28.05.18
Great start to the morning
Watching Lebron James carry the Cavs past the Cees at TD Garden - one of the all time great performances.
Cold noodles are the go
The weather is getting hot, so the noodles you eat have to be cold. The joint below my apartment does nice cold noodles for a very reasonable price. 16RMB for a big stack of cold noodles and a fat pork cutlet - that'll do me for lunch.
How spoilt can you get
So I took my first pre-departure class for this kid going to Australia. Walks in 15 minutes late. With his lunch. Munching down his hamburger with no regard. His name is Cat. He has his headphones in. His eyes don't leave his phone. This goes on for the next 2 hours. I've never taught someone so disengaged and look like they don't want to be there. He'll be going to Ringwood Secondary College for Year 10. He'll be taking classes from Hawthorn-Melbourne English language school when he's over here. He tells me that he heard that Ringwood is a mountain area. He doesn't take off his headphones through the whole lesson. He said that he just went clubbing last night, was smoking and drinking and left the club at 4am, slept at KFC until he had class this morning. This kid is 15. His parents are paying for all these classes to prepare him for the Australian schooling system - this kid couldn't give less of a fuck. Anyway, I knew I couldn't really force him to learn what I wanted to teach so I used this opportunity to learn more about this kid.
He taught me about the tables that you could book in club. There are two choices: 1) 开招待 - requires no expenditure, only requires you to get there early and bring a few people and sit down, they will give you free sports drinks. 2) 开消费卓 - requires you to pay money. I assume the first tables are given out to give the impression that the club is busy. It concerns me that there are 15 year olds getting into these sort of clubs - getting into bars and clubs in Nanjing is very lax, they don't check your ID - I've also never seen bouncers.
So I'm with this kid for another 11 lessons. I don't think he'll change his ways. It'll be a good way for me to earn some easy money regardless, and maybe get Cat to teach me a thing or two about Nanjing
More classes
So I got called on last minute to take a few classes at night. Intermediate and Advanced. My first class was on the Internet. It was a very enjoyable class because there was good contributions from all my students. The second class was good too, only a pair of girls and we decided to scrap the book and just have a conversation. The girls are actually very close friends - both are not from Nanjing and met each other 3 years ago because they work at the same company, KIA. Now, they're roommates and classmates. One of them told me that she just found a job to go back home and we talked a lot about their futures. I was moved by how much they valued each other as friends here, especially both coming here not knowing anyone and becoming best friends in this new city. Now that one is leaving, they were expressing how sad it was. It was a touching moment.
FIFA night
After a couple of hours of classes, I headed to Arcano where they were having a FIFA competition to have a beer. Met some new people over there and stayed a few hours before calling it a night. Very busy day!
Tuesday, 29 May 2018
Day 47
27.05.18
Life discussions over dumplings
My friend Shirley just landed a job as a law graduate at a government office located in a new industrial zone in Suzhou, so we had lunch at a different alley near mine. When I rode down this alley at night to get late-night snacks, I would always see this dumplings restaurant packed, so we decided to check it out.
My friend told me of her interview process. Get to the centre in the morning, phones are taken. First, it's a written test. After the written test, only the top 5 candidates are selected through to the interview, a kind of panel discussion. She came third in the written but ended up coming first in the final stage. Although she is happy, she wasn't 100% set on Suzhou, despite it having good salary and conditions. She wanted to see if she could get into the department of a big enterprise here (even though the conditions are worse and pay is shit) - the reputation and size of your company is hella important when considering a job - especially your first.
After lunch, we walked a few minutes and what do you know, a new bubble tea place has opened up. Add this place to the 5 already different bubble tea joints within a 100m radius. It was quite busy since there was a promotion going on - buy one and pay half for the second. Most people were only there because of the promotion. The new joints opening up are all very similar too - the tea isn't that great but the overall aesthetic looks nicer and cleaner. What I got was rubbish, I was very tempted to walk 50m to get a 一点点 bubble tea.
A quiet day
I spent this nice and sunny afternoon finishing my drama Women in Beijing. The ending was quite abrupt and I was left a little disappointed. Then I got dinner delivered to me. After dinner, I went to the basketball courts to shoot some hoops.
Life discussions over dumplings
My friend Shirley just landed a job as a law graduate at a government office located in a new industrial zone in Suzhou, so we had lunch at a different alley near mine. When I rode down this alley at night to get late-night snacks, I would always see this dumplings restaurant packed, so we decided to check it out.
My friend told me of her interview process. Get to the centre in the morning, phones are taken. First, it's a written test. After the written test, only the top 5 candidates are selected through to the interview, a kind of panel discussion. She came third in the written but ended up coming first in the final stage. Although she is happy, she wasn't 100% set on Suzhou, despite it having good salary and conditions. She wanted to see if she could get into the department of a big enterprise here (even though the conditions are worse and pay is shit) - the reputation and size of your company is hella important when considering a job - especially your first.
After lunch, we walked a few minutes and what do you know, a new bubble tea place has opened up. Add this place to the 5 already different bubble tea joints within a 100m radius. It was quite busy since there was a promotion going on - buy one and pay half for the second. Most people were only there because of the promotion. The new joints opening up are all very similar too - the tea isn't that great but the overall aesthetic looks nicer and cleaner. What I got was rubbish, I was very tempted to walk 50m to get a 一点点 bubble tea.
A quiet day
I spent this nice and sunny afternoon finishing my drama Women in Beijing. The ending was quite abrupt and I was left a little disappointed. Then I got dinner delivered to me. After dinner, I went to the basketball courts to shoot some hoops.
Sunday, 27 May 2018
Day 46
26.05.18
NBA takes priority
Woke up in the morning to watch Lebron put in a historic performance in Game 6 of Cavs vs Celtics - so glad that I watched the whole thing - he was hitting these impossible threes and I was just screaming out of my balcony. During the game, I get a text from my company asking if I could take a class in 30 minutes - I was considering doing it since it would be extra money but I decided that I couldn't miss a second of the game.
First time teaching on campus
Today would be my first classes on campus - 3 classes from 2pm to 5pm without any rest. The way the system works in this company is that students don't get the same teacher every week - this is so that they can get used to different accents and different teaching styles. What this means is my classes next week might not have the same students as this week. Personally, I'm not a fan because it is more difficult to build rapport with your students when they're not with you every week.
Inspired by my own classes
After 3 non-stop classes, I was well and truly drained. I was ready to call it a night, despite knowing that I have to be awake at 2.45am to watch the Champions League final and 9am to watch Game 6 of the Rockets v Warriors. Best way to wake up? Play some sport! At about 9.30pm, I headed to the nearest basketball courts and played some ball. Got home and chilled out, and before I know it, it's 2.30am. It was a shame that the game didn't really live up to my expectations and I was falling asleep after half time.
NBA takes priority
Woke up in the morning to watch Lebron put in a historic performance in Game 6 of Cavs vs Celtics - so glad that I watched the whole thing - he was hitting these impossible threes and I was just screaming out of my balcony. During the game, I get a text from my company asking if I could take a class in 30 minutes - I was considering doing it since it would be extra money but I decided that I couldn't miss a second of the game.
First time teaching on campus
Today would be my first classes on campus - 3 classes from 2pm to 5pm without any rest. The way the system works in this company is that students don't get the same teacher every week - this is so that they can get used to different accents and different teaching styles. What this means is my classes next week might not have the same students as this week. Personally, I'm not a fan because it is more difficult to build rapport with your students when they're not with you every week.
- Anyway, my first class was Upper Intermediate level. 4 students, all female. Most of them in mid 20s and early 30s. Their topic was 21st century entertainment. I decided to scrap what was in the textbook and talk about some more useful stuff.
- My second class was for Beginners. 7 students, 5 females, 2 males. Almost all were high school students and one was like 30. The topic was food and drink. The students were definitely more confident in speaking English than my first class, even though their level was slightly lower (but not as bad as I had imagined).
- My third class was a public lecture. About 20 students in the class. Average age around 35-40. Everyone there wanted to learn English for their work. With the lessons, I can at least follow a textbook if I run out of ideas. With a public lecture like this, you really got to pull stuff out of your ass. My topic was Sports and Fitness. I bought some time by getting everyone to introduce themselves and letting them ask questions about my background - since no one can really come to terms with their English teacher looking Chinese. We talked about different sports, the benefits of sports, role models, etc. It was actually a very successful class because everyone wanted to contribute and it felt more like a discussion than a lecture. My role was more of a facilitator than a teacher, which is what I'm usually aiming for.
Inspired by my own classes
After 3 non-stop classes, I was well and truly drained. I was ready to call it a night, despite knowing that I have to be awake at 2.45am to watch the Champions League final and 9am to watch Game 6 of the Rockets v Warriors. Best way to wake up? Play some sport! At about 9.30pm, I headed to the nearest basketball courts and played some ball. Got home and chilled out, and before I know it, it's 2.30am. It was a shame that the game didn't really live up to my expectations and I was falling asleep after half time.
Day 45
25.05.18
Something on the side...
I was introduced to a guy who runs an English language school in Nanjing, who was looking for an Aussie to run some pre-departure sessions for students who are about to study in Australia. Given that I'm not too busy, I thought it would be a good idea to make a bit of extra cash and to understand more about the lucrative industry of language schools. The owner has done very well for himself - he started off 6 years ago in a small office and now has two office floors as classrooms for students and is in the process of starting up an international school. Currently, I'll just be taking the one student, who is 14 and is about to go to Australia for high school. They want me to teach him about the lifestyle in Australia, which should be very cruisy. I start on Monday.
Note to self: Check weather forecast
The rain never eases in. It just starts going hard within seconds so you don't have time to prepare. When I was on my way home, the rain began to fall like crazy and I didn't bring an umbrella. Got absolutely drenched, from head to toe type of wet. It was a quiet night. Usually I'd be at the bar 5 minutes down the road watching the footy but decided to stay in and order takeaway, whilst watching a TV show called Women in Beijing - fun.
Something on the side...
