Why China is a great place to live   In China there is no middle ground. Either you are so happy you could sing or so depressed that all you want to do is stay in bed and hide. There is nothing in between, but at least the good days outnumber the low days. I am writing this now to help me through the low days.  fficeffice" /> It’s a really cool country, which few westerners really know anything about.   If you are a westerner you can get away with so much its unbelievable.   Life over here is so cheap (outside the big cities!). A big bottle of beer costs 2 Yuan, approximately 17 pence. A packet of cigarettes varies between the same amount and up to 14 Yuan (a quid). Of course, you can buy those that cost a lot more, but they seem pointless. A meal for 12 costs 40 Yuan (3 pound). I could continue . . .   This is the only country I have ever been in where I can buy cucumber beer, or real ginger beer. It’s um, interesting to the palate!   Most Chinese people are fantastic. I have never been invited to have meals and to go to people’s houses by so many completely random strangers. Many people are so kind and will go so far out of their way to help you. (If only these were the people that stick in the mind when there are a few annoying ones about.)   You are a superstar. Everybody wants to know everything about you and to be your friend. Some even want your autograph! Stand still for a minute or two and the crowds will form. It is not unusual to be in the local paper, or the radio or even local TV!   You live a life where the quality is far in excess of that you might have back home. Where else can you work 14 hours a week, have a huge apartment with all mod cons and despite your best efforts still have a third of your wages left at the end of the month?   You are seen as a figure of authority and a high level of respect is always given to you. Much better than making tea in a company where no one knows your name.   You have a phenomenal amount of autonomy and responsibility. You are told to teach and everything you do is under your own control.   There is an excuse to eat Chinese food everyday.   Everyday is a challenge.   Beer is cheap   A bottle of local (make you blind) vodka costs less than the coke you drink it with! (1 litre = 10Y - less than a pound!)   Meat on a stick is yummy, even if you don't know what it is. My favourite meat on a stick lady sees me coming and automatically puts my order on the fire. You get it in a wrap and it is so yummy it beats any wrap/kebab back home.   You can break the law. With your plice friend. Our policeman friend lets us drive his police van around. Its so cool!   I can go out and play pool with my students and the only problems arise when the students that live in the same building with their boyfriends have to pretend that they are "just visiting" so we dont tell the college that they are living outside the campus where they will get fined/ in trouble if the teachers know. Its a case of "Hello! You are adults! Why should I/ anybody care less?" Although with the other teachers the students would get into a lot of shit.   I live in the poorest city in the poorest province in China. It is dirty, smelly and fantastic.   Sometimes the sky is blue.   I’ll continue this another time.

20.11.03 15:29 Permalink / 2 Comments / comment

Why I came to China fficeffice" /> Now you may be wondering, with all the moaning and whinging that I do, why did I come to China in the first place and why don’t I just about turn and go home?   I cam to China through a combination of accident and guanxi. Having failed miserably due to lack of real interest, to get a proper graduate job with all that entails (9-5 work, career prospects, probably more exams, long term commitment, pension plan, getting a loan for a car thus the start to the never ending poverty/ debt trap and all that being a member of the rat race entails.) Now I know many people that have done that for a while, and have been fortunate enough to take time out from their careers, commitment and life, but I was just scared and decided to run away. After graduating I temped for 7 months, working both a full time and a part time job with the intention of getting out once my overdraft and credit card paid off. The only question was where would I go?   I got an email last year from my brother who was working as a VSO volunteer here in China, inviting me over. Despite all the delightful tales he told me the question became not “Why?” but “Why not?” so here I am. Of course, when I came out I had all these ideas on how I would become fluent in Chinese without the slightest modicum of effort and change the world. It didn’t happen, but I have learnt so much about other things that although I still have difficulty holding a basic conversation with a taxi driver maybe I have changed into a different person since I have been here – one wth more patience than I ever thought humanly possible!

20.11.03 15:26 Permalink / 2 Comments / comment

Things I wish someone had told me before I came to China: Bring an attractive bloke with you. fficeffice" /> There is a significant lack of eye-candy for me to ogle here. Chinese women are absolutely gorgeous, but where I live all the men are five foot tall and, um, quite ugly. I’m not saying that all Chinese men are ugly, just the ones I find attractive are few and far between. (Yes, I know, its not what they look like that matters, but GSOH, etc, but when they don’t speak much English you are a bit stuck!)   Bring as many “feminine hygiene products” (tampons!) with you as you can possibly fit into your suitcase. Nearly everything else can be found in the huge Carrefours or other supermarkets in the big cities, although I don’t think I have seen Marmite in a long time!     When you arrive and are in a big city – stock up. You can usually buy nearly everything you would ever possibly need, including deodorant and bleach-free moisturizer, but you never know when the next time you will see cheese may be!   Chinese is a lot harder to learn than you can possible imagine! Maybe I should really put more effort in, but even the Chinese people have difficulty understanding each other half the time. Its hard enough at times back home understanding another person’s strong regional accent, but in China the problem is multiplied to such an extent that Chinese people often can’t understand what people from other provinces are talking about.   Bring a good book or twenty They are hard to come by!   It’s really weird here. Nothing could possibly prepare you for the life here, so don’t even try.   Um, that’s about it really!

20.11.03 15:23 Permalink / comment