Time goes so quickly..............

It seems like only yesterday that we welcomed Mandy and Rita to Brisbane - and last night it was all over as they departed via Singapore Airlines to return to their families.  Changed people no doubt.  I think  any travel changes one, but for these two young ladies to experience life in the freedom of Australia after the cloistered life in China will change them in many ways.

Apart from improving their English, and learning much about another culture, I suspect that they will question many things about life in China now.  They did find out about Tiananmen Square and the events of 1989 - not from me - but someone thought they would know, and then on finding out that they did not, chose to tell them.  

One of them saw the movie "Mao's Last Dancer" and this made her ask a lot of questions.  Why did Li Cuxun not return to China?  He should have!!!  One of the girls bought the book in a second hand book store, so I suspect they will both have the opportunity to read it and read ALL the story - not just the abridged version of the movie.

One of them learned some cooking skills, and we learned that there is little interest in cooking, and that they don't know much about "Cook Books" though I know I saw them in the shops in China.  Many people do not have much in the way of kitchen space - nor do they cook much at home.  One of the girls said that her parents have a cook that comes into their workplace and cooks for her family, in conditions that even she felt were unsavoury!!!  She'd like to cook at home.  One issue is that they do not have the tools that we do - and I sent one of the girls home with a set of measuring spoons and measuring cups.  I will send some recipes, and I know I will have to make sure that the recipes are simple - and the ingredients can be measured in measuring cups.  Kitchen scales are available - but not in many homes.

It has been an extra ordinary learning curve for us all.  Wonderful experience - but now I am not as time poor for my own endeavours as I have been in the past few weeks, so I can explore the study that I have committed to at Swinburne University.

My course materials arrived this week - I was expecting a large parcel - but a small packet arrived with 6 CD's which contained the welcome lecture, and course information on the subjects that I am studying.  I though I only enrolled for 2 subjects, but I find I have 3 - will have to decide in a day or two if I am going to take on the whole 3 - or bail out of one.

I am fascinated at how well it is organised using the new technologies which were not in use when I was last at university.  How amazing it all is!!!

I am glad I did not commit to returning to Shaoxing this semester, and that I can focus on the study.  I am really looking forward to it.

The Old and the New

Shaoxing is a modern city. In the city square is an old temple. Beside the temple and below is a huge supermarket. In the square is a huge water feature built around the map of Shaoxing showing its canals.

As well in a glassed in building is a full scale model of the city of Shaoxing. Extra ordinary.

Beside the city square is the Shaoxing Opera House. Modelled on the Sydney Opera House.

There are wonderful gardens in the city square - lots of "garden rooms" so people can sit quietly and reflect whiles just meters away the crazy traffic of this Chinese city fights its way along the main road. Such contrasts. Old and New. Peace and Turmoil.

The College

This is the view from my apartment window - the college buildings are on both sides of the canal. It is such a grand scale that it is overwhelming.

The college has some 7000 students - mainly girls - who are keen to study and get good jobs. It is a private college, so they have to have supportive parents or family to pay their fees.

The College is on 106 acres of land with impressive buildings with marble staircases, and Grecian columns everywhere.

According to the information given to us there are nearly 400 teachers, most of whom are full time at the college.

It is the biggest college specialising in cultivating foreign language talents in Zhejian Province.

There are four canteens where we get meals. We have a plastic card with our credit on it, and we choose a meal at any of the counters of the canteen. Within seconds you are presented with a freshly cooked meal - you can see it being cooked from the counter. It is put on the plate and handed to you as you hand over your plastic card for processing. We take a pair of chopsticks or a spoon to eat and sit down at the many fixed tables and chairs. It is all so quick. And the students/teachers are in and out in no time.

The meals are good - we have found one place where the description of the meal is in English and we can point to the number on the menu - and we only choose things that seem OK to us. Pigs intestines and vegetables, or similar meals are not on our list of preferences!

There are many street vendors, especially around the West Gate and beyond where you walk through the winding lane ways of stalls all seeming to do brisk business as you dodge cars, bicycles, motor scooters and students and other strange vehicles. One can buy almost anything in the stalls.