I was introduced to a guy who runs an English language school in Nanjing, who was looking for an Aussie to run some pre-departure sessions for students who are about to study in Australia. Given that I'm not too busy, I thought it would be a good idea to make a bit of extra cash and to understand more about the lucrative industry of language schools. The owner has done very well for himself - he started off 6 years ago in a small office and now has two office floors as classrooms for students and is in the process of starting up an international school. Currently, I'll just be taking the one student, who is 14 and is about to go to Australia for high school. They want me to teach him about the lifestyle in Australia, which should be very cruisy. I start on Monday.
Note to self: Check weather forecast
The rain never eases in. It just starts going hard within seconds so you don't have time to prepare. When I was on my way home, the rain began to fall like crazy and I didn't bring an umbrella. Got absolutely drenched, from head to toe type of wet. It was a quiet night. Usually I'd be at the bar 5 minutes down the road watching the footy but decided to stay in and order takeaway, whilst watching a TV show called Women in Beijing - fun.
Day 44
24.05.18
Foot Massages
So my friend wanted me to accompany her to get a foot massage/pedicure. Since I had no classes and had never done one before, I thought why the fuck not! It was actually not bad at all to get some treatment on those muscles that you use every day but kind of ignore. There were times where it hurt but after it all, you felt like you could sink into the sofa chair and enjoy a nice sleep... until you get called by your company to take on a class about 45 minutes away from town... in 2 hours... with a group of three 7-year old kids... who are apparently very loud and hard to control...I felt like I was a doctor on call, just always getting these last minute requests to teach - I was also given very late notice for my last class. Anyway, I was in a very YES mood that day so I accepted this challenge... which I later regretted.
FML
As with any travel you have to do outside the school, I had the luxury of having a colleague accompany me to the class for the 7 year olds. I never would have thought I'd cop the "Why is our teacher a Chinese dude?" but it happened. Not just the kids but the parents were WTFing as well. I've never wanted to leave as much as I did during that class. The kids were just so hyperactive and annoying - throwing books and toys at you, screaming their lungs out and just generally misbehaving. In my mind, I was thinking about the contrast between what I had yesterday (a bunch of well-behaved employees) to today (death). Literally, the longest hour of my life. I somehow managed to control the noise and get the kids to listen to me by setting up a points system, whereby whoever answers a question well (whoever behaves and shuts up) will get points - to which the total points will be tallied up and whoever is on the most points at the end of the lesson will get a star next to their name and the satisfaction of winning. You can't spoil these kids, they get spoilt enough by their parents. I don't think I can handle another class but I also think I have a choice - they will want me for next week.
Light at the end of the tunnel
So it was Thursday that night, which meant quiz night at Arcano - something that you can always rely on to relieve some stress. And that's exactly what I did. Couple of beers, some darts (the game and the ciggies) and some banter helped get me through what was a few hours of hell. It was the first time they trialled their burgers at the bar too, so got meself a quality burger too for dinner. Rory took us to some late night Xinjiang lamb skewers, which were very decent and the guy flipping the skewers was the whitest Chinese guy I've ever met - he was an Uighur, a minority in Xinjiang. They can speak like Russian, their Mandarin is terrible, they're Muslim, just a very interesting minority.
Foot Massages
So my friend wanted me to accompany her to get a foot massage/pedicure. Since I had no classes and had never done one before, I thought why the fuck not! It was actually not bad at all to get some treatment on those muscles that you use every day but kind of ignore. There were times where it hurt but after it all, you felt like you could sink into the sofa chair and enjoy a nice sleep... until you get called by your company to take on a class about 45 minutes away from town... in 2 hours... with a group of three 7-year old kids... who are apparently very loud and hard to control...I felt like I was a doctor on call, just always getting these last minute requests to teach - I was also given very late notice for my last class. Anyway, I was in a very YES mood that day so I accepted this challenge... which I later regretted.
FML
As with any travel you have to do outside the school, I had the luxury of having a colleague accompany me to the class for the 7 year olds. I never would have thought I'd cop the "Why is our teacher a Chinese dude?" but it happened. Not just the kids but the parents were WTFing as well. I've never wanted to leave as much as I did during that class. The kids were just so hyperactive and annoying - throwing books and toys at you, screaming their lungs out and just generally misbehaving. In my mind, I was thinking about the contrast between what I had yesterday (a bunch of well-behaved employees) to today (death). Literally, the longest hour of my life. I somehow managed to control the noise and get the kids to listen to me by setting up a points system, whereby whoever answers a question well (whoever behaves and shuts up) will get points - to which the total points will be tallied up and whoever is on the most points at the end of the lesson will get a star next to their name and the satisfaction of winning. You can't spoil these kids, they get spoilt enough by their parents. I don't think I can handle another class but I also think I have a choice - they will want me for next week.
Light at the end of the tunnel
So it was Thursday that night, which meant quiz night at Arcano - something that you can always rely on to relieve some stress. And that's exactly what I did. Couple of beers, some darts (the game and the ciggies) and some banter helped get me through what was a few hours of hell. It was the first time they trialled their burgers at the bar too, so got meself a quality burger too for dinner. Rory took us to some late night Xinjiang lamb skewers, which were very decent and the guy flipping the skewers was the whitest Chinese guy I've ever met - he was an Uighur, a minority in Xinjiang. They can speak like Russian, their Mandarin is terrible, they're Muslim, just a very interesting minority.
Day 43
23.05.18
And it's begun!
So I took my first class today. In front of 14 employees. For 2 hours. At a conference room in a factory about an hour away south of Nanjing in a district called Jiangning. The company was Nanjing High Speed and Accurate Gear Group Ltd Co. So my company organised someone to take me from the subway station to the factory and give me the lowdown on what the class is on. They said: You're the fourth teacher that's taught here. The first one, they didn't like his Indian accent. The second was a substitute teacher for a week, and the third (and most recent) has just taken leave for an extended period of time. You'll be their teacher for at least the next few weeks.
Great. So there's a bit of pressure on me to perform well. We get there and my colleague sends me to the gate and then goes back. I'm walking with the one in charge of the class and having a chat. The first reaction (and this happens every single time I teach a new class): "Why is our English teacher Chinese? He's supposed to be a foreigner."
Great. So not the best impression to begin with. It's 4pm, everyone's walking in and giving me weird looks. I'm also slightly intimidated that everyone is much older than me. So I start off with some introductions and get everyone to introduce themselves. Love breaking the ice. Then I ask the class what they're up to in the Business English course. I've prepared some materials based on what the company told me to prepare. I find out that they've already done the unit. Big stitch up.
Great. I've just prepared 2 hours of material that's already been covered. What do I do now? Do what I do best. Make up some bullshit. So I tell them: "Let's scrap the book. Let's talk about what you do for work and make sure you can be confident in talking about your work in English." Works an absolute treat. Everyone's getting involved. There's some good discussions happening. 2 hours goes by in a flash. Phew! I'm still not used to people calling me
It took ages to find a Didi back since it is literally a factory in the middle of nowhere - there was so much empty space - it was hard to comprehend ever since I started living in the city where there's a mini city within every little suburb.
My friend Andrew has invited me to play soccer with his work colleagues and I've been itching to play ever since I got here. The rooftop soccer pitch is very cool, it kind of reminds me of those ads in Tokyo on top of skyscrapers with the night lights - not as flashy but still a cool vibe. Good to have a kick and get the blood pumping.
And it's begun!
So I took my first class today. In front of 14 employees. For 2 hours. At a conference room in a factory about an hour away south of Nanjing in a district called Jiangning. The company was Nanjing High Speed and Accurate Gear Group Ltd Co. So my company organised someone to take me from the subway station to the factory and give me the lowdown on what the class is on. They said: You're the fourth teacher that's taught here. The first one, they didn't like his Indian accent. The second was a substitute teacher for a week, and the third (and most recent) has just taken leave for an extended period of time. You'll be their teacher for at least the next few weeks.
Great. So there's a bit of pressure on me to perform well. We get there and my colleague sends me to the gate and then goes back. I'm walking with the one in charge of the class and having a chat. The first reaction (and this happens every single time I teach a new class): "Why is our English teacher Chinese? He's supposed to be a foreigner."
Great. So not the best impression to begin with. It's 4pm, everyone's walking in and giving me weird looks. I'm also slightly intimidated that everyone is much older than me. So I start off with some introductions and get everyone to introduce themselves. Love breaking the ice. Then I ask the class what they're up to in the Business English course. I've prepared some materials based on what the company told me to prepare. I find out that they've already done the unit. Big stitch up.
Great. I've just prepared 2 hours of material that's already been covered. What do I do now? Do what I do best. Make up some bullshit. So I tell them: "Let's scrap the book. Let's talk about what you do for work and make sure you can be confident in talking about your work in English." Works an absolute treat. Everyone's getting involved. There's some good discussions happening. 2 hours goes by in a flash. Phew! I'm still not used to people calling me
It took ages to find a Didi back since it is literally a factory in the middle of nowhere - there was so much empty space - it was hard to comprehend ever since I started living in the city where there's a mini city within every little suburb.
My friend Andrew has invited me to play soccer with his work colleagues and I've been itching to play ever since I got here. The rooftop soccer pitch is very cool, it kind of reminds me of those ads in Tokyo on top of skyscrapers with the night lights - not as flashy but still a cool vibe. Good to have a kick and get the blood pumping.
Day 42
22.05.18
WeRun Update: 3411 steps
Truth.
My stay here just got a lot tougher knowing that one of my friends has depression. I was supposed to have dinner with her when I arrived in Nanjing and my friend would always push back on me saying that she was sick and this happened for the last few weeks. Until she told me she had depression - I later found out that she was in the middle of getting a divorce, she's lost all motivation to go to work and hasn't been to the office for months and she's losing custody of her two children. When I invited her to come over to have a chat, it really hurt me to see her in the state that she was. A couple of months ago, all seemed well when my mum and I met her for dinner - but little did I know that something serious was going down. She looked like a ghost and the way she talked - it was all negative, pessimistic, lost all hope in life and she sounded like she wanted to give up on life. She had been admitted to hospital and now is taking medications to control her mood (which I found very scary). Although, I wasn't close with her at all, when someone tells you something like this, you need to help out.
