next cheapest which turned out to cost 18y. Annoyed at the extra cost and not knowing whether it was even potable, I bought half a dozen bottles.
It was in fact tastier than the previous purchases and so made me feel better about the increased cost. Last week I went in and headed straight for the pink labels at 18y. You have to do that before the ladies pounce and try to get you to buy more expensive stuff. Or at least that’s what I have thought for the past six and a half years.
One girl collared me and was most insistent I buy a particular wine priced at 33y. In the past she had merely looked on as I bought the 14.5y stuff and taken those stupid “hang round” tags they place over the necks of the bottles. So this was unusual behaviour.
And when I say insistent, I MEAN insistent. Using my body language I indicated that my choice cost sher bah kwai and hers san sher san kwai. She waved her arms and I twigged. Special offer, normally 33y but I could buy two for the price of one. After confirming I would pay 33y for two bottles I agreed. This girl obviously studied me for weeks because I always buy 6 bottles and she produced a half case box! I watched the checkout till like a hawk and sure enough, I had bought more expensive wine cheaper.
Well I went back today and looked for the same wine but of course I can’t tell if the offer is still on - there’s no 2 4 1 sign of course and I stood there looking lost hoping she would appear. And she did after a minute, presumably she had been doing something else. She never even asked, just got a box of wine! And I have to say, it tastes even nicer than the 18y stuff. They must be on a bonus to push such items from time to time but I will certainly listen to her in future. Normally I wave them aside if what I want is available. It makes me wonder if I have missed deals on Femme Fresh and blackhead removal products in the past though!
I did intend to go to bed earlier tonight but sadly I am wading through 9 hours of OJ Simpson and I fell asleep in my chair before the end of episode two so am now wide awake.
Anyway earlier I had a text from Georgina. Haven’t heard from her in two years. She was one of my 3 year students, the classes I hated because they were deadheads. She was one of two students out of the hundreds of 3 year pupils I taught that really stood out, the sort that made the class and if she was absent there really was no class.
It turns out she took further education to elevate her diploma to a BA and then - get this - studied for her Masters in Cardiff! We were chatting about how she had been to Glasgow, Oban and Inverness while she was there. As always, there was a reason for contacting me, she is now in Beijing and has joined a startup company that wants to go into the recruitment business for ESL teachers. They aren’t in business yet but she wanted opinions. I won’t go into it but I see serious flaws in the plan and outlined them, It could be good if they get it right but it is a very competitive market here and they have to offer something different.
But hey, it really gives you a lift to hear from a former student who has done well for themselves, especially when you had them they were in the bottom stream!
Well what can be the most mundane thing to continually blog about? Housework? Cooking? Well I hate the former and yes I do blog about the latter. Supermarket shopping? I like to think that though I mention it I rarely go into that much detail.
I have to say though that on this occasion I am going to offer a little more on supermarket shopping at BHG. Now, in China it is fatal to look as if you are searching for something because the under-employed staff are eagle-eyed and will pounce on you and try to get you to buy beauty products if you are looking for Lux soap or 10kg of rice when you are looking for pasta.
Ditto the wine section. If I drank one bottle of plonk a week then sure, I could afford to splash out on a mid-priced wine but I drink a bottle every night so when I find a really cheap one that I can actually drink then I stick to that. Well a fortnight ago my 14.5y (£1.60 at the Brexit exchange rate) choice dried up and so I found myself looking for the next cheapest which turned out to cost 18y. Annoyed at the extra cost and not knowing whether it was even potable, I bought half a dozen bottles.
It was in fact tastier than the previous purchases and so made me feel better about the increased cost. Last week I went in and headed straight for the pink labels at 18y. You have to do that before the ladies pounce and try to get you to buy more expensive stuff. Or at least that’s what I have thought for the past six and a half years.
One girl collared me and was most insistent I buy a particular wine priced at 33y. In the past she had merely looked on as I bought the 14.5y stuff and taken those stupid “hang round” tags they place over the necks of the bottles. So this was unusual behaviour.
And when I say insistent, I MEAN insistent. Using my body language I indicated that my choice cost sher bah kwai and hers san sher san kwai. She waved her arms and I twigged. Special offer, normally 33y but I could buy two for the price of one. After confirming I would pay 33y for two bottles I agreed. This girl obviously studied me for weeks because I always buy 6 bottles and she produced a half case box! I watched the checkout till like a hawk and sure enough, I had bought more expensive wine cheaper.
Well I went back today and looked for the same wine but of course I can’t tell if the offer is still on - there’s no 2 4 1 sign of course and I stood there looking lost hoping she would appear. And she did after a minute, presumably she had been doing something else. She never even asked, just got a box of wine! And I have to say, it tastes even nicer than the 18y stuff. They must be on a bonus to push such items from time to time but I will certainly listen to her in future. Normally I wave them aside if what I want is available. It makes me wonder if I have missed deals on Femme Fresh and blackhead removal products in the past though!
I did intend to go to bed earlier tonight but sadly I am wading through 9 hours of OJ Simpson and I fell asleep in my chair before the end of episode two so am now wide awake.
Anyway earlier I had a text from Georgina. Haven’t heard from her in two years. She was one of my 3 year students, the classes I hated because they were deadheads. She was one of two students out of the hundreds of 3 year pupils I taught that really stood out, the sort that made the class and if she was absent there really was no class.
It turns out she took further education to elevate her diploma to a BA and then - get this - studied for her Masters in Cardiff! We were chatting about how she had been to Glasgow, Oban and Inverness while she was there. As always, there was a reason for contacting me, she is now in Beijing and has joined a startup company that wants to go into the recruitment business for ESL teachers. They aren’t in business yet but she wanted opinions. I won’t go into it but I see serious flaws in the plan and outlined them, It could be good if they get it right but it is a very competitive market here and they have to offer something different.
But hey, it really gives you a lift to hear from a former student who has done well for themselves, especially when you had them they were in the bottom stream!