Volunteers UNITE.

So its coming up to the end of my volunteering stint here in the South of China and on the rare occurrence I actually get given a few days holiday from time to time, I like to go and explore what China has to offer. This was probably my last holiday out here and luckily all of the volunteers had the same time off so we thought it was now or never to have one last time together before we went our separate ways. When we all thought about a place to meet, it only seemed logical to all go back to where this all began, where the adventure started, Kunming. I've done a few post's on Kunming before but after going back there again I have definitely decided that it is one of y favourite places in the world. The weather is perfect, the shopping is great but it also still has that charm of China. Small amounts of Chinese architecture still scatter the city and it really is an up and coming place, not so far from the metropolitan cities such as Shanghai and Beijing.

Some of the volunteers took 16 hour trains to arrive in Kunming, I however rolled out of bed and met Natalie to get the just 1 hour bus to Kunming. The people of Yunnan, the province I live in, say that my home town Yuxi 玉溪 is the best place in the south and the nicest place to live. I happen to agree and it was oh so convenient to live so close to the capital. Everyone was there pretty early but Natalie and I decided to rock up late...as usual! When we arrived it was like nothing had changed. It was so surreal. My first few weeks in China were spent teacher training in Kunming and I associate the city with such incredible happy memories. It was so great to see the guys from Sichuan and the other volunteers from Yunnan, or the "Yunnan 5" as we like to dub ourselves! We stayed in a really cool hostel called 'The Hump'. We had been there a few time for drinks as it has the most incredible roof terrace in the middle of the city. The rooms were really nice and I actually enjoy sharing with 9 other random people - meeting fellow travellers normally results in lots of advice and sharing stories of adventures. We dropped our bags and headed to the one place we knew so well from our previous trip - foreign street!

I love foreign street, but its not as western as it sounds. It has the best restaurants, the best street shopping and a really cool atmosphere. We went for dinner, did a little shopping and headed to a bar called 'The Box' (incidentally this is where most of the messy events of the weekend occurred - they did sell nice cookies though) We then met a group of American people who were studying in the city so we invited them back to the hostel for a few drinks. By the time we got back, it was about 1:30am ish and everyone was either crashing out or going out to the clubs. Becca (the most amazing person ever) and I decided to just hang out together and have some drinks. It was so great and such a perfect night.

The next day we all decided it would be more than a good idea to extend our reunion in Kunming and booked ourselves in for one extra night there. The weather, as usual, was perfect and we all decided to go our separate ways in the city and just enjoy the day. I spent the day with Odette, mostly drinking, going shopping and chatting to Chinese make up artist in the MAC store, the guy had trained in London and assumed that Odette would want to look JUST like Lady GaGa - she didn't. After spending way too much money we headed back to the hostel and decided to grab a bite to eat and then head out for another night. Things started in the Box bar and pretty much ended there. I don't remember much, but lets just say calling it a messy night would be an understatement. Sorry for using the term 'messy night' I know I sound like a 16 year old on Smirnoff ice but its a more than appropriate term for that night!

Needless to say, the next morning everyone was feeling pretty rough and we all decided to just relax on the roof terrace until it was time for us all to catch our mode of transports home. It was really sad saying goodbye as, for a lot of us, we probably would never see each other again or for at least many years to come. I personally enjoy to 'hug it out' so it was really nice to have a really awesome time before we all went travelling and then back home to University. I know I'm going to keep in contact with everyone and I'm already looking forward  to more trips away to Asia and beyond together. Thanks guys for being the most incredible bunch of people and I would not have wanted to do this with anyone else, hope you all have safe journeys where ever you end up and have the most amazing time!