It really puts everything in perspective for me here. Everyone has their own issues, shit, I've got my own issues that I've been dealing with for a while now. You don't really think of the seriousness of it until it affects someone you know. In China, you can't really tell if people have mental health issues because here, people care about their face too much and they never want people to worry for them. It makes a lot of sense, but at the same time, the best way is to speak out.
I spent a whole day looking after and being there for my friend. I'm half her age and absolutely do not understand what it's like to go through these types of events. All I can do is be there for her and be a shoulder for her to lean on - because sometimes it's what people going through these types of issues really need. It's made me realise that sometimes we are really harsh on ourselves and we tend to look at things in a pessimistic light. When I was giving advice to my friend, I realised that I should also give the same advice to myself.
Our struggles make us who we are - if we didn't have hardship in life, our lives wouldn't be interesting - and if we didn't overcome our hardships, we wouldn't feel like we've achieved anything. Try telling that to someone who wants to leave everything behind, run away from her problems and drift away as if there was no life left in her. It hurts me seeing her like this but I truly believe she can get better and I hope I can at least bring some positivity and life back into her, even if it is for a short moment.
Why do we fall down? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
Alfred says this to Bruce Wayne after he thinks he can't save Gotham anymore. Bruce replies with: "You still haven't given up on me." to with Alfred says "Never". During dark times, even the dimmest light can show you the way.
WeRun Update: 3411 steps
Truth.
My stay here just got a lot tougher knowing that one of my friends has depression. I was supposed to have dinner with her when I arrived in Nanjing and my friend would always push back on me saying that she was sick and this happened for the last few weeks. Until she told me she had depression - I later found out that she was in the middle of getting a divorce, she's lost all motivation to go to work and hasn't been to the office for months and she's losing custody of her two children. When I invited her to come over to have a chat, it really hurt me to see her in the state that she was. A couple of months ago, all seemed well when my mum and I met her for dinner - but little did I know that something serious was going down. She looked like a ghost and the way she talked - it was all negative, pessimistic, lost all hope in life and she sounded like she wanted to give up on life. She had been admitted to hospital and now is taking medications to control her mood (which I found very scary). Although, I wasn't close with her at all, when someone tells you something like this, you need to help out.
It really puts everything in perspective for me here. Everyone has their own issues, shit, I've got my own issues that I've been dealing with for a while now. You don't really think of the seriousness of it until it affects someone you know. In China, you can't really tell if people have mental health issues because here, people care about their face too much and they never want people to worry for them. It makes a lot of sense, but at the same time, the best way is to speak out.
I spent a whole day looking after and being there for my friend. I'm half her age and absolutely do not understand what it's like to go through these types of events. All I can do is be there for her and be a shoulder for her to lean on - because sometimes it's what people going through these types of issues really need. It's made me realise that sometimes we are really harsh on ourselves and we tend to look at things in a pessimistic light. When I was giving advice to my friend, I realised that I should also give the same advice to myself.
Our struggles make us who we are - if we didn't have hardship in life, our lives wouldn't be interesting - and if we didn't overcome our hardships, we wouldn't feel like we've achieved anything. Try telling that to someone who wants to leave everything behind, run away from her problems and drift away as if there was no life left in her. It hurts me seeing her like this but I truly believe she can get better and I hope I can at least bring some positivity and life back into her, even if it is for a short moment.
Why do we fall down? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.
Alfred says this to Bruce Wayne after he thinks he can't save Gotham anymore. Bruce replies with: "You still haven't given up on me." to with Alfred says "Never". During dark times, even the dimmest light can show you the way.
Day 41
21.05.2018
WeRun Update: 5264 steps
Lunch with Kenny
Thank god for competition in the ride-sharing industry here in China. I've been using Didi heaps and I've almost used up all my discount codes. Luckily, there's another player in town that's competing - Meituan Taxis. I'm meeting Uncle Kenny in the South Lake district where there's some good noodle joints and roast duck/salted duck shops. We get some duck and I've ordered some pork skin/pork kidney noodles (which was very delicious), then Kenny takes me to some sesame moon cake place which has a queue all day every day - also very tasty.
First class organised for Mr Liu
TESOL certificate has finally come through. They've asked me to run a 2 hr group training session for 16 people in Jiangning district (1 hour away from Nanjing). It'll be every Wednesday for the next three weeks, with the unit being on Telephoning. I've got my first classes at the school on Saturday - one beginner, one upper-intermediate and one public class (where I get to talk about a topic of my own choosing).
Getting me hair done
I struggle with having too much choice so I was having a hard time trying to find a salon to cut my hair, since you can find one on every street in Nanjing. To make the decision easier, I asked my uncle to take me to his salon (because I'm less likely to feel uncomfortable there and I've got my hair done there previously). I must say, it was a good experience. 1) The service wasn't over the top. 2) The hairdresser did not try to promote other services every second. 3) It was very cheap (50RMB) for a decent, no-frills wash, cut and dry. I'll take that any day of the week.
WeRun Update: 5264 steps
Lunch with Kenny
Thank god for competition in the ride-sharing industry here in China. I've been using Didi heaps and I've almost used up all my discount codes. Luckily, there's another player in town that's competing - Meituan Taxis. I'm meeting Uncle Kenny in the South Lake district where there's some good noodle joints and roast duck/salted duck shops. We get some duck and I've ordered some pork skin/pork kidney noodles (which was very delicious), then Kenny takes me to some sesame moon cake place which has a queue all day every day - also very tasty.
First class organised for Mr Liu
TESOL certificate has finally come through. They've asked me to run a 2 hr group training session for 16 people in Jiangning district (1 hour away from Nanjing). It'll be every Wednesday for the next three weeks, with the unit being on Telephoning. I've got my first classes at the school on Saturday - one beginner, one upper-intermediate and one public class (where I get to talk about a topic of my own choosing).
Getting me hair done
I struggle with having too much choice so I was having a hard time trying to find a salon to cut my hair, since you can find one on every street in Nanjing. To make the decision easier, I asked my uncle to take me to his salon (because I'm less likely to feel uncomfortable there and I've got my hair done there previously). I must say, it was a good experience. 1) The service wasn't over the top. 2) The hairdresser did not try to promote other services every second. 3) It was very cheap (50RMB) for a decent, no-frills wash, cut and dry. I'll take that any day of the week.
Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Day 40
20.05.2018 (Weekend in Shanghai)
WeRun Update: 9128 steps
China Footy
This morning, I went back to the ground to watch the AFL competition between the expats of different cities in China. There was the Beijing Bombers, Shanghai Tigers, Yangshuo Beerfish, Guangzhou Lions and two others. Beijing and Shanghai were all expats whilst the other teams were mostly locals. Although I didn't play, I did spend a lot of time having shots at goal and kicking it to other players who weren't on the field. The games were in AFLX format, on a soccer pitch - which I found really weird because I think it messes up the strategy. Anyway, the quality of footy wasn't amazing but I was very impressed with some of the skills of the locals. These are locals who had just picked up the game and still learning how to play but they attacked the ball hard and were very athletic and quick - which the older expats found trouble dealing with. They go to schools and colleges who specifically train them to play footy - and spend the rest of their time training their bodies - which means they're not easy to play against. Shanghai Tigers ended up winning the competition - they had the most talent and took their games very seriously with game plans and training sessions before the competition.
Expat Life
It was interesting to hear the stories and motivations of some of the expats who have been here for an extended period of time. I met this one woman who moved over here with her boyfriend, who had a goal in mind to work in Asia for 5 years. After working in Shanghai for a few years, they recently got a job offer to go to Singapore (from some people they met on holiday). I told her it's crazy how your career can change so quickly and coming from the most unexpected of circumstances. I've got a mate here who found a job in Saudi Arabia after being in Nanjing for 3 years. I have a lot of respect for people who can just move their whole lives to a different country when asked to. I think they would be used to moving around so it is just second nature for them.
WeRun Update: 9128 steps
China Footy
This morning, I went back to the ground to watch the AFL competition between the expats of different cities in China. There was the Beijing Bombers, Shanghai Tigers, Yangshuo Beerfish, Guangzhou Lions and two others. Beijing and Shanghai were all expats whilst the other teams were mostly locals. Although I didn't play, I did spend a lot of time having shots at goal and kicking it to other players who weren't on the field. The games were in AFLX format, on a soccer pitch - which I found really weird because I think it messes up the strategy. Anyway, the quality of footy wasn't amazing but I was very impressed with some of the skills of the locals. These are locals who had just picked up the game and still learning how to play but they attacked the ball hard and were very athletic and quick - which the older expats found trouble dealing with. They go to schools and colleges who specifically train them to play footy - and spend the rest of their time training their bodies - which means they're not easy to play against. Shanghai Tigers ended up winning the competition - they had the most talent and took their games very seriously with game plans and training sessions before the competition.
Expat Life
It was interesting to hear the stories and motivations of some of the expats who have been here for an extended period of time. I met this one woman who moved over here with her boyfriend, who had a goal in mind to work in Asia for 5 years. After working in Shanghai for a few years, they recently got a job offer to go to Singapore (from some people they met on holiday). I told her it's crazy how your career can change so quickly and coming from the most unexpected of circumstances. I've got a mate here who found a job in Saudi Arabia after being in Nanjing for 3 years. I have a lot of respect for people who can just move their whole lives to a different country when asked to. I think they would be used to moving around so it is just second nature for them.
Day 39
22.05.2018 (Weekend in Shanghai for the footy)
WeRun Update: 10324 steps
Today, I'll be heading to Shanghai to watch a match between Port Adelaide and Gold Coast. I actually never thought I'd be going to this, so I'm pretty pumped.
Got picked up by Liam's Didi at 7am for an 8am train to Shanghai, arriving at 940am. There's always lines at the railway ticket office to collect tickets (and we have to collect tickets there because we have passports), so foreigners can choose the shortest line and act like they don't know what's going on. I, on the other hand, could not get away with that because I look Chinese. Anyway, we didn't have to wait long because we went in the shortest line.
