back to school

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As of two days ago, I've officially been in China for an entire year. Right now it does feel as if things are coming full circle. After I finished my course, I spent a week with Will and Brian in Shenzhen, and also took a day trip to Hong Kong from their house. I went to Guanzhou for three days as well. I have to admit that Guanzhou is the first new city I visited that I straight out did not like. The hostel I stayed at there was very nice, and right on the Pearl River, and I had some fun poking around the jade market there, but it was just another ugly industrial city overall (some would say that describes Wuhan as well, but I suppose Wuhan has the charm of feeling like home.).

When I'd finished in Guanzhou, I spent a little over a week on Gulang island, off the coast of Xiamen. It was the most decadent vacation I've ever had, and it's funny to think that I wandered into it more or less by accident, after a friend told me that Xiamen was pretty. The island was full of palm tree lined beaches, flower parks, and walking paths full of pretty old houses and gates. I want to go there again someday, but it seems to me that places are never as good the second time through.

I've been in Wuhan for the last week, meeting the new teachers as they come in. It's fun to be one of the people who know what is going on this year! So far the new group hails from Canada, all corners of the USA, England, Ireland, and Australia. I think I've gone out more in the last week than I would in a typical month last year. Then again, last year I basically did all of the overtime work the school could give me, which led to me having very little free time.


School starts the day after tomorrow. From what I've been told, I'm going to be given extra classes this year, based on my performance last year. However, I don't know where these extra classes are coming from, because it also looks like we have even more teachers than we did last year. I see myself being something of a hermit, because I figure now that I've paid to take that TESOL course, it would be a waste -not- to put all of my energy into my classes. I really want my classes to be fantastically good this year, and memorable, and I also want to be a lot quicker and much more thorough when it comes to correcting and other office work. I've bought a cassette recorder so that I can make "radio shows" for my students, and I'm going to lock myself in my room tomorrow, and start making props for the next week of classes.

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Comments

[Bruce Jones]

I do not know why I was so tardy reading this blog entry.....but it still sounds like you are leading an intrigueing and challenging life! Enjoy.......Bruce