Oh and ... Wode pongyou zai nali?  我的朋友在那里？ 我爱你！！

Foreign Family

It's fair to say that I have had pretty different experience in China than to my fellow volunteers. I am the only person who is placed on their own, with no partner. Now though, I could not be more happy with the way my whole trip has turned out, even more so than doing it alone. It has given me a sense of independence and I'm really proud to say that I have done this without the support system of having a partner here. However, if you know me well, then you will know that I love company and talking with people so when I first arrived here in China, I found the solitude of being on my own very hard to deal with. Although with the best efforts of the  volunteer's nearest to me (about an hours journey as a whole) I still struggled to not feel very alone here at my placement. Then, after a random meeting with some students, I finally got hold of the mobile number for another foreign person teaching just near me in Yuxi.


This was about 2 months into my placement so I was MORE than happy to contact them. That is how I met Ellen and its pretty hard to think that I have only known her for a few months because she has literally been so great to have around. After out first meeting all that time ago, I'm pretty sure we meet up at least 3 or 4 times a week. But with the introduction to one foreigner comes more! Ellen then introduced me to a bunch of great people all out here teaching and living alone. It was really nice to have people who were also living alone doing this as it was kind of the first time I got to talk to people who really understood just how hard it is. 


It's fair to say I am the baby of my foreign friends, with the average age of them being about 26, I feel so young at just 18. But I'm so glad for how much older they are, I was always going to mature from this experience but having older friends has really opened up my eyes as to what is really important in life and what won't be by the time I'm their age!


Ellen does not get too pleased when I constantly remind her how she is 24 and I'm just starting out in life at 18...jealousy perhaps! But seriously, I feel like I have my own family here now, which makes leaving this place even more traumatic than its turning out to be. If you had asked me 6 months ago if I would be looking forward to going home at this point I would have screamed yes! but now, I just feel so happy with life, so content that I don't want this to end. I would be more than open to staying here for another year and taking up a permanent teaching job but alas University is calling me!


On the bright side I'm going for a big farewell meal with the family on Tuesday as we all seem to be going our separate ways in July. I'm definitely going to miss Ellen the most, she has been like a big sister and a best friend all in one... can't wait to come back you visit next year!

FuXian Lake

Most schools in China are boarding schools and a large percentage of the students live on campus. So this means I get lots of invitations to go and visit families in their home towns and explore new parts of China. This week I was invited to go and stay with a student for the weekend in a local town. Where she lives is also the home to the famous, Fuxian Lake. Now I know back home the biggest lake we see is probably Rutland water or something on that scale so when I first saw Fuxian Lake, I was taken back for a few minutes. The lake itself is the 2^nd deepest in the China and one of the largest in the world. It stretches for almost 30 miles so it’s no wonder that the students tend to call it ‘The Ocean’.

I was met by some of my students, Crystal and Cherry on a Saturday morning and, with pooch in one arm, set off to get the bus to meet her family. It was about an hour journey there and after living in china for almost 6 months that is one of the shortest journeys around. I’m used to 8 hour trains and 9 hour coaches to get to where I want to go. Once we arrived I went to Crystal’s family home. It was so great to be in a traditional Chinese home, it’s actually where I feel most relaxed and happy over here, besides getting waited on by everyone, it’s the only opportunity I get to really be in a family environment, which I miss so much now I live alone. We had some lunch, one of my favourite Chinese dishes and particularly special to this region of China called ‘Mi Xian’ English translation – Rice Noodles.

For a Chinese person it’s a really huge honour to have a foreigner, especially who is the complete polar opposite of the Chinese in both looks and culture like me, in their homes. They go to the extremes of buying copious amounts of food, tea and buying me anything they think I could want. So after having a great lunch and watching some of my favourite Chinese TV, we finally set off to visit the lake. I was really excited, I had read and heard so much about this place and I was so lucky to have my own family tour guides with me. When we arrived at the lake, I was completely blown away by the sheer size of the thing. It was so beautiful and it was the perfect day. It also contains some of the cleanest water in China. There is so much history and myth behind the lake and it was not until recently that scientist discovered that there is a city at the bottom of the lake. Some say it’s a famous city that mysteriously disappeared hundreds and hundreds of years ago.  