It is so hard to find a toilet at a railway station. What pisses me off is how big Shanghai Railway Station is - it's just so massive and inconvenient - and it took me ages to find a place to piss. Anyway, we're taking the subway to Jiangwan Stadium and along the way, I see a whole group of Port Adelaide supporters decked out in their complete gear - and they just look like your average Joe - and looked like they didn't belong in Shanghai. It was weird but almost comforting to see this in China - it gave me a feeling that I was on the train to Richmond about to head to the MCG to watch the footy.
We get to the ground and we meet up with the other volunteers (we will be pouring beers for the VIPs and making sure they are cold - unlike last year where the Chinese thought putting the beers on ice literally meant, putting the case on top of ice - so the beers were served warm). Anyway, there's no much activity outside the stadium, it doesn't look like there's going to be many people - looks like it's about to rain. Some kids are trying to kick the footy outside but it gets shut down by the police immediately - it's not the real footy vibe.
To get in the stadium, we pretend to be staff of the hotel that is catering for the event - they give us shirts to wear to look legit. Once inside, there's a few tents set up around the ground - undercover and with sofas and catering. It looks pretty nice. Heaps of corporates are coming through. I'm stationed at one of the three bars in the main tent and it's right next to the food, so it's busy all the time. They've got aussie champagne and wine, as well as Fat Yaks/VB/Pure Blonde for beers. I have to make sure the beers are poured into cups instead of giving out the stubbies - much to the disappointment of the Aussies. People assume that I can't speak English since I look like the rest of the helpers there so I'm getting a lot of people speaking very slowly and pointing at beers - which is fair enough.
The game was pretty close for 3 quarters, which was better than last years match where people were leaving at half time. I was able to enjoy the game with some beers by standing right next to the boundary line - I don't think I'll ever get as close to the ground as I did today. I was legit 3 metres away from the boundary line - which meant I could get a photo with Paddy Ryder at the end of the game.
After sinking some piss at the ground and having a chat to some people who had been sinking beers all day, I went back into town to check in to my hostel (Le Tour) in Jingan District, 100RMB a night for a bunk bed. Then, a couple of us were a bit peckish so we went to a nice little bar around the corner called Barbarian, which served good beers and very decently priced food (especially in an area like Jingan). Paid 88RMB for a very good umami burger and chips.
Afterwards, we went to Found 158, a nice little open bar area around Jingan to an Aussie bar called Little Creatures to meet up with some other Aussies. It's an underground district with heaps of bars and clubs. Despite the rain, it was still buzzing with people - it's definitely a place I would hit up again. I was with my mate Jenny and she's kind of a celebrity around here - there was a bloke who came up to us at the bar and wanted a photo with Jenny. He was like her No.1 fan - knew all her videos and activities and history - it was actually quite disturbing.
WeRun Update: 10324 steps
Today, I'll be heading to Shanghai to watch a match between Port Adelaide and Gold Coast. I actually never thought I'd be going to this, so I'm pretty pumped.
Got picked up by Liam's Didi at 7am for an 8am train to Shanghai, arriving at 940am. There's always lines at the railway ticket office to collect tickets (and we have to collect tickets there because we have passports), so foreigners can choose the shortest line and act like they don't know what's going on. I, on the other hand, could not get away with that because I look Chinese. Anyway, we didn't have to wait long because we went in the shortest line.
It is so hard to find a toilet at a railway station. What pisses me off is how big Shanghai Railway Station is - it's just so massive and inconvenient - and it took me ages to find a place to piss. Anyway, we're taking the subway to Jiangwan Stadium and along the way, I see a whole group of Port Adelaide supporters decked out in their complete gear - and they just look like your average Joe - and looked like they didn't belong in Shanghai. It was weird but almost comforting to see this in China - it gave me a feeling that I was on the train to Richmond about to head to the MCG to watch the footy.
We get to the ground and we meet up with the other volunteers (we will be pouring beers for the VIPs and making sure they are cold - unlike last year where the Chinese thought putting the beers on ice literally meant, putting the case on top of ice - so the beers were served warm). Anyway, there's no much activity outside the stadium, it doesn't look like there's going to be many people - looks like it's about to rain. Some kids are trying to kick the footy outside but it gets shut down by the police immediately - it's not the real footy vibe.
To get in the stadium, we pretend to be staff of the hotel that is catering for the event - they give us shirts to wear to look legit. Once inside, there's a few tents set up around the ground - undercover and with sofas and catering. It looks pretty nice. Heaps of corporates are coming through. I'm stationed at one of the three bars in the main tent and it's right next to the food, so it's busy all the time. They've got aussie champagne and wine, as well as Fat Yaks/VB/Pure Blonde for beers. I have to make sure the beers are poured into cups instead of giving out the stubbies - much to the disappointment of the Aussies. People assume that I can't speak English since I look like the rest of the helpers there so I'm getting a lot of people speaking very slowly and pointing at beers - which is fair enough.
The game was pretty close for 3 quarters, which was better than last years match where people were leaving at half time. I was able to enjoy the game with some beers by standing right next to the boundary line - I don't think I'll ever get as close to the ground as I did today. I was legit 3 metres away from the boundary line - which meant I could get a photo with Paddy Ryder at the end of the game.
After sinking some piss at the ground and having a chat to some people who had been sinking beers all day, I went back into town to check in to my hostel (Le Tour) in Jingan District, 100RMB a night for a bunk bed. Then, a couple of us were a bit peckish so we went to a nice little bar around the corner called Barbarian, which served good beers and very decently priced food (especially in an area like Jingan). Paid 88RMB for a very good umami burger and chips.
Afterwards, we went to Found 158, a nice little open bar area around Jingan to an Aussie bar called Little Creatures to meet up with some other Aussies. It's an underground district with heaps of bars and clubs. Despite the rain, it was still buzzing with people - it's definitely a place I would hit up again. I was with my mate Jenny and she's kind of a celebrity around here - there was a bloke who came up to us at the bar and wanted a photo with Jenny. He was like her No.1 fan - knew all her videos and activities and history - it was actually quite disturbing.
Day 38
18.05.2018
WeRun Update: 8134 steps
Dr. Liu
Met up with the Doc at Jinmao Hui in Gulou - a very modern looking shopping centre but absolutely empty - China's all about the flashy look but if you look inside there's no one there. Anyway, Doc wants me to help her translate some case report she wrote to English, which includes all these medical terms. She wants to get it published on a medical journal too. Might take me a while - I might even become qualified in medicine after reading this report.
Nanjing weather can go from 0 to 100.
After having dinner with doc, the rain just started bucketing down with no signs of stopping. I check Didi and there's 91 people ahead of me in the queue for a taxi. Absolute madness. So I ended up Mobiking my way through the pouring rain to Arcano to watch the Doggies vs Adelaide game, which was also an absolute shocker of a game. To make things worse, I got delivery Burger King and it took ages to come. When it finally came, the Whopper was dry as fuck and chips had no salt (which apparently is classic in China).
WeRun Update: 8134 steps
Dr. Liu
Met up with the Doc at Jinmao Hui in Gulou - a very modern looking shopping centre but absolutely empty - China's all about the flashy look but if you look inside there's no one there. Anyway, Doc wants me to help her translate some case report she wrote to English, which includes all these medical terms. She wants to get it published on a medical journal too. Might take me a while - I might even become qualified in medicine after reading this report.
Nanjing weather can go from 0 to 100.
After having dinner with doc, the rain just started bucketing down with no signs of stopping. I check Didi and there's 91 people ahead of me in the queue for a taxi. Absolute madness. So I ended up Mobiking my way through the pouring rain to Arcano to watch the Doggies vs Adelaide game, which was also an absolute shocker of a game. To make things worse, I got delivery Burger King and it took ages to come. When it finally came, the Whopper was dry as fuck and chips had no salt (which apparently is classic in China).
Day 37
17.05.18
WeRun Update: 5166 steps
Another rough night sleeping
I woke up to some heavy rain at 3am this morning and again, sweating my ass off in 30 degree heat. Still pondering whether or not to leave the AC on for the whole night.
Morning routine
Breakfast is now eaten at home. Instant oats, some fruit and yoghurt. I'll have the NBA playoffs on. Fit in a quick ab workout during the half time break.
Nannar again
I'll have lunch at around 12pm - I've been hanging around Nanjing University Gulou Campus since there's a few decent joints to eat at. I had some dumplings today. Then, I decided to spend my afternoon at Nannar again. I'm about halfway through Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. I wanted to see what the hype was about. The book raises a lot of valid points, which I like.
Nightly activities
Caught up with my friends from Sanpower and had a Xuzhou local dish called 地锅鸡, which was served in a big pot (very authentic). Then I went to Arcano for the weekly quiz night for a couple of beers.
WeRun Update: 5166 steps
Another rough night sleeping
I woke up to some heavy rain at 3am this morning and again, sweating my ass off in 30 degree heat. Still pondering whether or not to leave the AC on for the whole night.
Morning routine
Breakfast is now eaten at home. Instant oats, some fruit and yoghurt. I'll have the NBA playoffs on. Fit in a quick ab workout during the half time break.
Nannar again
I'll have lunch at around 12pm - I've been hanging around Nanjing University Gulou Campus since there's a few decent joints to eat at. I had some dumplings today. Then, I decided to spend my afternoon at Nannar again. I'm about halfway through Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck. I wanted to see what the hype was about. The book raises a lot of valid points, which I like.
Nightly activities
Caught up with my friends from Sanpower and had a Xuzhou local dish called 地锅鸡, which was served in a big pot (very authentic). Then I went to Arcano for the weekly quiz night for a couple of beers.
Thursday, 17 May 2018
Day 36
16.05.18
WeRun Update: 3960 steps
Great day to sit in a cafe and catch up on writing my blog...
After having a nice tuna sandwich at Skyways for lunch, I've moved to Nannar Cafe outside Nanjing University to escape the 36 degree heat, although Google says it feels like 41 degrees.
Another basketball session...
Feel like the more I practice my jumpshot, the worse it's getting.
I should invest in a decent facemask
The wind will often blow dust and other shit into your face when you're riding a bike or just walking on the street - it's actually practical to have one lol
Hot weather calls for cold noodles
The cold noodles here are a favourite for a hot day. They toss the noodles with some vegetables (bean sprouts, very thinly sliced cucumber, peanuts and some tofu) into a soy sauce dressing. Very refreshing and very cheap - 7RMB.
