Howdy, folks! Long time, no blag, eh?
Well, allow me to rectify that situation for you! Today's entry details the goings-on of the past 48 hours or so, and will include talk of some things that are...unpleasant. But some awesome stuff, too! Don't worry about that!
So, we'll start at the very beginning - a very good place to start, as the song goes - and it's with good news!
I've been losing weight quite a bit since I got here; the diet certainly helps, in that it's mostly rice, veggies, and a bit of meat. Plus, the lack of processed foods (at least when compared to my frozen-pizza-for-every-meal days in Iceland) no doubt helps. I've also been doing sit-ups and other bodyweight exercises in order to convert my formerly flabby form into something approaching the deific perfection I deserve to have. I've managed to require two extra holes be punched into my belt since I got here, which gives me no end of happiness. Should this keep up, I'll be where I want to be, weight-wise, by the end of the school year!
I recieved a package my folks sent me, which included a melting spoon for my sealing wax, two tins of Earl Grey tea, cheese, and a whole host of treacherous cured meat. Yes, treacherous. Their betrayal shall be detailed later, though! Suffice it to say, Friday afternoon was full of proscuitto, cheese, crackers, and tea. It was a good day.
Saturday morning, Jemma and I headed to Zunyi to hit the Walmart there, and grab some dinner. We were to meet at the train station for 11am, but I was delayed slightly by the need to engage in some Big Damn Heroing. Occupational Health and Safety doesn't really exist in China, and when something goes wrong, it can go wrong in a hurry. There was a pretty bad accident early Saturday morning (4am-ish) and it wrecked a dumptruck. Saturday morning, there were a bunch of guys salvaging fluid from the wreck, and that included draining the hydraulics for the bed, which was raised slightly. Well, I'm sure you can see where this is going.
One guy got his arm caught under the bed of the dumptruck as the fluid drained and it settled down, started screaming, and three of his buddies and I started lifting the thing off of him. We managed, eventually, but hoo boy, was it an unpleasant sight - I'll spare you details.
Once we got to Zunyi, after a fairly uneventful train ride, we wandered around town, and eventually wound up at the Dairy Fairy, a Chinese...'homage' to Dairy Queen. It wasn't terrible, all told, though their idea of a chili cheese dog leaves something to be desired. Jemma grabbed an 'Ice Storm' (guess what that's an analogue of?) and said it was OK, if super sweet. Afterwards, we hit Walmart, where - in addition to buying four loaves of various breads - I picked up some butter and some shortbread biscuits. Those last ones, the biscuits? They cost me 35RMB. They were the most expensive thing we bought there, but they're gonna be worth it, if I can bring myself to eat them.* 35RMB! For cookies!
After Walmart, we went to the fanciest, swankiest Pizza Hut I have ever seen. When we got our meal - which was a shared bowl of salad with Thousand Island dressing, and a pizza that was half veggies (for Jemma) and half bacon-wrapped sausage (like there was ever a doubt) - I felt compelled to eat the pizza with a fork and knife. That is how fancy this place is. They even serve Escargot for appetizers!
After supper, we went back to Tongzi, and I got in around 2am.
This morning, I went to make myself some breakfast - the rest of the Proscuitto of Betrayal, some cheese, and some bread - when I had a bit of a mishap. And by bit of a mishap, I mean I cut the tip of my finger off after my knife slipped on the proscuitto.
A quick visit to the (lavishly appointed!) hospital about 50m from my front door resulted in me getting injected with absurdly powerful local anaesthesia, having the wound cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and iodine, and then getting a gauze pack on. Also picked up some iodine, tape, and gauze to replace the dressing as needed.
I will tell you this: Going to the hospital and buying medical supplies here is absurdly cheap; I paid 113RMB all together (around $20CAD), which is nice.
Well, anyway, I'm still alive, and I'm gonna upload some photos - of Zunyi, not anything disgusting - for your pleasure. After that, I'm going to lie down and watch some Star Trek, or maybe some Patlabor. Haven't decided yet.
*Just tried them. Totally worth it.
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20 October 2013
11 October 2013
Frustrations! So many frustrations.
So, week seven of being in Tongzi, and the frustration is beginning to seep in.