I handed Pooch over to Crystal’s family for the day whilst my students and I rented a boat to sail over to an island in the centre of the lake. Its English name is ‘Money Island’ as not so long ago it used to be home to many monkeys that would even swim in the lake. The boat was bobbing up and down and it really felt like I was out as sea. We got to the island and ate some of the most amazing fresh water sea food. Fried prawns, Octopus and white bait, all delicious. We decided to climb the island mountain and explore the temples. The temples, views and experiences in China never cease to take my breath away and this island was doing no less. After the trek we decided to cool off and get a boat back to the mainland where both Cherry and Crystal’s parents were waiting for us, as was my Pooch.

We now moved onto a famous cave where you can go and fish for yourself and take your fish home to eat but unfortunately there has been a bit of a drought whilst I have been out here and the caves where bone dry, no fishing for us. But we did how ever get the chance to go swimming.  I was not told we would be swimming so I ended up just having to go into the lake with my shorts, much to the shock of my students family who were adamant that I should borrow some speedo’s from Crystal’s dad, no thanks. The water was cool and clean and it was so nice to swim. The sun was now starting to set over the lake and we were all pretty hungry so we went to a restaurant about 5 miles down the road. The families had arranged for a huge feast in my honour and served up the famous ‘Fuxian Lake Copper pot Fish’ which was delicious, as well as other typical Chinese bites.

 After being fully stuffed we then went to watch the sun set and dip our feet in the lake. It was a moment I’ll never forget for as long as I live. Everything was perfect, the sun, the lake and the company, just everything. It was that moment I really realised how much China has changed me, my outlook on life, on people and the natural beauty of the world. I realised that I’d had the most incredible months of my life and that they were coming to an end. I just felt so lucky to be in that moment. Being happy is so important to me and volunteering could not make me more happy. It really is true what they say; ‘You get out of life what you put into it’

Poochie!

I HAVE A DOG!

So, I have been living alone now for 4 months and its been really hard at times. I'm such a sociable person and I love company. One thing you notice when you come to Asia is that there is a pretty big epidemic of stray dogs. They aren't cared for and a lot are just left to rot in the streets. Its really sad. Being alone, I really wanted to get a dog but I wasn't prepared to raise a dog and leave it on the streets when I left to go back to England. I had been waiting for about 2 months to hear about someone who wanted a dog and wouldn't mind if I took care of it for the time being. Then about 2 weeks ago I finally got a call saying a teacher wanted a dog and that I could look after it as my own and she will take him of me when I go home!


So that night, Ellen (An English girl I met out here) and I decided to go to the night market and find a dog. Which we did. I picked the healthiest one I could find and called him "Poochie" and his Chinese name is "在在" pronounced like Zai Zai, meaning BARK! Its so great to have dog around the flat and have some company at night. He is the nicest little dog, its almost like dogs over here are programmed from birth to think that they are going to have a bad life so as soon as you show them some love they become the most loyal, tame and incredible pet. 


Although I didn't really realise how much work a new puppy is. I had to take him to the vets and stand there trying to tell the vet in Chinese that he needs his injections and anti-flea stuff....that took a while! But other than thinking he can go to the toilet anywhere he pleases, he is such a great dog and I will miss him so much when I leave. But hey, beats living with a human you don't get along with!

Teaching

After so many updates about all of the amazing sights I have seen whilst being here in China, I thought it was about time I gave a good overview of what exactly I am doing here. As I have said in previous updates, I am volunteering here in China with a charity called "Lattitude Global Volunteering". Teaching English to students from ages 13-17, ranging from teaching spoken English to our culture.

