After my first night alone in Baoding with only my frayed wits, things got better quickly. The next morning (thursday) Jesse and I met our waiban at 9am and had a school driver take us into the city. Li (our waiban) told us we were in an area where the foreigners lived, a more affluent area with big hotels. We didn't see any foreigners. We went to the Bank of China and opened up new accounts for depositing our salaries. It didn't take as long as I expected, and with Li's help, all I really had to do was sign on the dotted lines and let them photocopy my passport.
Before long we were shopping for a shouji (cell phone). The cheapest available was a pretty basic no frills LG phone for ¥268 ($42). Then ¥50 for the sim card and minutes. Next was cleaning essentials, bath towels, and some other miscellaneous goodies. We found ourselves in a huge store similar to a carrefourre or a walmart. Prices reflected that, but we knew it was probably the only place we would be able to find some of the stuff we needed. We spent about 300 cny each, and then stopped to grab some delicious beef noodles on the way out. Then it was taxi time back to our new homes.
Jesse was a busy bee that afternoon while i slacked off, which is why his floors are now mopped, his clothing hanging nicely in the wardrobe, and his bathroom door is pleasantly free of bird shit (yeah, that was actually an issue he faced). Tonight I will finish all that.
We had been acting under the assumption we were going to do all the medical crap fri (today), but it turns out the trains were booked. Instead we were told we would be having class. Despite the fact that we have received neither books nor curriculum, and didn't even get a class schedule until this morning.
Then there was today.
Yeah, teaching. ha. haha. I don't want to dwell on how bad a teacher I am, so I won't. And fingers crossed I will improve soon.
I had five classes varying from 1st to 4th grade, and only the 4th graders knew any English at all (and it wasn't much). They were all very enthusiastic about saying hello though. I felt like a celebrity in the hall, and I'm quite sure every student has said hello to me about 15 times. I may have mentioned that Jesse and I are the only foreigners at this school (it's a boarding school), and one of very few in Baoding. The kids are very sweet. I haven't had kindergarten yet because the schedule hasn't been made, but it should be interesting when I do.
The name of the school is Baoding Eastern Bilingual School (if you're interested in hunting it down on the map, you'll have to copy paste: 中国河北省保定东二环166 号). Here is a map showing Baoding in relation to the rest of the country a little.Before long we were shopping for a shouji (cell phone). The cheapest available was a pretty basic no frills LG phone for ¥268 ($42). Then ¥50 for the sim card and minutes. Next was cleaning essentials, bath towels, and some other miscellaneous goodies. We found ourselves in a huge store similar to a carrefourre or a walmart. Prices reflected that, but we knew it was probably the only place we would be able to find some of the stuff we needed. We spent about 300 cny each, and then stopped to grab some delicious beef noodles on the way out. Then it was taxi time back to our new homes.
Jesse was a busy bee that afternoon while i slacked off, which is why his floors are now mopped, his clothing hanging nicely in the wardrobe, and his bathroom door is pleasantly free of bird shit (yeah, that was actually an issue he faced). Tonight I will finish all that.
We had been acting under the assumption we were going to do all the medical crap fri (today), but it turns out the trains were booked. Instead we were told we would be having class. Despite the fact that we have received neither books nor curriculum, and didn't even get a class schedule until this morning.
Then there was today.
Yeah, teaching. ha. haha. I don't want to dwell on how bad a teacher I am, so I won't. And fingers crossed I will improve soon.
I had five classes varying from 1st to 4th grade, and only the 4th graders knew any English at all (and it wasn't much). They were all very enthusiastic about saying hello though. I felt like a celebrity in the hall, and I'm quite sure every student has said hello to me about 15 times. I may have mentioned that Jesse and I are the only foreigners at this school (it's a boarding school), and one of very few in Baoding. The kids are very sweet. I haven't had kindergarten yet because the schedule hasn't been made, but it should be interesting when I do.
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It's been only a short time, and I'm by no means settled in but I am getting there. I feel more comfortable with my surrounding, with the people I'm working with, and hopefully soon also with the students. Things have been hectic, but I've started to have downtime, and I've had a chance to retreat to my own space (what a luxury!) and process everything that's happened, and that will happen. I know I'm going to have curve balls thrown at me from now until the day I leave, but I know I can deal with it, and I know there are people here to help me.
Anyway, to my family and friends back home, I miss you all, and wish you were here to experience this with me.
Hey! this is Amanda, the teacher you replaced! I read your blog and a flood of memories and "oh my god, that sounds so familiar" is all that crossed my mind. my email is amandasoderlind@gmail.com if you have questions. Ms. Li is AMAZING and I loved her to death once she warms to you. Also Sylvia, Lisa and Susan (teachers) were incredible. Please tell all the teachers in the office I say hello as well as Ms. Li!!!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely recommend you institute corporal punishment immediately. The government approves. I'm thinking of doing so in my class of 40 sophomore females.
ReplyDeletehahah to each his own.
ReplyDeletei actually got a couple packets with rules, and no corporal punishment is one. which amused me because the chinese teachers don't seem to balk from it. other rules included "take safety to not catch fire or be stolen" as well as no swimming, riding horses, and "making sure car is good before getting in car"