Some of the kids are great; they're cued in and switched on and grok why they need conversational English. Some are just doing it because it's their class, but the vast majority - let's say 2600 of my 2700 students - just do not give a shit. At all. And I'm trying - trying damned hard - to get them engaged in class. I'm asking them questions, picking students at random to answer, reminding them that, even though they don't want to be here, they are, in fact, here, and it's my job to teach them.
It's just so damned disheartening when they lie to me, though. I get why they lie and say they understand when they don't; if they admit they don't get something, they lose face among their peers and that's essentially social death for them, but at the same time, I can't help them if they don't tell me that they need help. So in every class, I walk up to the kids not writing things down when I ask them to write the answer to a question, and I ask them if they understand. If they say they don't, I explain it again, and they say "OK, OK." I tell them that I will make them stand up and they had better be able to give me the answer, and I get "OK, OK," again. And sure enough, when I call on them, they look at me like I've just asked them to decode the Voynich Manuscript.
"C'mon," I say, "What's the answer to the question?"
And they look at me, terror in their eyes, and shake their head.
"You said you understood; what is the answer?" I ask.
"I don't English," they invariably manage to stammer.
"Then next time, don't lie to me," I respond.
I tell them, every damned day, that I am there to answer questions, that I have taken a half-dozen languages in school and know how difficult it is to learn them, and that I will help however I can, and nothing. Not a damned thing.
It is incredibly frustrating, and what makes it worse is that these kids know that I can't do a damned thing about it. They don't get graded on CE, nor do they have any exams in it, so there's no incentive to do anything but take up a seat.
Gah.
Some of the kids are great; they're cued in and switched on and grok why they need conversational English. Some are just doing it because it's their class, but the vast majority - let's say 2600 of my 2700 students - just do not give a shit. At all. And I'm trying - trying damned hard - to get them engaged in class. I'm asking them questions, picking students at random to answer, reminding them that, even though they don't want to be here, they are, in fact, here, and it's my job to teach them.
It's just so damned disheartening when they lie to me, though. I get why they lie and say they understand when they don't; if they admit they don't get something, they lose face among their peers and that's essentially social death for them, but at the same time, I can't help them if they don't tell me that they need help. So in every class, I walk up to the kids not writing things down when I ask them to write the answer to a question, and I ask them if they understand. If they say they don't, I explain it again, and they say "OK, OK." I tell them that I will make them stand up and they had better be able to give me the answer, and I get "OK, OK," again. And sure enough, when I call on them, they look at me like I've just asked them to decode the Voynich Manuscript.
"C'mon," I say, "What's the answer to the question?"
And they look at me, terror in their eyes, and shake their head.
"You said you understood; what is the answer?" I ask.
"I don't English," they invariably manage to stammer.
"Then next time, don't lie to me," I respond.
I tell them, every damned day, that I am there to answer questions, that I have taken a half-dozen languages in school and know how difficult it is to learn them, and that I will help however I can, and nothing. Not a damned thing.
It is incredibly frustrating, and what makes it worse is that these kids know that I can't do a damned thing about it. They don't get graded on CE, nor do they have any exams in it, so there's no incentive to do anything but take up a seat.
Gah.
16 September 2013
What has Jim managed to pour into his cavernous gullet this week?
So, as you can probably guess from the title of this blag update, I'm going to be
talking about the myriad things that I've eaten while here in China.
Being a man of Heroic Proportions, and coming from a family with a long and happy
tradition of gustatory antics, I do enjoy my food - particularly cooking it, but I won't
complain if someone cooks for me, either!
That said, my own adventures in cookery have been sadly limited, due to the fact that I
have a single induction hotplate and a rice cooker with which to work any sort of
culinary magic. I did manage to make some passable Klick (or Spam, if you're not
familiar with the Canadian version) stir-fry the other day. Stir-fries and soups, by
the way, are the order of the day. Occasionally steamed stuff. I have yet to see an
oven in this country, which causes the baker in me no end of pain. Alas!
I'll start with beverages in China, because I like to drink.
Wait, that sounded less than good.
I mean, it's not wrong, but still.
Anyway, drinks.
First and foremost, the water here. People say to not drink it from the tap, and of
course I ignored them. I've yet to experience any negative side effects, thankfully.
They do have a wide variety of bottled waters, though. The only difference I've been
able to notice, however, is between a brand called Bear and the rest. What difference,
I hear you ask, is that? Bear water is Mentholated. Yes, like cigarettes.