WeRun Update: 3960 steps
Great day to sit in a cafe and catch up on writing my blog...
After having a nice tuna sandwich at Skyways for lunch, I've moved to Nannar Cafe outside Nanjing University to escape the 36 degree heat, although Google says it feels like 41 degrees.
Another basketball session...
Feel like the more I practice my jumpshot, the worse it's getting.
I should invest in a decent facemask
The wind will often blow dust and other shit into your face when you're riding a bike or just walking on the street - it's actually practical to have one lol
Hot weather calls for cold noodles
The cold noodles here are a favourite for a hot day. They toss the noodles with some vegetables (bean sprouts, very thinly sliced cucumber, peanuts and some tofu) into a soy sauce dressing. Very refreshing and very cheap - 7RMB.
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Day 35
16.05.18
WeRun Update: 5146 steps
It's 35 degrees at 7am in the morning and summer is not coming for another month...
It is very hot and sticky - getting a decent night's sleep is a challenge now. I'll wake up at like 5am sweating my balls off - Nanjing is really giving me a warm welcome ;) I'm still continuing my morning workouts - all about that summer body.
Some halal in Nanjing
Uncle Kenny took me to a restaurant called 李记清真馆 which translates to Liji Halal Restaurant where they serve only beef and lamb. We had some beef fried dumplings, beef noodles, dry-cut beef 干切牛肉 and some beef jerky. Very beefy but definitely rate.
Some good chat happening in Deji
My mum told me to bring over some medicines for a friend in Nanjing, and since my calendar is completely blank, I thought I'd call out the aunty for some afternoon tea. I never realised how big Deji Plaza is until today. There are two "phases" and they're huge and I'm pretty sure every luxury brand has presence in one or both of the phases. Apparently, it ranks really high in China in terms of luxury brand purchases. Anyway, we went to some London tea room located on Level 6 of Deji Phase II. Super expensive though. An iced lemon tea was 42RMB (8AUD). This aunty used to live in Melbourne before she moved back to China 8 years ago. She's by herself in Nanjing. Her daughter who recently got married now lives in Shanghai. Her husband has been working in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. The only reason she's in Nanjing is to take care of the family dog! Her mother is also here but lives in a nursing home because she has dementia. Other than that, she just stays at home, watches TV and doesn't really get up to much else. Every family member is in a different place - that's gotta be hard. Anyway, we chatted for 4 hours until we got hungry and then went to Nanjing 大排档 for dinner (I don't usually like to eat in Deji but if you forced me to, I'd go here). I never thought I'd be spending a whole afternoon catching up and gossiping with an aunty but there's always a time for firsts, and it was such good chat that I'll be calling her out again next time.
WeRun Update: 5146 steps
It's 35 degrees at 7am in the morning and summer is not coming for another month...
It is very hot and sticky - getting a decent night's sleep is a challenge now. I'll wake up at like 5am sweating my balls off - Nanjing is really giving me a warm welcome ;) I'm still continuing my morning workouts - all about that summer body.
Some halal in Nanjing
Uncle Kenny took me to a restaurant called 李记清真馆 which translates to Liji Halal Restaurant where they serve only beef and lamb. We had some beef fried dumplings, beef noodles, dry-cut beef 干切牛肉 and some beef jerky. Very beefy but definitely rate.
Some good chat happening in Deji
My mum told me to bring over some medicines for a friend in Nanjing, and since my calendar is completely blank, I thought I'd call out the aunty for some afternoon tea. I never realised how big Deji Plaza is until today. There are two "phases" and they're huge and I'm pretty sure every luxury brand has presence in one or both of the phases. Apparently, it ranks really high in China in terms of luxury brand purchases. Anyway, we went to some London tea room located on Level 6 of Deji Phase II. Super expensive though. An iced lemon tea was 42RMB (8AUD). This aunty used to live in Melbourne before she moved back to China 8 years ago. She's by herself in Nanjing. Her daughter who recently got married now lives in Shanghai. Her husband has been working in Hong Kong for more than 20 years. The only reason she's in Nanjing is to take care of the family dog! Her mother is also here but lives in a nursing home because she has dementia. Other than that, she just stays at home, watches TV and doesn't really get up to much else. Every family member is in a different place - that's gotta be hard. Anyway, we chatted for 4 hours until we got hungry and then went to Nanjing 大排档 for dinner (I don't usually like to eat in Deji but if you forced me to, I'd go here). I never thought I'd be spending a whole afternoon catching up and gossiping with an aunty but there's always a time for firsts, and it was such good chat that I'll be calling her out again next time.
Day 34
14.05.18
WeRun Update: 7045 steps
The waiting game...
So it turns out that I have to wait another 2 weeks to start work. Only today did they send my TESOL application to Shanghai for processing. It takes about 7-10 working days to come back. When I get that, I'll have to update my work visa arrangements so that I'm a foreign language teacher and not a management consultant. Only then will I be able to start work. In the meantime, I'll just be kicking back...
I might as well...
To kick off another two weeks of waiting, I hit up my friend from NJU who was finally free after a few days of hectic preparations for an interview for a position in the government. We had some Peking duck close to campus - she's in that stage of thinking about what career and job she wants after graduation since there are a lot of options and a lot to think about. I reminded her that plans change and it's not the end of the world if you don't get the job that you want as your first job. I know that I wouldn't be here if things went differently after my own graduation. She wanted to watch The Avengers and experience 4D for herself, and since I had nothing better to, I decided to accompany her. I didn't really have any new thoughts after watching it the second time - just that it's a very long movie and you get worn out easily when you're being thrown around by the effects of the cinema. Dinner was some brown braised chicken and rice (黄焖鸡) which was surprisingly decent and you get free refills of rice.
Back at the courts
Since getting gastro, I hadn't exercised for a long time and not being able to shoot hoops made me a depressed man. Tonight, I was finally physically ready to play. The courts that I usually play at recently got a makeover, with the courts being painted in the LA Lakers courts and some banners of Kobe being put on the fences. Nanjing got hot recently and it was like 30 degrees outside at 10pm. It's actually quite nice with a breeze and without the sun. At that time, it was only me and Liam who I told to come down and shoot some hoops. In order to pay for entry, I have to download an app and pay through there instead of getting them to scan my QR code. It really doesn't mean much for me, but it's a sign that things are getting legit on the business side of things - easier to manage finances if it's all done through an app.
WeRun Update: 7045 steps
The waiting game...
So it turns out that I have to wait another 2 weeks to start work. Only today did they send my TESOL application to Shanghai for processing. It takes about 7-10 working days to come back. When I get that, I'll have to update my work visa arrangements so that I'm a foreign language teacher and not a management consultant. Only then will I be able to start work. In the meantime, I'll just be kicking back...
I might as well...
To kick off another two weeks of waiting, I hit up my friend from NJU who was finally free after a few days of hectic preparations for an interview for a position in the government. We had some Peking duck close to campus - she's in that stage of thinking about what career and job she wants after graduation since there are a lot of options and a lot to think about. I reminded her that plans change and it's not the end of the world if you don't get the job that you want as your first job. I know that I wouldn't be here if things went differently after my own graduation. She wanted to watch The Avengers and experience 4D for herself, and since I had nothing better to, I decided to accompany her. I didn't really have any new thoughts after watching it the second time - just that it's a very long movie and you get worn out easily when you're being thrown around by the effects of the cinema. Dinner was some brown braised chicken and rice (黄焖鸡) which was surprisingly decent and you get free refills of rice.
Back at the courts
Since getting gastro, I hadn't exercised for a long time and not being able to shoot hoops made me a depressed man. Tonight, I was finally physically ready to play. The courts that I usually play at recently got a makeover, with the courts being painted in the LA Lakers courts and some banners of Kobe being put on the fences. Nanjing got hot recently and it was like 30 degrees outside at 10pm. It's actually quite nice with a breeze and without the sun. At that time, it was only me and Liam who I told to come down and shoot some hoops. In order to pay for entry, I have to download an app and pay through there instead of getting them to scan my QR code. It really doesn't mean much for me, but it's a sign that things are getting legit on the business side of things - easier to manage finances if it's all done through an app.
Monday, 14 May 2018
Day 33
13.04.18 (Happy Mothers Day)
Fancy some table tennis?
WeRun Update: 9803 steps
Fancy some table tennis?
A family friend’s daughter is in Grade 1 and her name is
Fancy. Today, I went to visit her and watch her practice table tennis. It’s
crazy how much Chinese parents will spend on their kids education and making
sure they’re ahead of the curve from such an early age. Before I got to their
place (about a 30 minute train ride away), she had been in piano class. Her mum
tells me that she practices once a week with a recent graduate who graduated as
a piano major in Nanjing. She charges 150RMB for 45 minutes and apparently has
around 100 students. She would be making a killing! It’s smart because she’s profiting
from a trend of Chinese parents sending their children to music lessons.
Nowadays, it seems like every child knows how to play the piano. Fancy is also
taking table tennis lessons. We went to Nanjing University Xianlin campus (which
is one of the nicest university campuses I’ve seen) to take her lessons from
this old uncle who looks like he has played table tennis every single day for
the last 30 years. It’s a 1 hr lesson and Fancy doesn’t even rest. She’s bloody
good at it as well. Thinking back to when I was in Grade 1, there is no chance
my hand-eye coordination would be at her level. Then I’m looking over at the other
tables and there’s this boy who is about the same age and he is just on another
level. He’s beating all the OGs and table tennis players – I am sure he will be
national champion some day, he is that good. It just goes to show that Chinese
parents love to push their kids from the start. Fancy studies every day. Today,
in between the piano lesson and the table tennis lesson, she was practicing
something with her granddad. There was a Mothers Day dinner after table tennis but
Fancy had to go study at 8pm for an hour before she goes to bed. It just puts
things into perspective a bit – Chinese students get it quite rough from the
very beginning!
