Blogs from Wuhan, Hubei, China, Asia - page 5

Still in China. When you first get here you tell yourself 'Hey, this is a different country, they have different customs etc' But after a while they start to piss you off. Spitting, they spit ALL the time, I've tried to do it but I can't. Driving/Parking, they can't do any of this. It's funny to watch though. They think by honking the horn they will eventually sort out any problem that they have. Eating. Imagine an old dog with no teeth eating rice.....there you go. Elevators. The most efficient way to use the elevator is to stand back, and allow the other users out before you get in. Here, you stand 3cm from the doors and barge your way in as soon as it opens, irrespecitve of anyone trying to get out. Also, say you're ... read more

There are 4 million channels on the TV here, and as with the UK, most of them are severe pants. Soap Opera's seem to be the most popular. Sometimes I watch the Chinese equivilant of EastEnders and listen to them scream insults (or compliments, I'm none the wiser) at each other for giggles. They have one show which is like China's Funniest Home Videos, which is sort of like You've Been Framed but with much more violent, and I assume fatal accidents being shown along with a laughter track which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in that I laugh too. At 22:00 local time, FINALLY something I can watch. The awesomeness that is Mr Bean comes on on the Kids channel. Oh how I laugh while sat in my flat in my boxers tucking into ... read more

Innit! So I've got a job and an apartment in Wuhan now. I work for an English Language school for mostly (thank God) adults, who actually want to be there. They love my take on the English language, and am proud to say several people in the city now know the words 'Hangover' and 'Kebab' It's very different here. For example, they call Chinese Supermarkets simply Supermarkets, which confused me no end. But not as much as KFC selling crab cakes, I swear I nearly fainted. McDonalds tastes the same, but a hell of a lot cheaper, and most of the staff there have Masters degrees, so calculating change is rarely an issue. I'm writing this in a French bar just around the corner from my flat, all the foreigners are french here (Citroen and Peugeot ... read more

I am sooo full. We went to aloha's and had american thanksgiving! Pumpkin pie was AWESOME, just like from home. Also I know I am horrible at wirting entries. I have never ever been any good at remembering to put in writing entries at any time. I am sitting here at my computer at night and am soo full its unbeilevable. Anyways paul took photo's which I will try to steal so that I can post them here. All is good so far. I have 35 teaching days left until I go on holidays. woohooo!! No I am not counting down yet. The VP annouced it at the last staff meeting. I am really really looking forward to my vacay though.Otherwise life is good. I have money so life is even better. I am missing my ... read more

Today marks the end of my first two weeks in China. I’ve returned to teach English at HUST (Huzhong University of Science and Technology), where I taught in July last year. I’m enjoying being back. This is the first time I’ve returned to an international destination so soon after my first visit. I feel very comfortable here. While the campus and Wuhan itself are large and populous, I’ve run into former and current students several times as I’ve biked around campus and at the nearest shopping mall (more on the mall later). The campus itself hasn’t changed much since my last trip here, but being here in September makes it a very different place. First, in July, the campus is fairly deserted. Now, most students have returned to campus for the fall semester. That means it’s ... read more