It's...interesting, I'll give it that. Leaves your mouth cool and dry, which is odd.
Tea is, unsurprisingly, a big thing here. I'm more of a fan of the "Toasted Bitter
Buckwheat Tea" than of the green teas they have here, truth told. I'm also hankering
for a Picard Special something fierce, though my folks said that they'd ship me a tin of
Earl Grey in October, which will be nice.
Booze here comes in one of two formats, I've found: beer of the PBG/MGD/Molson Ice
varieties; and baijiu, the local engine degreaser, made from rice, sorghum, or other
grains. Hoo boy, let me tell you, that stuff will do a number on you if you're not
ready. Guizhou province is, apparently, famous for the baijiu they make here. It's got
some kick to it, I'll give it that.
There's also all kinds of pop and yoghurt-drinks here, though I've had a devil of a time
finding unflavoured milk. My goal is to get the stuff I need to make French Toast soon.
Speaking of food, that leads us to the next segment of the blag post! You've already
heard about the Century Egg and the dog meat, but there are other things here!
Baozi, or steamed buns, are my favourite bit of Chinese cuisine ever, though my limited
skills at Chinese have prevented me from finding any yet. Soon, though, I shall! In
the mean time, I've contented myself with a myriad of delicious foods, including deep-
fried empenada-esque things; rice balls stuffed with mashed potatoes, pickled bamboo
shoots, fried ground nuts, and spiced spring onions; a local cured pork that tastes for
all the world like my Nonna's pancetta; tofu and fungus (separate from one another -
it's not mouldy!); bok choi; and loads of bean varietals. It's all delicious, healthy
food. When that's added to the 30ish klicks I'm hoofing per week to visit Jemma and
Darren, plus the strong sun toasting my pale skin a healthy brown, I might actually
appear something other than the sickly mass of pallid flesh I was in Iceland!
Meals are generally eaten at the canteen, as it's free, and I quite enjoy eating with
the staff and kids. It's good to get used to the whole communal aspect of the school -
which is kind of like an army base, what with the wake-up calls, curfew calls, lights-
out calls, and the battallion of Infantry currently drilling on the athletics field (no
kidding! I didn't take photos of that, though, because I don't want to push my luck
that far.
Speaking of photos, below the jump are photos of food and drink I've consumed thus far!
talking about the myriad things that I've eaten while here in China.
Being a man of Heroic Proportions, and coming from a family with a long and happy
tradition of gustatory antics, I do enjoy my food - particularly cooking it, but I won't
complain if someone cooks for me, either!
That said, my own adventures in cookery have been sadly limited, due to the fact that I
have a single induction hotplate and a rice cooker with which to work any sort of
culinary magic. I did manage to make some passable Klick (or Spam, if you're not
familiar with the Canadian version) stir-fry the other day. Stir-fries and soups, by
the way, are the order of the day. Occasionally steamed stuff. I have yet to see an
oven in this country, which causes the baker in me no end of pain. Alas!
I'll start with beverages in China, because I like to drink.
Wait, that sounded less than good.
I mean, it's not wrong, but still.
Anyway, drinks.
First and foremost, the water here. People say to not drink it from the tap, and of
course I ignored them. I've yet to experience any negative side effects, thankfully.
They do have a wide variety of bottled waters, though. The only difference I've been
able to notice, however, is between a brand called Bear and the rest. What difference,
I hear you ask, is that? Bear water is Mentholated. Yes, like cigarettes.
It's...interesting, I'll give it that. Leaves your mouth cool and dry, which is odd.
Tea is, unsurprisingly, a big thing here. I'm more of a fan of the "Toasted Bitter
Buckwheat Tea" than of the green teas they have here, truth told. I'm also hankering
for a Picard Special something fierce, though my folks said that they'd ship me a tin of
Earl Grey in October, which will be nice.
Booze here comes in one of two formats, I've found: beer of the PBG/MGD/Molson Ice
varieties; and baijiu, the local engine degreaser, made from rice, sorghum, or other
grains. Hoo boy, let me tell you, that stuff will do a number on you if you're not
ready. Guizhou province is, apparently, famous for the baijiu they make here. It's got
some kick to it, I'll give it that.
There's also all kinds of pop and yoghurt-drinks here, though I've had a devil of a time
finding unflavoured milk. My goal is to get the stuff I need to make French Toast soon.