Chinese kids are the
cutest in the world
I genuinely think Chinese children are the cutest – the mannerisms
and the language make them seem a lot cuter than other children around the
world. Fancy and another boy were at a Mothers Day dinner I was at and they
were just innocently playing and having fun. It made me happy watching them
play – they had nothing to worry about and just did whatever they felt like
doing without thinking of the consequences. It was a pure kind of happiness,
something that evades you as you grow older.
Saturday, 12 May 2018
Day 32
12.05.18
WeRun Update: 5055 steps
Get up Blues!
Nothing to get me back in the mood than a win by the Blues over the Dons! Absolutely made my day. I spent my whole afternoon just watching the footy on my balcony with my newly built portable bedside table.
杭帮菜 Zhejiang Cuisine is trending
My friend took me to eat some Zhejiang Cuisine (Hangbang Cuisine) at a place called 外婆家 (grandma's place) in Xinjiekou, a place that has been trending since I came to China in January. There are always crazy lines for it and luckily my friend went early to line up for me. What makes the restaurant and cuisine special is that it really does has a homely taste: it's light (not spicy), it's fresh, it's tender and smooth. I think it's decent but not worth waiting more than 30 minutes for. But it was on the weekend and Xinjiekou is madness on the weekend.
When bored, go on Taobao
I've been very guilty of this. There's always a bargain buy there. I've been receiving packages almost daily from stuff I've bought on there. Today, I got some bedsheets for the incoming summer and a scale to monitor whether or not I've been getting fat. I thought I had lost heaps of weight from gastro but I'm actually the same weight so pretty pleased about that. The only caveat about Taobao orders is that they never deliver to my front door since you have to climb 7 levels of stairs - so I'm always going downstairs to collect instead. Nothing beats the feeling of something you've ordered coming so soon though, so I'm always willing!
WeRun Update: 5055 steps
Get up Blues!
Nothing to get me back in the mood than a win by the Blues over the Dons! Absolutely made my day. I spent my whole afternoon just watching the footy on my balcony with my newly built portable bedside table.
杭帮菜 Zhejiang Cuisine is trending
My friend took me to eat some Zhejiang Cuisine (Hangbang Cuisine) at a place called 外婆家 (grandma's place) in Xinjiekou, a place that has been trending since I came to China in January. There are always crazy lines for it and luckily my friend went early to line up for me. What makes the restaurant and cuisine special is that it really does has a homely taste: it's light (not spicy), it's fresh, it's tender and smooth. I think it's decent but not worth waiting more than 30 minutes for. But it was on the weekend and Xinjiekou is madness on the weekend.
When bored, go on Taobao
I've been very guilty of this. There's always a bargain buy there. I've been receiving packages almost daily from stuff I've bought on there. Today, I got some bedsheets for the incoming summer and a scale to monitor whether or not I've been getting fat. I thought I had lost heaps of weight from gastro but I'm actually the same weight so pretty pleased about that. The only caveat about Taobao orders is that they never deliver to my front door since you have to climb 7 levels of stairs - so I'm always going downstairs to collect instead. Nothing beats the feeling of something you've ordered coming so soon though, so I'm always willing!
Day 31
11.05.18
WeRun Update: 3376 steps
Back to routine
Friday night. Footy's on. I'm at Arcano. Watched a great game between Hawks and Swans. New boy Ronke kicks 7 straight.
Avengers in 4D
I have never seen a movie in 4D and it just so happened that there was a screening at the cinema near my house. What an interesting experience! The next dimension is the effects in the actual cinema. The seats move whenever punches are thrown, air is blown at you when the characters are flying through space, the lights in the cinema flash at you when Thor's using the hammer. It truly gets you physically feeling the movie - which is different - although tiring at times. Sometimes, the action is already so hard to keep up - try being thrown around in your seat during it! New experience though, definitely something else!
WeRun Update: 3376 steps
Back to routine
Friday night. Footy's on. I'm at Arcano. Watched a great game between Hawks and Swans. New boy Ronke kicks 7 straight.
Avengers in 4D
I have never seen a movie in 4D and it just so happened that there was a screening at the cinema near my house. What an interesting experience! The next dimension is the effects in the actual cinema. The seats move whenever punches are thrown, air is blown at you when the characters are flying through space, the lights in the cinema flash at you when Thor's using the hammer. It truly gets you physically feeling the movie - which is different - although tiring at times. Sometimes, the action is already so hard to keep up - try being thrown around in your seat during it! New experience though, definitely something else!
Day 30
10.05.18
WeRun Update: 3708 steps
One month in Nanjing
Wow. It's already been 30 days. I feel like I've done a lot but at the same time, I feel like I've done nothing. I've become familiar with what's around me. I've been to a few places around town. I've made some friends. I'm slowly understanding the rules that govern the people here. And I'm understanding how different life really is compared to back home. But it's only been a month. There's a lot to learn and experience and soak in. Bring it on!
First business meeting
This morning, I had my first business meeting with one of the general managers in Sanpower, who wanted to collaborate with ACYA Nanjing to get foreigners involved in their promotions. The deal was to lend us some spaces in their department store (and toy store) for us to use for our events - free of charge. However, these spaces didn't really suit what we were about so we didn't really see the benefit of using it despite not having to pay anything. Although I wasn't involved with ACYA at university, I'm keen to help it rebuild its name in Nanjing - so we're looking for events to do.
Skyways
After our meeting, Liam took me to his favourite joint Skyways, a bakery run by a German. Had a ham baguette and I must say it was very good.
An unlikely friend...
Had a coffee catch up with the same doctor I met at Zhongda Hospital the other night. It was really good just to talk about everything from learning English to her career to her childhood to her kid and family background amongst other things. She's probably 10 years older than me, but it's rare to find someone as genuine as her. I'm grateful for the time she gave me and I hope we can continue this friendship in the future.
VCE in China?
Spending so much time at home the last few days has almost made me crazy. So, I decided to go to quiz night at Arcanos, which they hold every Thursday for a bit of fun and socialising. There, I met another Aussie from Melbourne - a bloke named Rory from Sunshine, who was an English VCE teacher in China for Firbank Grammar. Yes. A VCE English teacher working in China. I was gobsmacked! I didn't know that students here in China do VCE but apparently they do it so they can apply for universities in Australia. They sit the same exams as us. I think it's pretty cool to allow students to do that.
WeRun Update: 3708 steps
One month in Nanjing
Wow. It's already been 30 days. I feel like I've done a lot but at the same time, I feel like I've done nothing. I've become familiar with what's around me. I've been to a few places around town. I've made some friends. I'm slowly understanding the rules that govern the people here. And I'm understanding how different life really is compared to back home. But it's only been a month. There's a lot to learn and experience and soak in. Bring it on!
First business meeting
This morning, I had my first business meeting with one of the general managers in Sanpower, who wanted to collaborate with ACYA Nanjing to get foreigners involved in their promotions. The deal was to lend us some spaces in their department store (and toy store) for us to use for our events - free of charge. However, these spaces didn't really suit what we were about so we didn't really see the benefit of using it despite not having to pay anything. Although I wasn't involved with ACYA at university, I'm keen to help it rebuild its name in Nanjing - so we're looking for events to do.
Skyways
After our meeting, Liam took me to his favourite joint Skyways, a bakery run by a German. Had a ham baguette and I must say it was very good.
An unlikely friend...
Had a coffee catch up with the same doctor I met at Zhongda Hospital the other night. It was really good just to talk about everything from learning English to her career to her childhood to her kid and family background amongst other things. She's probably 10 years older than me, but it's rare to find someone as genuine as her. I'm grateful for the time she gave me and I hope we can continue this friendship in the future.
VCE in China?
Spending so much time at home the last few days has almost made me crazy. So, I decided to go to quiz night at Arcanos, which they hold every Thursday for a bit of fun and socialising. There, I met another Aussie from Melbourne - a bloke named Rory from Sunshine, who was an English VCE teacher in China for Firbank Grammar. Yes. A VCE English teacher working in China. I was gobsmacked! I didn't know that students here in China do VCE but apparently they do it so they can apply for universities in Australia. They sit the same exams as us. I think it's pretty cool to allow students to do that.
Wednesday, 9 May 2018
Day 29
09/05/2018
WeRun Update: 3688 steps
Unproductive...
I came home at 730am this morning and feeling quite scat. Had an awful 3 hour sleep before having my first meal in a long time. Did some cleaning and washing before I watched some TV shows. Don't really know where my time has gone - I've done absolute donuts all day apart from stay in. I've been stuck indoors for the last 3 days and it's not fun at all, especially when you don't get to see or talk to anyone.
Plenty of things to do but I haven't really been doing...
*Things I should actually be doing
Okay. I am going to watch some Chinese TV!
WeRun Update: 3688 steps
Unproductive...
I came home at 730am this morning and feeling quite scat. Had an awful 3 hour sleep before having my first meal in a long time. Did some cleaning and washing before I watched some TV shows. Don't really know where my time has gone - I've done absolute donuts all day apart from stay in. I've been stuck indoors for the last 3 days and it's not fun at all, especially when you don't get to see or talk to anyone.
Plenty of things to do but I haven't really been doing...
- Read books
- Explore Nanjing*
- Teach English*
- Learn Chinese*
*Things I should actually be doing
Okay. I am going to watch some Chinese TV!
Day 28
08.05.18 (Day 3 Gastro)
WeRun Update: 2378 steps
Just when I thought things were getting better...
Symptoms just suddenly got worse and I was going to the toilet every 10 minutes late in the afternoon. I finally gave in and went to the hospital. The first two days, I really wanted to avoid going to the hospital - partly because my ego of thinking everything was going to turn out alright if I just push through it and partly because I don't know what the hospital process was over here.
I got my uncle to come take me to a hospital and he chose the Zhongda Hospital Southeast University. I found out that my family has a long history associated with this hospital, my mum and grandma used to work here. It's the hospital that my family has been going to their whole lives. So first I came to get checked out at the emergency department.
Chinese hospitals are really different. You have to 挂号 register there first (there's a small fee 3RMB). Then you get to go see the doctors. There's no sense of privacy here. As you're talking to the doctor, there are people right behind you waiting for you to finish so they can be next. There's no order, it's just first in best dressed.
