Living and Working in China

Going to work on the metro.

As I head off to work from my cozy little apartment, down the bustling alleyway behind my building to the metro station, I think to myself, "I live in China and I'm going to work!" It's surreal, and it feels pretty darn amazing. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings I teach at a private learning centre. The owner, Josie, has converted her apartment into an English language centre for kids. It has great atmosphere and is such a fun and engaging environment for kids. Lots of colourful art on the walls, plenty of toys, a couple of foosball tables, a little classroom, two whiteboards, and plenty of teaching materials. I really enjoy working with her. The student I have is a 7-year old boy named Johnny. He is a bit of a "little emperor," stubborn, impatient, restless, and somewhat disobedient, but he also has a silly side, which I try to tap into. It is a good challenge for me to create a lesson that will engage this restless little fellow. These photos were taken by Josie during our first two classes.

Being silly with party hats.

Reading practise and making origami fortune tellers.

Druing break time Johnny gave me some lessons on how to play his card game.

Playing "pin the tail on the donkey."

Reading practise.

Playing a doodle art game.

I've been in my new apartment for about a week now, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is small (35 sqm), compact, simple, and bright. There's a nice little deck where the washing machine and "clothesline" are, and there's room to sit and gaze out over the horizon of buildings and down below at the alleyway. It's exactly what I wanted. The area of town is called Dongjiatoa, one of the original three fishing villages of Shenzhen. It's hardly a village anymore, but there is an authenticity to the area that is reminiscent of earlier days. There are people with little kiosks on the street selling goat meat, home made sausages, cobs of corn, and dumplings. Down alleyways are small shops selling basic household items, fruit and veggies, and bottles of Tsingtao beer. At night there are street BBQ's with meat on a stick, and mushrooms and eggplant. In the early morning and early evening the streets are bustling with shoppers and vendors, electric bikes scooting about, pedestrians weaving in and out of traffic, and cars trying to squeeze their way down the narrow busy streets. Across the street from my apartment building is the local "wet market" where you can buy meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables. The meat is laid out on tables under hanging red lamps that are the symbol of a marketplace. The seafood is displayed in plastic bins fed with bubbling fresh water, or laid out on ice on tables. This is the market that I stumbled upon while out walking about when I was here in China the first time, and I was in complete awe and fascination over it. And now here I am living right across the street.

Home sweet home

View from my apartment.

The wet market across the road.

The meat section of the wet market.

Colourful veggie stands.

Typical Chinese shop owner. They know how to relax.