Speaking of food, that leads us to the next segment of the blag post! You've already
heard about the Century Egg and the dog meat, but there are other things here!
Baozi, or steamed buns, are my favourite bit of Chinese cuisine ever, though my limited
skills at Chinese have prevented me from finding any yet. Soon, though, I shall! In
the mean time, I've contented myself with a myriad of delicious foods, including deep-
fried empenada-esque things; rice balls stuffed with mashed potatoes, pickled bamboo
shoots, fried ground nuts, and spiced spring onions; a local cured pork that tastes for
all the world like my Nonna's pancetta; tofu and fungus (separate from one another -
it's not mouldy!); bok choi; and loads of bean varietals. It's all delicious, healthy
food. When that's added to the 30ish klicks I'm hoofing per week to visit Jemma and
Darren, plus the strong sun toasting my pale skin a healthy brown, I might actually
appear something other than the sickly mass of pallid flesh I was in Iceland!
Meals are generally eaten at the canteen, as it's free, and I quite enjoy eating with
the staff and kids. It's good to get used to the whole communal aspect of the school -
which is kind of like an army base, what with the wake-up calls, curfew calls, lights-
out calls, and the battallion of Infantry currently drilling on the athletics field (no
kidding! I didn't take photos of that, though, because I don't want to push my luck
that far.
Speaking of photos, below the jump are photos of food and drink I've consumed thus far!
06 September 2013
Progress!
There has been progress!
I'm slowly (and boy howdy, do I mean *slowly*) beginning to pick up some Chinese beyond the standard greetings and thanks. I managed to snag a delicious quasi-donut this morning during my hike to the post office, and ordered almost entirely in Chinese; I also managed to get to the Post Office (the real one, not one of the outlets which only sell mobile phones - weird, I know, but then again, China) and post the first wave of letters to people. That, by the way, was a comedy of errors; I figured that I could tell them the name of the country I was sending it to, and they'd be good to go. That worked with Canada, the USA, and Belgium, but sending to the UK? That proved to be a bit of a hitch. Apparently, the name United Kingdom means nothing, so when I say 联合王国, Liánhé Wángguó, they look at me as if I had grown a third head. Eventually, I had to go with 英国, Yīngguó, or England, and they got it pretty well, then. Woe to the non-English in the UK to whom I send mail! You shall forever be conflated with your southern (or eastern) neighbours to the people of Tongzi!
The walk to the post office was, in total, about 11km, which isn't a bad bit of a hike, but I hope you people appreciate the effort I'm going through to keep up my correspondence with you. I'm dangerously close to considering this 'exercise.'
Speaking of long hikes, I managed to make a 15km walk to the place where Jemma and Darren have been set - they're not too much further past the post office - into a 26km cluster-f[redacted because this is, I suppose, a family blag, in that my parents and Nonna will read it] and bugger up not only my foot, but my leg as well. Fortunately, a couple days of light duties at the flat fixed that right up.
Anyway, that's not the progress of which I wished to speak! I got my schedule today, and start teaching on Wednesday!
It's a total of 20 40 minute classes, most of which alternate weeks (so one week I teach one first group of 2nd year seniors, the next I teach the other), which means, really, I have to only make one lesson plan every two weeks, in essence, and I work about 13 hours a week. Not quite the 17 classes a week on all three levels I was told, but frankly it's even better.
Pretty cush gig, if you ask me.
I also demonstrated a serious amount of ingenuity by snapping a picture of the way the days here are laid out. Living directly across from the school is cool and all, but they run the place like an army base; they play reveille at 6am, have a wake-up call at 2:10pm (they have a free period from the time their morning classes end at 12:15 until then), recalls to get back on Campus for kids in each grade level at 8, 9, and 10, respectively, and play taps - yes, that Taps! - at 11:30pm. And then it happens all over again. Every weekday. So, at least I'll be getting into a schedule.
I have also mentioned to numerous people the undeniable charm possessed by my end of scenic Tongzi, with 'scenic,' in this case, is being applied to the town the same way that it could be applied to Hue in '68. Well, there is photographic proof under the jump.
Just a note to my mom (and anyone else who is overly concerned) before looking: Yes, I know it resembles the entry way to a murder-house. I am aware of this fact and you don't need to be overly concerned; there are two doors that shut and lock to keep the less savoury inhabitants out. Also, our flat has a triple-locking door, so the only way in without a key is to rip the door right out of the jamb.