So I'm telling doc about my symptoms and it's not going down well (she can't really understand me) so she pulls out the English and to my surprise, it's actually very good. Everyone's suddenly become interested in this foreign language that we're conversing in and people are curious. I get a blood test (24RMB) and within 5 minutes, I get the results to bring back to doc. There's already a line for the doctor but my uncle pushes in line and sits down. No one seems to have an issue with it. She prescribes me some medication which I have to go upstairs to purchase (some antibiotics and some electrolyte solution). During this time, I find out that the doc actually wants to practice her English (coincidentally, I am an English teacher...) and she says she has relatives in Melbourne (also quite a coincidence) which then she asks for my Wechat (very professional of her to do that in front of everyone - jokes, no one actually cares here about professionalism), which I will gladly give to her (because to have a connection in a hospital is very helpful!!!!)
When I'm back home, the symptoms seem to be worsening. I would have lost a lot of fluid by this time also. I go to sleep thinking I could sleep it off. I wake up again thinking it's at least 4am, but it's 1am and I'm still shitting every 10 minutes. What do I do? I remember I have her Wechat, so I shoot her a message telling her what's happened. She's on the night shift and recommends getting the drip. I'm there within 15 minutes thanks to a 2RMB cab ride.
I find the hospital is quite empty and quiet. Have a chat with doc and she tells me she gets to sleep at 4am but is chilling in the meantime since she's on the night shift. I buy the drip (126RMB) but there are no beds left so I'm forced to sit down in a designated area for patients with drips. There's two nurses there who look absolutely bored out of their minds and are half sleeping when I walk in. This hospital definitely doesn't look very clean. Lot of mosquitoes flying about. Scraps on the floor. Hygiene's not peaking. The nurses find out that I'm not from China and have suddenly become interested. Their shift ends at 8am so plenty of time to chat. There's no patients around except for me so I'm getting all the attention. An uncle who works security in the hospital joins in our conversation, which is basically them asking me some standard questions that I get asked by most people interested my background:
- Why are you in China?
- What are you doing here?
- How can I improve my English?
- How do you learn Chinese?
- What is Australia like?
- Why are you in China if Australia is so great?
- Are you good at maths because I hear Westerners are shit at it? Did you learn the multiplication tables?
Update - I'm writing this at 420am. I'm about 1/3 of the way in to my drip. The nurses are now sleeping until someone comes in.
Update - It's 7am. Suns out. Drip's almost done. Feeling rehydrated. Ready to go home for a nap.
Day 27
07.05.18 (Day 2 Gastro)
WeRun Update: 3121 steps
Had no choice
Woke up at 4am after a difficult night of trying to sleep with this gastro. Today is supposed to be my test demo for my TESOL certificate but I'm obviously unwell to do it. I'm telling the school that I'm sick but I'm getting a 'you have to give 24 hrs notice' reply. Anyway, this gastros getting the better of me and I need to go to the hospital, but I can't register unless I have some ID, which is at my school. Regardless, I had to go to the school that day.
Cheap taxis
Can I just say, I am paying less than 5RMB or 1AUD for 80% of my cab rides here in Nanjing. That morning from my place to school (which is about 1.5km), cost me 0.1 RMB (2 cents AUD). That's cheaper than the metro (2RMB). The competition for ride sharing here is crazy and it's great for consumers!
TESOL done!
So I get to school and realise I might as well complete my exam now (which is just a 30 minute trial presentation but they know my skills so it really is just about ticking the boxes). Despite being on a benzo that morning, I was still able to dribble out a 30 minute lesson and officially pass my TESOL training.
WeRun Update: 3121 steps
Had no choice
Woke up at 4am after a difficult night of trying to sleep with this gastro. Today is supposed to be my test demo for my TESOL certificate but I'm obviously unwell to do it. I'm telling the school that I'm sick but I'm getting a 'you have to give 24 hrs notice' reply. Anyway, this gastros getting the better of me and I need to go to the hospital, but I can't register unless I have some ID, which is at my school. Regardless, I had to go to the school that day.
Cheap taxis
Can I just say, I am paying less than 5RMB or 1AUD for 80% of my cab rides here in Nanjing. That morning from my place to school (which is about 1.5km), cost me 0.1 RMB (2 cents AUD). That's cheaper than the metro (2RMB). The competition for ride sharing here is crazy and it's great for consumers!
TESOL done!
So I get to school and realise I might as well complete my exam now (which is just a 30 minute trial presentation but they know my skills so it really is just about ticking the boxes). Despite being on a benzo that morning, I was still able to dribble out a 30 minute lesson and officially pass my TESOL training.
Monday, 7 May 2018
Day 26
06.05.18
Also known as my worst day in China so far...
WeRun Update: 80 steps
Gastro is the worst...
Woke up this morning and started vomiting. Must have been the shitty Korean barbeque that I had the night before. Soon, I was vomiting and shitting at the same time. This wouldn't stop for the whole day. Probably made like 10 toilet trips. Set up 3 bins around the house for me to vomit. Mad fevers. No sleep. Luckily, I had two batches of Hydralyte to replenish those electrolytes or else I would be dead.
Couldn't even go to hospital...
There are no GPs or clinics here so anyone with any health related problems goes straight to the hospital. I do live like a 5 minute bike ride from there but I actually had no strength to leave the bed at all. Going to hospital in China is like my worst nightmare. I know that there's always a massive wait, just given the population size. Anyway, you have to register your ID at the hospital first and I couldn't even do that. My passport's at the Exit and Entry Bureau and they gave me a piece of paper to use as a temporary passport - however, that was at my workplace - so even if I did want to go to hospital, I would have to go to my workplace first and I was in no state to even get out of my door.
Thank god for delivery services...
Since I had no food at home and no energy to leave the house, I used the trusty 饿了么 (Are you Hungry?) app to order some congee for lunch. Then I got some bread for dinner. Then I got some anti-diarrhoea medicine after dinner.
Also known as my worst day in China so far...
WeRun Update: 80 steps
Gastro is the worst...
Woke up this morning and started vomiting. Must have been the shitty Korean barbeque that I had the night before. Soon, I was vomiting and shitting at the same time. This wouldn't stop for the whole day. Probably made like 10 toilet trips. Set up 3 bins around the house for me to vomit. Mad fevers. No sleep. Luckily, I had two batches of Hydralyte to replenish those electrolytes or else I would be dead.
Couldn't even go to hospital...
There are no GPs or clinics here so anyone with any health related problems goes straight to the hospital. I do live like a 5 minute bike ride from there but I actually had no strength to leave the bed at all. Going to hospital in China is like my worst nightmare. I know that there's always a massive wait, just given the population size. Anyway, you have to register your ID at the hospital first and I couldn't even do that. My passport's at the Exit and Entry Bureau and they gave me a piece of paper to use as a temporary passport - however, that was at my workplace - so even if I did want to go to hospital, I would have to go to my workplace first and I was in no state to even get out of my door.
Thank god for delivery services...
Since I had no food at home and no energy to leave the house, I used the trusty 饿了么 (Are you Hungry?) app to order some congee for lunch. Then I got some bread for dinner. Then I got some anti-diarrhoea medicine after dinner.
Day 25
05/05/18
WeRun Update: 8919 steps
Mobike Minutes: 10
Xianlin
About 10kms out from Nanjing city centre, there is the university area where many of the big universities are based. When I took the train there, it felt like I was heading into a rural town in China - maybe I'm just so used to living in the city. It's funny because 10km is about the distance between my house in Melbourne to the city. It was different in Xianlin, there was a lot more space and nature, and a lot less noise and bustle. The air felt cleaner too. It was more peaceful.
《后来的我们》Us and Them
Watched the hottest Chinese movie in the cinemas right now called 'Us and Them' which is about a story of a boy and a girl who come from a rural town and have dreams of trying to make a living in Beijing. The story goes through the various stages of their Beijing adventure and ultimately, when they bump into each other later down the track. As always, this Chinese movie was melodramatic and you could hear lots of crying and tissues being whipped out in the cinema. The story mainly focuses on the love story between the two and how they both try to overcome the hardships of trying to make it in a big city, especially when they're from a town where everyone knows each other.
Korean Barbeque sucks here
It's expensive. The meat is not good quality - frozen even. You have to cook everything for yourself. Worse news to come. Never eating again.
Saturday, 5 May 2018
Day 24
04.04.18
WeRun Update: 12346 steps
Mobike Minutes: 20
Hours left on TOEFL: 2 hours
No longer a tourist...
Went to the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau to get my passport approved for temporary residency - apparently they have to send all passports to Beijing to run a background check before I get it back (policy has tightened)
Almost done!
13 hours out of the way for my TESOL training. I have to prepare a 30 minute class for Monday on the topic of my choosing with a powerpoint presentation. Again.
AustCham Drinks
The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai along with Caulfield Grammar School (who have a campus in Nanjing) celebrated the 20th anniversary of Caulfield Grammar's presence in Nanjing at the Shangri La Hotel. Free flow drinks and finger food, so why not? And I was really missing hearing some Aussie accents. There's an outdoor area with a view of the Nanjing skyline and conveniently has a basketball ring there too in a cage (only in China!). Some Chinese people attended the event in the hope of handing out some business cards and I took the opportunity to do some networking. It was good to see the Aussie community come out, despite having a small population here in Nanjing. Then back to Arcano for a couple of drinks (China's very own craft beers and IPAs...) and darts and that was a wrap.
WeRun Update: 12346 steps
Mobike Minutes: 20
Hours left on TOEFL: 2 hours
No longer a tourist...
Went to the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau to get my passport approved for temporary residency - apparently they have to send all passports to Beijing to run a background check before I get it back (policy has tightened)
Almost done!
13 hours out of the way for my TESOL training. I have to prepare a 30 minute class for Monday on the topic of my choosing with a powerpoint presentation. Again.
