Another last day...

Today was my last day working at the Montessori Kindergarten, where I've been employed for the past two months. I found out yesterday that because I'm going to Canada for "two months" (six weeks, actually), they will be interviewing other foreign teachers for the job.*  Surprisingly, I was disappointed. A few weeks ago I wouldn't have cared, but since telling them I needed to go to Canada, the job has been a lot more bearable... even enjoyable at times. Well, I got over my disappointment fairly quickly. I just had to remind myself about the difficulties of the job, how challenging it was overall, and chalk it up to just one more teaching job on my resume. Now that the day is over, I'm okay with it.

Rita, my supervisor surprised me at the end of the day with a beautiful farewell cake to send me off on my journey. I was overwhelmed. Really didn't expect it. Another teacher brought some fruit, and the three of us had a quiet celebration. It was a very thoughtful gesture. She even put a candle on the cake so I could make a wish.

Waxberries

All in all, it's been an insightful, educational experience working at the kindergarten. It's a whole other side of teaching English in China. This particular job certainly had its perks. I accepted lower pay for shorter hours. The three-hour lunch breaks were a godsend, and winning the affection of some pretty cool little kids was heartwarming.

Standing outside the school in the morning, greeting the kids as they arrive.

A short-lived photo of me on the teachers wall.

Still, with any luck, the business opportunity that Peter and I moved to Huizhou for will be well off the ground by the time I get back to China in mid-July, and I'll be able to get away with teaching part time instead of full time, if at all.

In the meantime, I look forward to my visit to Canada. It's hard to believe it's really going to happen, and in only four days!!


* I was very tempted to remind them that if they had just agreed to pay for my next visa (due in June), I would've finished the term and visited Canada during the summer holiday in August. But instead, their delay and avoidance of the issue pretty much forced me into making the decision to return to Canada to get my own visa, since the cost of getting one in Canada is so much cheaper that it more than pays for my trip. Plus I'm due for a new passport anyways.

What I love about China

Last week I booked a flight to Canada for June 5th, returning to China on July 15th. Six glorious weeks! The decision came about for numerous reasons, including the need for a new passport and China visa. Normally, when you work full-time as a teacher in China, the school you work for provides a visa for you, or at least pays for it. It's actually illegal for a Chinese school to hire foreign teachers without providing a working 'Z' visa, but many schools avoid this. The kindergarten I'm working for has yet to agree to pay for my visa, even though I've been there almost two months. Since I need to leave China on June 8th due to my visa expiry, and because I found a dirt cheap return flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver for only $780, and because my mom is having surgery in June (nothing serious) and I want to be there with her, and because I was planning to visit Canada in August anyways, I decided to make the wise choice of going to Canada sooner rather than later. And boy am I excited!!

Honestly, I'm more than ready for a break from China and a breath of fresh Canadian air. As much as I love China, it also has its challenges. It really is a great place to live for many reasons, but there are frustrations, as anyone living in a foreign country will experience. Knowing that I'm leaving, however, has given me a new perspective. It's picked up my spirits and given me a fresh look on things. For starters, I'm seeing my job in a more positive light, (which was much needed), regardless of whether they offer to pay for my visa or not! At this point I don't even know if I'll have a job to come home to, (because like everything else I've asked about I've received no answer), but it wouldn't surprise me if I did, because my classes are going better overall and the kids have warmed up to me and I'm getting more and more little kid hugs all the time! Little kid hugs are the best.

So what do I love about China? I love the daily scenes, like the groups of people doing Tai Chi on the corner when I go to work in the morning, or the guy selling fruit from his bike trailer in the afternoon. I love seeing guys sitting on cardboard on the sidewalk playing cards for money. I love that I am always seeing new and surprising things, like the pet shop on wheels that I saw last weekend, with fish tanks and birds in cages. And I love that I get to meet new people from all over the world, who come to China to quench their thirst for adventure, to experience something new and exciting, to escape the mundanity of their western lives, or quite simply to find work. It really is a different world here, but in many ways it's the same; people go to work every day, they drop their kids off at school every morning, go to the mall to window shop, go out for dinner with friends or family, go fishing down by the river... but the overall feeling is just different because of the cultural differences. Grandparents piggy back their grand kids to school or escort their 12-year old grand kids while carrying their school bag because it's "too heavy." Moms take their kids to school on electric motorcycles wearing a helmet but not providing their children with one. When they go out for dinner they eat in large groups around big round tables with lazy susans in the middle, with more dishes than they could possibly finish and it's a feast! When they go fishing they take home a bucket of small fish and eat them all.

In less than two weeks I will be boarding a plane to Canada. I am super duper excited to see my family and friends, to be in a place where I can talk to strangers and swim in the clean blue sea, where I can drink water from the tap, and where I can blend in to society and be anonymous. It's gong to be very interesting to see how it feels being back in my homeland. One thing's for sure, I'll miss Peter a whole lot, but I have a sneaky feeling I'll be missing China, too.