I'm slowly (and boy howdy, do I mean *slowly*) beginning to pick up some Chinese beyond the standard greetings and thanks. I managed to snag a delicious quasi-donut this morning during my hike to the post office, and ordered almost entirely in Chinese; I also managed to get to the Post Office (the real one, not one of the outlets which only sell mobile phones - weird, I know, but then again, China) and post the first wave of letters to people. That, by the way, was a comedy of errors; I figured that I could tell them the name of the country I was sending it to, and they'd be good to go. That worked with Canada, the USA, and Belgium, but sending to the UK? That proved to be a bit of a hitch. Apparently, the name United Kingdom means nothing, so when I say 联合王国, Liánhé Wángguó, they look at me as if I had grown a third head. Eventually, I had to go with 英国, Yīngguó, or England, and they got it pretty well, then. Woe to the non-English in the UK to whom I send mail! You shall forever be conflated with your southern (or eastern) neighbours to the people of Tongzi!
The walk to the post office was, in total, about 11km, which isn't a bad bit of a hike, but I hope you people appreciate the effort I'm going through to keep up my correspondence with you. I'm dangerously close to considering this 'exercise.'
Speaking of long hikes, I managed to make a 15km walk to the place where Jemma and Darren have been set - they're not too much further past the post office - into a 26km cluster-f[redacted because this is, I suppose, a family blag, in that my parents and Nonna will read it] and bugger up not only my foot, but my leg as well. Fortunately, a couple days of light duties at the flat fixed that right up.
Anyway, that's not the progress of which I wished to speak! I got my schedule today, and start teaching on Wednesday!
It's a total of 20 40 minute classes, most of which alternate weeks (so one week I teach one first group of 2nd year seniors, the next I teach the other), which means, really, I have to only make one lesson plan every two weeks, in essence, and I work about 13 hours a week. Not quite the 17 classes a week on all three levels I was told, but frankly it's even better.
Pretty cush gig, if you ask me.
I also demonstrated a serious amount of ingenuity by snapping a picture of the way the days here are laid out. Living directly across from the school is cool and all, but they run the place like an army base; they play reveille at 6am, have a wake-up call at 2:10pm (they have a free period from the time their morning classes end at 12:15 until then), recalls to get back on Campus for kids in each grade level at 8, 9, and 10, respectively, and play taps - yes, that Taps! - at 11:30pm. And then it happens all over again. Every weekday. So, at least I'll be getting into a schedule.
I have also mentioned to numerous people the undeniable charm possessed by my end of scenic Tongzi, with 'scenic,' in this case, is being applied to the town the same way that it could be applied to Hue in '68. Well, there is photographic proof under the jump.
Just a note to my mom (and anyone else who is overly concerned) before looking: Yes, I know it resembles the entry way to a murder-house. I am aware of this fact and you don't need to be overly concerned; there are two doors that shut and lock to keep the less savoury inhabitants out. Also, our flat has a triple-locking door, so the only way in without a key is to rip the door right out of the jamb.
29 August 2013
A jumbled mess...
I'm here in Tongzi, Guizhou Province, PRC, at Number 2 High School, waiting for...well, you'll see when you read on, O Kindly Audience. So without further ado, here are my notes from the last couple days.
Wednesday, 28 August, mid-afternoon:
Driving to Tongzi, with Mr. Wang and Mr. Chen - my FAO and, if I understand correctly, fixer. The weather at Chonqing was a mere 30 before humidity, and Tongzi is further north, so I should be fine. I hope.
Mr. Wang took us for lunch, and I wish I had the presence of mind to snap photos, 'cause it was gorgeous and delicious. We started with hard-boiled, blue-shelled eggs; fried cured, spiced pork a la pancetta; and a jelly-like rice noodle I couldn't manage to get the knack of, despite my valiant attempts. The main events were two fish dishes - one in a rich, sour tomato broth with sesame seeds and green onions, and the other boiled in oil with peppers and garlic. We also had boiled cabbage and rice. Quite delicious, really!
(Author's Note: Mr. Chen is a fixer, but not a fixer. Rather, he does odd jobs at No. 2 HS)
Wednesday, 28 August, late-evening (originally to be the blag post, and entitled "I'm heeeere (or, Here's Jimmy!)"