AustCham Drinks
The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai along with Caulfield Grammar School (who have a campus in Nanjing) celebrated the 20th anniversary of Caulfield Grammar's presence in Nanjing at the Shangri La Hotel. Free flow drinks and finger food, so why not? And I was really missing hearing some Aussie accents. There's an outdoor area with a view of the Nanjing skyline and conveniently has a basketball ring there too in a cage (only in China!). Some Chinese people attended the event in the hope of handing out some business cards and I took the opportunity to do some networking. It was good to see the Aussie community come out, despite having a small population here in Nanjing. Then back to Arcano for a couple of drinks (China's very own craft beers and IPAs...) and darts and that was a wrap.
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Day 23
03.05.18
WeRun Update: 8934 steps
Mobike Minutes: 25
TESOL hours completed: 8
Numero Uno
The school that I teach at has weekly public classes where a teacher will talk about a new topic. It's open for all students at the school. Today was my turn to take the class and was also my very first proper class in China. It was late afternoon, and there were only two students. Both were aunties with their notebooks ready. They addressed me as teacher, which I still need to get used to. Since it was my first time, they wanted to get to know me, where I come from and vice versa. They both wanted to learn English because they had both retired (60+ years old) and wanted to travel around the world. They both also had kids studying overseas (Canada and Germany). The thing that surprised me the most was that they were not shy at all - they would speak at every opportunity and whenever I corrected their mistakes, they would write it down in their notebooks. I really enjoyed teaching them because they were determined to improve their English and having motivated students makes teaching more satisfying. Although it wasn't what I expected to be my first teaching experience (I expected annoying little kids), I found it to be fun. I'm glad the aunties were impressed with me and I could hear them praising me to reception. They like me because I can explain things in Chinese and they feel more comfortable learning from me. After the class finished, one of them even offered to walk me to the train station (since I was new to the city?... although I walk through it almost every day... but I accepted anyway out of respect)
Just someone from a small city, wanting to make it in a big city.
I realised that there were more things I could do to immerse myself in Chinese culture. What better way than to watch a Chinese drama! I started watching: 北京女子图鉴 which is about a girl from Chengdu, a slow-paced city, who wants to make it in Beijing but encounters the hardships of moving and adjusting to the big city. Fitting, right?
WeRun Update: 8934 steps
Mobike Minutes: 25
TESOL hours completed: 8
Numero Uno
The school that I teach at has weekly public classes where a teacher will talk about a new topic. It's open for all students at the school. Today was my turn to take the class and was also my very first proper class in China. It was late afternoon, and there were only two students. Both were aunties with their notebooks ready. They addressed me as teacher, which I still need to get used to. Since it was my first time, they wanted to get to know me, where I come from and vice versa. They both wanted to learn English because they had both retired (60+ years old) and wanted to travel around the world. They both also had kids studying overseas (Canada and Germany). The thing that surprised me the most was that they were not shy at all - they would speak at every opportunity and whenever I corrected their mistakes, they would write it down in their notebooks. I really enjoyed teaching them because they were determined to improve their English and having motivated students makes teaching more satisfying. Although it wasn't what I expected to be my first teaching experience (I expected annoying little kids), I found it to be fun. I'm glad the aunties were impressed with me and I could hear them praising me to reception. They like me because I can explain things in Chinese and they feel more comfortable learning from me. After the class finished, one of them even offered to walk me to the train station (since I was new to the city?... although I walk through it almost every day... but I accepted anyway out of respect)
Just someone from a small city, wanting to make it in a big city.
I realised that there were more things I could do to immerse myself in Chinese culture. What better way than to watch a Chinese drama! I started watching: 北京女子图鉴 which is about a girl from Chengdu, a slow-paced city, who wants to make it in Beijing but encounters the hardships of moving and adjusting to the big city. Fitting, right?
Tuesday, 1 May 2018
Day 22
05.01.18 (International Labour Day)
WeRun Update: 7132 steps
Mobike Update: 20 minutes
Walking around the dorms...
So I have a friend who studies postgraduate law at NJ university and shared some stories about her experiences as a local student, whilst we walked around the university dorms.
- She lives in a small flat with 3 other girls, there is no shower in her flat
- In the male flats, there are no toilets - bathroom and shower are all common
- To shower, she has to walk 100m to the local 浴室 public bathhouse and there are no separators
- If you are an undergraduate living in dorms, there are curfews. You have to report to the person at the gate if you are late. At the postgraduate level, you still have to register but it is more lenient from what I've heard
These conditions are definitely different from what we're used to in the West. Foreign students do get much better accommodation than local students - I've personally seen the stark difference when I studied in Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Could've starred in a movie!
One of China's most famous actresses, Fan Bing Bing is filming her latest movie in Nanjing - she was spotted at Nanjing University a few weeks ago. I received notice from a basketball WeChat group that I'm in that they were looking for basketball players who were above 178cm to be extras in her new film. It would be 8 hours of filming at Hohai University and you would get 60RMB for the day. I was so close to registering since I thought it would be so dope if I could star in a Chinese movie and there aren't many opportunities around. But I had an important family lunch that I had to attend so I missed out! I've had quite a few encounters with stardom here in China - and I think there'll be many more in the future.
Yo can we play with you?
Finally get to test out my Dame4's at Southeast University. We played against these high school kids and we definitely underestimated them. People have this habit of just walking to your court and taking your ball and shooting with it without asking - you might think it's a bit rude but it's just the culture here. Everything is shared (haha communism). Then within a matter of seconds, heavy rain started to pour down. When it goes, it goes hard here in Nanjing.
I'm a uni student
There are heaps of good food joints and nice cafes around the university, which I haven't really checked out in my time here. I'm writing this blog in a cute little cafe called Nannar Cafe, it's got pretty good vibes - massive book shelves, nice sofas. Don't think this will be the last time I hang out here.
WeRun Update: 7132 steps
Mobike Update: 20 minutes
Walking around the dorms...
So I have a friend who studies postgraduate law at NJ university and shared some stories about her experiences as a local student, whilst we walked around the university dorms.
- She lives in a small flat with 3 other girls, there is no shower in her flat
- In the male flats, there are no toilets - bathroom and shower are all common
- To shower, she has to walk 100m to the local 浴室 public bathhouse and there are no separators
- If you are an undergraduate living in dorms, there are curfews. You have to report to the person at the gate if you are late. At the postgraduate level, you still have to register but it is more lenient from what I've heard
These conditions are definitely different from what we're used to in the West. Foreign students do get much better accommodation than local students - I've personally seen the stark difference when I studied in Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Could've starred in a movie!
One of China's most famous actresses, Fan Bing Bing is filming her latest movie in Nanjing - she was spotted at Nanjing University a few weeks ago. I received notice from a basketball WeChat group that I'm in that they were looking for basketball players who were above 178cm to be extras in her new film. It would be 8 hours of filming at Hohai University and you would get 60RMB for the day. I was so close to registering since I thought it would be so dope if I could star in a Chinese movie and there aren't many opportunities around. But I had an important family lunch that I had to attend so I missed out! I've had quite a few encounters with stardom here in China - and I think there'll be many more in the future.
Yo can we play with you?
Finally get to test out my Dame4's at Southeast University. We played against these high school kids and we definitely underestimated them. People have this habit of just walking to your court and taking your ball and shooting with it without asking - you might think it's a bit rude but it's just the culture here. Everything is shared (haha communism). Then within a matter of seconds, heavy rain started to pour down. When it goes, it goes hard here in Nanjing.
I'm a uni student
There are heaps of good food joints and nice cafes around the university, which I haven't really checked out in my time here. I'm writing this blog in a cute little cafe called Nannar Cafe, it's got pretty good vibes - massive book shelves, nice sofas. Don't think this will be the last time I hang out here.
Day 21
30/04/18
International Labour Day Holiday Period (30-4 to 5-1)
Long weekend for the Chinese. The streets were as busy as I have seen them. Tomorrow is the official holiday.
WeRun Update: 4944 steps
Mobike Update: 16 minutes (4 of those minutes someone used my bike)
MoBargain
I decided today that I use Mobike often enough to get a monthly pass for 20RMB (which means I have to use it more than 20 times a month for it to be worth it). Before I bought it, there was a feature which allowed you to spin the wheel to get a discount. I ended up landing on 2, which I initially thought meant I was only getting 20% off but then I remembered in China, it's the other way around. So I actually got 80% off and only had to pay 20% of the price. 4RMB for a month? That's a bargain.
I guess they really do push them...
Although I didn't grow up in China, I was able to experience how hard parents push their children to do well in school, from a very young age. One of my friend's daughters is in Grade 1 and was stressing about her daughter getting 97.5% in her English test. They examined every missed percentage and asked me how they could do better for next time... She was in first grade and was already taking extra English classes, piano classes AND table tennis classes. All so that she could get ahead of her peers. The competition is real!
Looking for love?
During lunch, an aunty was asking around the table to see if anyone had a suitable match for one of her friends' daughters. I remember hearing the requirements: must be above 175cm, must be working in Nanjing, must have studied Engineering. And that was just the beginning. There were about 10 more that were on the notes.
International Labour Day Holiday Period (30-4 to 5-1)
Long weekend for the Chinese. The streets were as busy as I have seen them. Tomorrow is the official holiday.
WeRun Update: 4944 steps
Mobike Update: 16 minutes (4 of those minutes someone used my bike)
MoBargain
I decided today that I use Mobike often enough to get a monthly pass for 20RMB (which means I have to use it more than 20 times a month for it to be worth it). Before I bought it, there was a feature which allowed you to spin the wheel to get a discount. I ended up landing on 2, which I initially thought meant I was only getting 20% off but then I remembered in China, it's the other way around. So I actually got 80% off and only had to pay 20% of the price. 4RMB for a month? That's a bargain.
I guess they really do push them...
Although I didn't grow up in China, I was able to experience how hard parents push their children to do well in school, from a very young age. One of my friend's daughters is in Grade 1 and was stressing about her daughter getting 97.5% in her English test. They examined every missed percentage and asked me how they could do better for next time... She was in first grade and was already taking extra English classes, piano classes AND table tennis classes. All so that she could get ahead of her peers. The competition is real!
Looking for love?
During lunch, an aunty was asking around the table to see if anyone had a suitable match for one of her friends' daughters. I remember hearing the requirements: must be above 175cm, must be working in Nanjing, must have studied Engineering. And that was just the beginning. There were about 10 more that were on the notes.
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