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Published: October 20th 2008
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Another couple of weeks have passed and we are settling into the routine of life in China. The blog has taken a back seat as Nancy's leg slowly heals and we stay close to home for the time being.
We spent three hours at the hospital yesterday only to be told that she has to wait another three weeks before the cast comes off. Nancy was a little depressed but life goes on and she is going back to work tomorrow. The only major challenge is getting up and down the eight flights of stairs to our apartment since there is no elevator in the building. We have decided that I will take her back and forth on the back of the scooter, saving her lots of walking to and from the bus and the school.
Speaking of scooters... The other day I messed up the thing by plugging the wrong wire in the wrong place on a dark night. There was a hiss, a pop, a burning smell and death soon overcame the whole vehicle. After a few phone calls by one of the Chinese teachers, I was told that the mechanic would come and fix it on
the spot but I would have to go get him since this complex is so big, he wouldn't come by himself for fear of not finding me. So I grabbed a taxi to his shop and he brought me back on the back of his motorcycle. After a quick look, he realized that he would have to take it back to his place to repair it. Through a translating friend I was told that he would bring it back that night. I had no idea how he was gonna do it but was told to push it out onto the street and he would take it from there. After getting out on the street, he motioned me to get on the bike. He revved his engine, stuck out his foot and pushed me all the way to his shop through the traffic, over bridges and around corners using his foot. Only in China.. you gotta love it!!
And speaking of loving it...the weather has been incredible...29 in the shade all week. The humidity has disappeared which makes it just great. To give you some idea, I rode the scooter back from the shop on Sunday night around 9i:30 pm
with my t-shirt and shorts on. Although I was told today that generally it does go below freezing for about a week in January. OMG, how will we handle it!! We had a sports day at the school on Saturday and roasted in the sun all day. And sports days here are a big deal! Opening ceremony, parading into the field, banners, signs, flag raising, closing ceremony...all for events such as jumping like a kangaroo, five legged race, carrying the ball in a certain way, etc. It was the Olympics all over again. And we got to use the new track and field area for the first time. 400 m track with bleachers, tennis courts, soccer field, and soon to be constructed,,,brand new indoor gym. The new buildings are coming along, as you can see in the photos, and should be finished within the next couple of months.
Next year, the school population is expected to double again to over 1000 and continue doubling until it reaches a total of 3000-4000 students in the next two or three years. Our school system will be hiring about 150 BC teachers for next year for at least three schools, including ours.
Brand new 8 lane track
New buildings take shape on the right. Anyone interested in coming to China to teach, this is your chance. Right now, we have the "fastest growing school system in B.C." lol.
Our fridge broke down this week, nothing major, just a thermostat or something. The landlady was upset and said she hopes it doesn't happen again. Not that we have any control over the inside workings of the thing. The classic line this week was from her to our friend who is acting as liaison between the landlords and the teachers, "Well, if they didn't use the fridge, it wouldn't break." Sooooorrrrry!!! 😊
The big news today is that I went on a trek with a Chinese teacher friend to the local license bureau to try to get a Chinese driver's license. And found out it is not a big deal. I just need to come back with a few officially translated documents (including my BC license) and they will give me the equivalent Chinese license for car and motorcycle. It is very difficult to get a motorcycle license here so getting one directly like this will be great. Then I can get something that will get us out into the countryside to the nearby
smaller towns. The kids and the teachers said once you get out of town, there is very little traffic on the roads. I mentioned today I could start my own motorcycle club here...the Wuhan Warriors. lol
Well, that is enough rambling for now. I will try to upload some pics now before I hit the sack.
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