So, as the clever ones of you may have surmised via the title of my blog post, I've arrived at my assigned school: High School No. 2, in Tongzi, Guizhou Province. This is a relatively new school, and they're building a lot of new additions to it, which is always a good sign.
I arrived around 5pm and promptly put my foot right into it. I was wearing a T-Shirt and jeans, owing to the fact that I had just made a 10 hour journey from Yangshuo, and Mr. Wang, my FAO, brought me to the President of the School; he greeted me, and asked me to wait in the adjacent room - no problem at all. Mr. Wang and I made small talk, and I commented, off-handedly, that I felt under-dressed for meeting the President. After the President finished his meeting with his Assistants, Mr. Wang spoke to him, bade me enter, and the President greeted me. Then dismissed me. No conversation, nothing.
I intend to find out if he smoked and give him one of my pipes as a sort of peace offering, but I'm not sure that it will work. And Mr. Wang then took me to the school canteen, where he asked if I wanted supper; I was still full from a delicious lunch of fish in tomato broth, and fish boiled in oil, and declined as politely as I could. He seemed...unimpressed by that. After that, we finished our tour of the campus, and Mr. Wang bade me goodbye. There goes another pipe, I think. The Armellini Natural Brown and the Brigham Voyageur, like as not. I like those pipes, but amends must be made and face saved, so they are sacrificed on the altar of having a year that isn't terrible.
After that, I got back to the flat, which is immense, and clearly intended for two (or even three!) but, alas, Josh is not here as he had a family emergency and needed to return to the States, so I'm here alone for at least a week, until the second teacher from the 60th arrives. At that point, I'll help them manoeuvre the second massive dresser from my room into theirs.
Thursday, 29 August, mid-day:
Cooling heels in police depot. When I first arrived, thought the town looked like a war zone - and it does have that Hue, '68 quality in parts, but I realized that the debris and detritus aren't from neglect or poverty, but demolition for new construction. They occupy rooms as soon as they're done, here, which leads to hectic, but interesting, situations.
My flat, for example, got running water at 7am today; Internet, too. With those (the water, mostly, to be honest) in place, the previous night's anxiety (and, honestly, minor panic attack) faded away, and I'm ready for a year here. The President doesn't smoke, so I keep my Armellini. Mr. Wang seems confused and bemused by the whole thing rather than interested, so the Brigham's probably safe, too.
What gets me most about China is that you can smoke everywhere. Which is cool, but weird.
Thursday, 29 August, late-evening (writing this now, so it's the most up to date):
I kind of wish it was hotter and more humid here, and that I had no AC in my room, that way I could get the full Captain Willard experience.
I'm probably being overly cynical, but still; Mr. Wang informed me that I won't be teaching until late next week at the earliest, which is after the second teacher from Buckland (from the 60th Training Group) arrives. It would be an OK vacation, were I not effectively confined to quarters; my visa is still with the police, and they want me on campus all the time to find me should they need me.
The campus, by the way, is gorgeous; six completed buildings, plus two under construction, and it's own security gate. I live just off campus, above a shop, about 10 metres from the main gate. Nice place, really. My schedule is 17 classes per week, all three grade levels, and I've gotten quite the following over the last couple days; lots of kids here are excited to see me, and say hello. Of course, I'm probably the biggest, hairiest thing they've ever seen that's not quadrupedal, but hey, I'll take it. One girl asked me to teach her English class tomorrow, even! Alas, I had to let her down (gently, of course) and told her that I wouldn't be starting for a few days yet.
They seem like good kids, and the chow here's not bad either (and it's free!) which is always a plus. My FAO is all over me, though, like a Predator drone on an Afghan wedding ceremony. That kind of chafes me, not gonna lie. Still, it's probably for the best; my Mandarin is terrible, and I really should be working on it, so Mr. Wang's my interpreter.
We're headed into town on Saturday, to check out the Post Office, bank, etc., which is nice (it also means that tomorrow and tonight will be filled with letter-writing!), so there's that.
Also, I took some photos and videos of the place.
They are, as always, under the jump.
26 August 2013
Schools, Sadness, and Snake Liquor
Hey, all. It's been a hectic and fun-filled* few days here in Yangshuo, enough for me to figure that I owe you lovely people an update!