The fruit and vegetable stalls look OK - I will buy carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and some green vegetables there - but I have nothing to cook on. I'm looking for a cheap wok somewhere. But no hurry.

I have quite a list of things I need to get - so bit by bit I will set myself up in the apartment to make it comfortable for the next four months or so.

One thing I find amusing is that it is so cold children are rugged up so well, that they could not possibly bend their elbows with the layers of clothes they have, and women carry the little ones around and they look like dolls with arms and legs extended and unable to bend.

We have found the cold hard to deal with but it will warm up soon. Spring starts next week.

Arriving in China

We left Brisbane at 11.45 pm and arrived in Singapore around 5.15 am (Singapore time) knowing we had some 2 hours to wait. I was last in Changi/Singapore Airport in 1991, and how it has changed.


It is much, much bigger, hugely friendly with displays of wonderful Singapore orchids. Altogether friendly and welcoming. I was travelling with two gentlemen - friendly Aussie blokes whom I met at Australian City College - and we were soon lined up at the Sports Bar for our first drink. I had a lovely red wine and the guys had a few beers.

We were very tired - sleeping sitting up in economy class is not a good sleep, but we were OK. One of the guys had been to Yuexiu before, and I was the only one of the trio that had never been to China.

There is now an airtrain that takes folk between the different parts of the airport. M1 managed to get on the train before the doors closed and M2 and I were stranded, until the train returned. We boarded and found that we had taken a different route. Back to the origional departure spot, and then on to the right destination and we were reunited again. Lots of laughs!

It wasn't long before we boarded the next Singapore Airlines flight - the 5 hours to Shanghai.

As it turned out we landed early in Shanghai and jour meeting and greeting party had not arrived. We had been given instructions to wait for two young ladies who would have "a plate with characters on it and our names." Eventually M1 found them - with the sign with thename of the college in English and Chinese and with "Dianne Michael" on it. The two blokes are both called Michael - which is why I will call them M1 and M2. Easy for me.

The girls had travelled three hours by bus and went off for something to eat, leaving us with our luggage to watch the world (in Shangai) go past.

The Shanghai airport was more than adequate - but compared to Singapore - well, there is no comparison. Shanghai was stark and functional, without the glamour and welcoming of Singapore. No doubt Shanghai Airport will upgrade one day to cater for the increasing number of Westerners to the country.

Eventually we found our bus driver and bus and were on the road to Shaoxing. Will I ever forget that bus ride? Never in a zillion years.

One week to go..............

Things have been moving very quickly. I do have more information about the place I am going to, including the College. I still don't have my Visa, nor my tickets, and I won't collect them until the day before I go.

Yesterday in amongst all the things I have to do I sprained my ankle too. I didn't think it too bad when I first did it but over the next few hours it got worse, so I ended up at the doctor. I'd iced it, and taken analgaesics, but it was very difficult to walk. The doctor strapped it and gave me a note to get it xrayed today if necessary, but luckily it seems to be improving already - just 24 hours later than when I did it.

I had made contact with someone who had recently returned from the college at Shaoxing, and she gave me some of the information I had been seeking, which was good. And yesterday I went to the Australian college for a session on "Cultural Awareness" which was interesting, and I met the two guys I will be travelling with. One of them had returned last year from working at the college, and the other is new to teaching English, just like me.

I can't imagine what the school will be like really - oh, I've seen photos, but it is hard to contemplate the logistics of a school of 9,000 students who board at the school. It has 4 canteens - so we can choose which ones we go to to eat at.

The toilet (bathroom facilities) sound like they will be an interesting experience - even in the teacher's quarters. I'm not looking forward to that!

The students are around the 18 t0 22 years of age mark, and their English is pretty good, although they only use it in the class. As well they learn other languages so it must be hard for them.

From a teaching prospective the facilities are poor. Blackboard and chalk. For one that is used to using videos, computer, data projector it will be a challenge. As well there are no printing or photocopying facilities, so one has to be creative. Especially with so many adult students in a class.

And I won't know until I get there, what I will be teaching! Of course the most important part is the teaching English, but I believe I will also be teaching History, and Meeting Procedure subjects. Mmmm.