Gardener's cart.

Pet shop on wheels.

Fish tanks and birds!

Waiting at the central bus station.

Passerby checking out the bird that's been put out for some fresh air.

Tai Chi in the morning, outside my school.

Selling knickers and dish clothes on the side of the road.... because she can.

Fruit shop on wheels, very popular here.

p.s. I forgot to mention the food.... real Chinese food is delicious! Peter and I always end up becoming regulars at one or two places. At a local 'Dong Bei' (Northeast China) restaurant we've become addicted to three dishes: toothpick lamb, potato pancakes, smashed cucumber in soy and garlic, and sweet & sour pork. We eat there two or three times a week these days because it's easy, healthy, convenient and inexpensive. For less than $20 CAD we can eat all four dishes. Yummy!!

A grand day out on the May long weekend

Being a long weekend I thought I'd better get out and do something active and cultural. I was one of thousands with the same thought! On holiday weekends Chinese people like to spend quality time with family, which often includes getting outside and enjoying a stroll along the river or a hike up a local mountain. Unlike Chinese New Year when they flee the cities for their hometowns to be with family, leaving the cities barren and desolate, long weekends seem to differ in that most choose to stay close to home instead. I have to hand it to the Chinese... they really know how to relax, and they are very family-oriented. Family is the most important thing to them... that and money.

Rather than taking a taxi to the base of the mountain, I chose to ride my bike instead. It's a 6.3 km ride through the heart of Huizhou to Gaobang Mountain, a popular hiking destination on the outskirts of the city. The streets were busier than normal and in the popular parts of the city the police were out on the streets directing traffic, drivers were nudging their way along creating traffic jams here and there, and the sidewalks were packed with pedestrians. It was really cool to be out in all the action!

Last time I went to Gaobang mountain was in March, and my friend and I saw less than five people on the hike. Yesterday there were thousands of people marching up and down the mountain! There were people of all ages and abilities making the hike - plenty of fathers pushing strollers, an old man walking with a cane, grandmothers piggybacking babies, families with toddlers trucking their way up, a guy cycling with his girlfriend straddled on the crossbar... it was impressive to see all those people making their way to the top!

I chose to take a different route up this time. The first time I hiked the mountain the taxi driver dropped us off at the road entrance. I gather he figured it's the easy route, but I since learned that there's a trail that starts from the Gaobang Mountain Villa. Behind the villa is a staircase trail that climbs straight up to the Pavillion at the top. Funny thing with Chinese hikes and sites - they like to pump out music. The trail has speakers playing music along the way. I made a video because I knew you'd never believe it if I told you there was western rock music blasting out! Click here.

My cycling route to Gao Bang Shan

Cycling to the mountain.

That's my white bicycle in the foreground :)

Gaobang Mountain villa

The start of the staircase trail.

The climb was lovely, through lush forest and accompanied by many other hikers. Near the start of the trail were a couple of simple eating spots, and beekeepers selling honey!

Bee hive boxes.

I know where I'm buying my next batch of honey!

Resting spot on the trail.

Stair, stairs, and more stairs!

Three young blokes playing cards for money, on top of the mountain. Why not!

At the top of the mountain is the Guabang Pavilion. It's a most elaborate and empressive structure, with lots of space outside where people could sit and rest, eat hot dogs and ice cream, and enjoy the views.

Guabang Pavilion

Inside the pavilion is a statue of Confucious, some wood carving scenes and, at the top of four flights of stairs, some fantastic views! There were people blowing bubbles from the top. It was fun to watch the playful teens with their bubble sticks, and to watch the bubbles floating through the landscape.

Sculpture of Confucius

Looking down over Red Flower Lake.

I know, I know, the air quality is terrible :-(

Bubble-makers

On the way down I took the paved road route. Here's where I witnessed the dedicated fathers pushing strollers up the road! I also saw a mother and daughter wearing princess dresses walking barefoot (sorry, no photo), a woman hiking up wearing high heels (typical Chinese woman), and a woman walking down in bare feet holding her high heels (no wonder).

Walking down the mountain.

Local farmers selling their goods at the bottom of the mountain.

I eventually made it back to the villa to collect my bike. Then came the thrilling ride home. The streets were even busier on the way back and there were moments when the traffic came to a complete stop. It reminded me of Hanoi, Vietnam, being in heavy traffic with motorbike fumes and hot stinky buses. I wove my way around the cars, taxis and buses, and in my efforts to avoid the congested roads, discovered some new areas of town. There are many places to explore here yet. All in all, it was a grand day out!

Traffic jam down a narrow street.

Neat old building.

The home stretch. This is the street I live on.