First things first, I figure I should let those of you who aren't here at Buckland know about the people I'll be referring to - this is no dramatis personæ update, as that'd just be inconvenient for new readers, but it is an important bit of info for those of you who want to know who I'm referring to. So, with that said, let's start with the roomies here in Yangshuo: Stephen and Chris (no, not that Stephen and Chris) are, respectively, and Irishman and a Welshman. They're both headed to Hunan, along with Michelle - one of our Kiwi contingent - and, originally me. Unfortunately, my school in Longhui county is unable to get a Foreign Teacher just yet due to some paperwork issues, and I'm going to Tongzi town in Guizhou province, instead. That's not a bad thing, mind you, as I'll be going with Jemma, Darren, and Josh, but the original was a sweet gig where I'd have been the only FT in the school. Alas! There will be no golden statue erected to my glory at the end of the year, as I will share it with my fellow teachers. Such is life, though!
Next we have a bit of sadness; nothing bad, mind you, but still sad. A couple nights ago, Chara, Bre, and I went to dinner with a local gentleman named Michael, who is from the northern part of the country. He ordered before we arrived, and got a specality of his home town - fried dog. Chara, perhaps wisely, declined, while Bre thought he was saying 'duck,' and didn't realize it was dog until much later. I figured it couldn't be worse than hákarl, and I was right. It wasn't bad at all - a bit rich, kind of gamey, and a little tough, but definitely edible. Then I realized the bones were very small (they eat most of their meat on the bone here), which made me think of Kaylee, which made the meat taste of sadness. And not the good kind of sadness, where the young animal's life is cut short tragically,** but rather man-sadness, and that is a terrible taste.
And now on to the snake liquor. Last night was the last night we were all going to be together - Bre, Chara, Jonathan and Julie left at 9am today, and Sasha, Mckay, and Jenni left at noon - so we decided to go out and get...festive. Which we did. Potentially to a bit of excess, which I will blame entirely on the consumption of snake liquor. Now, that's not liquor made from snakes, but rather liquor that has had a snake drowned in it. It actually wasn't that bad - it tasted, for those of you who have had it, like Jólabrennivín, though a bit...snakier, I suppose. Either way, though, not too terrible. It was a fun night and a good way to unwind without doing anything too crazy. Of course, the night had to end some time and, when Stephen, Ellen, Jemma, and I were asked to leave around...early in the morning, we found ourselvs picking our way down West Street in the pitch blackness of night. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be too much of an issue, but it started raining.
Now, for those of you unaware of just how it rains here, I should explain something: Back in Canada, and even in Iceland, rainstorms tend to come in lashings of raindrops, even at their worst. Very rarely do you get sheets of water pouring from the sky and soaking you to the bone. Well, let me tell you a little something about China: That sort of rain - the sheeting, bone-soaking, leave-you-feeling-like-you've-drowned kind - seems to be the most common. And so when we did finally get home - after stopping for noodles, and me becoming a tourist attraction for a number of Chinese labourers who thought that a gigantic bearded guy was the coolest thing ever - I was completely and utterly soaked. My wallet felt like it had gone through the wash. It was...unpleasant.
Fortunately, the next day - yesterday - things were drying fairly well, so we went to have an English breakfast on West Street and, afterwards, took a boat tour along the Li river. It was very Apocalypse Now, and as such, I took a good number of photos, and they are, as always, available for your viewing pleasured beneath the jump.
*For a given value of fun.
**This is what makes lamb and veal taste so delicious. A true scientific fact.
First things first, I figure I should let those of you who aren't here at Buckland know about the people I'll be referring to - this is no dramatis personæ update, as that'd just be inconvenient for new readers, but it is an important bit of info for those of you who want to know who I'm referring to. So, with that said, let's start with the roomies here in Yangshuo: Stephen and Chris (no, not that Stephen and Chris) are, respectively, and Irishman and a Welshman. They're both headed to Hunan, along with Michelle - one of our Kiwi contingent - and, originally me. Unfortunately, my school in Longhui county is unable to get a Foreign Teacher just yet due to some paperwork issues, and I'm going to Tongzi town in Guizhou province, instead. That's not a bad thing, mind you, as I'll be going with Jemma, Darren, and Josh, but the original was a sweet gig where I'd have been the only FT in the school. Alas! There will be no golden statue erected to my glory at the end of the year, as I will share it with my fellow teachers. Such is life, though!
