Drop toilets, horrid pollution, gazillion people everywhere, language barrier...
I got a teaching job in China through a recruitment agency and at this stage I'm very happy I used a middle-man as I have no clue how I would survive myself in China without local guides! I like to think of my self as an experienced traveler, or a Citizen of the World as one of my good friends so eloquently puts it, but being here in China is definitely something new, strange and even potentially difficult! To me it feels like 99% of people don't really speak English in Beijing, so it has me somewhat worried about the coming year: I'm going to be working in a "small city" of 10 million people, where definitely even less people speak English compared to Beijing! Yikes! I realise my decision to learn Chinese has been a good one - although as I land in China I can only say "hello" in Mandarin Chinese... Luckily enough Chinese people are super friendly and at this stage me knowing even this greeting, it brings a smile to their faces!
After the initial "wow, I'm here" moment passes and the day is turning too long due to my serious sleep deprivation, I begin to feel the culture shock: I start seeing the pollution, herds of people, dirt, unhygienic conditions and my worst fear, the drop toilet. The loud traffic is banging in my ears and I'm somewhat sad that I can't communicate with anyone other than my guides all day. Although there is a language barrier, most Chinese people are very welcoming and lovely.
As we take an evening flight to my "little city" I'm exhausted after the big day but arriving to my new home city in the province of Henan is a lovely experience: my contact person from the school, Cathy, is there waiting with the head teacher from the school along with my driver. They show me to my new home, a very spacious studio apartment in the heart of the city. I'm very tired but happy as I crawl to my comfy, big, soft bed that night :)
The next few days I'm getting used to my new city and the Chinese way of life. I'm dumbstruck how a lot of things seem strangely difficult due to the fact that I'm a white foreigner, for instance: there is only one bank in the entire city which accepts to open a new bank account for me. Most of the people in my city have NEVER seen a white person, so I get stared at, wherever I go. I take a taxi and as I get in the driver and the lady customer start laughing their heads off: so I ask my guide what they're laughing about, and she replies to me "they've never seen a Westerner before, they think you're ridiculously white!". During another taxi ride a lady yanks my hair and my guide is very apologetic when she explains to me that "she just wanted to know if it's your real hair, as she doesn't believe anyone could be that blond naturally". It's all good fun for me and I laugh at all of them! As I'm a novelty item for the locals, they are a novelty to me.
As I thirsted for more action I decided to go shopping by myself for a few necessities. The ladies at the supermarket were an absolute delight! They talked to me in Chinese and I to them in English, and as we realised we weren't getting anywhere, I started miming my way through my shopping list! Such laughs I inspired! And I'm pleased to say I got everything on my list and made my way home feeling like the ultimate survivor :D Needless to say the ladies in the shop still remember me.
I feel like my first week in China wouldn't have been as special if there hadn't been the children. I'm working in a kindergarten & a language center for kids, so my first week was spent meeting all the kids (plus fellow teachers) and getting to know them - and vice versa. The first day I spent at the kindergarten was something I will always remember: the look on the childrens' faces, at first very shy but so very curious about the strange looking white girl! Whereas in the beginning the children were too timid to even say "hello" as the morning passed and I walked to the playground I was the star attraction! It's hard to describe the feeling and atmosphere that day...all these cute little Chinese kids running around at my feet, holding my hand, touching my hair in awe, staring at my face, bombing me with billions of questions! It was some of the best fun I've had in a long time - I do believe there were happy tears that day :)
Getting to know the children has been fantastic: they are mostly very well behaved and absolutely adorable! They seem very attached to me already and I get daily hugs, kisses and affection from them, which really makes my day - every single day :)
Not only the children have made me feel welcome: I can't praise enough the people I've met so far! Though only a couple of people speak English, I have been so warmly welcomed and made feel like this is a home away from home. I am by nature a very happy, positive and an easygoing person, and the locals here have thrown praise at me due to it. It's wonderful walking to your work place and have all these lovely, smiling people hug you and look after you! Let's hope they won't get bored with me during this year ;)
Ah, and I can't finish the tale of my first week without mentioning the food! Because it is fantastic! The Chinese kitchen has a lot of variety and though I've eaten so much delicious food in here already, there is still so much to explore... They have soups, fried dishes, steamed dishes, the Chinese bread (filled or plain), buns, pancakes (salty or sweet), nuts, berries, and what-nots... So far the only thing that has put me off food-wise has been a chicken leg in a soup bowl. Claws and all. Other than that, the food has been superiorly yummy :P
That's it for now. My next post will include stories of my trip to local hot springs!
Zaijian! (bye!)
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