My average week consist of teaching just over 600 students. I have around 2 hours of teaching a day, but sometimes that can also go up to around 5 hours a day. So although it may seem like I am on one big holiday, I really am volunteering full time out here. At the start of most weeks I tend to plan my lessons. Recently I have been teaching about music genre, dreams and aspirations, the Royal family and about western festivals. I actually find planning a lesson very difficult, its so important to inspire the students here to learning English as having a good knowledge of the language could really see them gain an excellent job. I try to be comical, that's the kind of teacher I am. It's important to set the right tone in the classroom, the students are here to learn but a big theme throughout Chinese schools is that everyone is too shy to answer anything you ask them! So by breaking the ice with some random bad joke or telling them a quick story about how my Chinese can sometimes get me in very strange situations normally relaxes them and they are keen to talk to the blonde English boy!

When I teach a lesson I normally have a game for the first part and then for about half an hour teach vocabulary , show pictures relating to the topic, oral practise and a little written work too. One of the hardest things I find about teaching is making sure the students are doing my work and not some of the homework from another subject. It didn't take me too long to realise how much homework is set here but it was a big step for me to be a figure of authority and take work off students so they can concentrate on English. Some students excel in my lessons to a level that is unreal, but most really struggle and I often find myself repeating many things. This may sound really frustrating but the rewards are worth every single moment.

Sometimes I will have to teach at 7:50am which is tough! but then some days I won't teach until the afternoon which is great. Not only do I have formal lessons with the students but 3 times a week I run an "English Corner". This is basically an hour slot after school where students can meet me and have a chat about anything. I have actually had some really great talks with the kids. The younger students just like to play games but the older students who are a similar age to me like to talk about how teenagers are treated in England, what are the western views on topics such as homosexuality and the Chinese one child policy. I do however stress that I let the students start these sorts of topics as its very easy to get yourself in a bit of a problem if you begin a conversation about these things and say, politics. But I have been so impressed and amazed at some of the views of students and I really enjoy hearing the opinions of the Chinese teenager.

If you ever think about Volunteering in China it's very difficult to truly know what you are in for. The education system is slick and full of pressure. Getting a good job is vital and dreaming of one day going abroad is something that you will hear everyday. Due to the media and the government here, its tough to really know what China will have in store for you. I didn't realise how happy people would be here but also how much poverty there is. I am placed in the south west of China, possibly the poorest region. I did not really know what to expect but I have seen poverty at its worst but I have also met some of the happiest people I have ever known. I have seen sights, taught my language and appreciated life. All this in just your average week in China!

An introduction to Chinese bubble milk tea...

When ever a student asks me if I want some milk tea, I normally leap at the chance to have some milk in my tea! Traditionally, "Cha" or "tea" in English, is drank as dried tea leaves and boiling water. That's it. No milk, no sugar. When I first arrived I really did not enjoy any of the tea but with time, like most things, it grew on me. But now China has a poor version of the beloved English cup of tea called...Bubble Milk Tea.


When you come to China its pretty apparent that dairy products are not a common thing here and the milk that they do provide is just down right awful. So they invent this drink, bubble milk tea. Instead of using animals milk they tend to mix a whole tub of condensed milk into the tea. It really is better than it sounds, but so disappointing all at the same time. It can be drank cold or hot and it doesn't end there. You can flavours ranging from strawberry all the way to chocolate milk tea. Basically really cold, sweet tea with strawberry flavour added to it. Oh if that wasn't enough for your gag reflex they also put these tiny, bland, gelatine-like balls in the bottom of the drink. They are suppose to be the "bubbles" in your tea and are made from tapioca. If the sweet tea doesn't make you want to throw up, they sure as hell will!

..Look tasty?!

Sorry to do a whole post on tea, but I'm so tired of the Chinese assuming this is how our tea in England tastes, therefore buy me one all the time and bring it to my flat. Nice thought, shame about the taste!

Full Body massage

Booked in for a full body massage next week, Chinese style!...


Ready to get lathered up and rubbed down! Oh yeah!


I shall tell you how it goes next week, looking forward to this one!