Next we have a bit of sadness; nothing bad, mind you, but still sad. A couple nights ago, Chara, Bre, and I went to dinner with a local gentleman named Michael, who is from the northern part of the country. He ordered before we arrived, and got a specality of his home town - fried dog. Chara, perhaps wisely, declined, while Bre thought he was saying 'duck,' and didn't realize it was dog until much later. I figured it couldn't be worse than hákarl, and I was right. It wasn't bad at all - a bit rich, kind of gamey, and a little tough, but definitely edible. Then I realized the bones were very small (they eat most of their meat on the bone here), which made me think of Kaylee, which made the meat taste of sadness. And not the good kind of sadness, where the young animal's life is cut short tragically,** but rather man-sadness, and that is a terrible taste.
And now on to the snake liquor. Last night was the last night we were all going to be together - Bre, Chara, Jonathan and Julie left at 9am today, and Sasha, Mckay, and Jenni left at noon - so we decided to go out and get...festive. Which we did. Potentially to a bit of excess, which I will blame entirely on the consumption of snake liquor. Now, that's not liquor made from snakes, but rather liquor that has had a snake drowned in it. It actually wasn't that bad - it tasted, for those of you who have had it, like Jólabrennivín, though a bit...snakier, I suppose. Either way, though, not too terrible. It was a fun night and a good way to unwind without doing anything too crazy. Of course, the night had to end some time and, when Stephen, Ellen, Jemma, and I were asked to leave around...early in the morning, we found ourselvs picking our way down West Street in the pitch blackness of night. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be too much of an issue, but it started raining.
Now, for those of you unaware of just how it rains here, I should explain something: Back in Canada, and even in Iceland, rainstorms tend to come in lashings of raindrops, even at their worst. Very rarely do you get sheets of water pouring from the sky and soaking you to the bone. Well, let me tell you a little something about China: That sort of rain - the sheeting, bone-soaking, leave-you-feeling-like-you've-drowned kind - seems to be the most common. And so when we did finally get home - after stopping for noodles, and me becoming a tourist attraction for a number of Chinese labourers who thought that a gigantic bearded guy was the coolest thing ever - I was completely and utterly soaked. My wallet felt like it had gone through the wash. It was...unpleasant.
Fortunately, the next day - yesterday - things were drying fairly well, so we went to have an English breakfast on West Street and, afterwards, took a boat tour along the Li river. It was very Apocalypse Now, and as such, I took a good number of photos, and they are, as always, available for your viewing pleasured beneath the jump.
*For a given value of fun.
**This is what makes lamb and veal taste so delicious. A true scientific fact.
19 August 2013
Coming to you live from the other side of the world!
Hey, all, I'm back, but not in Iceland!
Nope, this is coming to you from China - Yangshuo, to be specific. I'm here for 12 months teaching English, and just got in on Sunday afternoon, after a 2/ hour trip from Toronto to Hong Kong to Guilin to Yangshuo.
Thus far, I've been floored by the scenery (which should come as no surprise) and just how green everything is. Also, how wet it is. It's not raining now, but it has been, apparently, for the last five days straight. I have an umbrella, but I'm thinking that a poncho/rain-cloak would probably be a safer investment. That should give you an indication of how wet it is here, by the way; I hate umbrellas and rain-gear, normally.
Anyway, not much going on yet - administration and whatnot, really - but I did get some photos snapped with my cellphone (which is likely to be my main camera here), so, without further ado, you can check them out under the read more jump!
Nope, this is coming to you from China - Yangshuo, to be specific. I'm here for 12 months teaching English, and just got in on Sunday afternoon, after a 2/ hour trip from Toronto to Hong Kong to Guilin to Yangshuo.
Thus far, I've been floored by the scenery (which should come as no surprise) and just how green everything is. Also, how wet it is. It's not raining now, but it has been, apparently, for the last five days straight. I have an umbrella, but I'm thinking that a poncho/rain-cloak would probably be a safer investment. That should give you an indication of how wet it is here, by the way; I hate umbrellas and rain-gear, normally.
Anyway, not much going on yet - administration and whatnot, really - but I did get some photos snapped with my cellphone (which is likely to be my main camera here), so, without further ado, you can check them out under the read more jump!
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