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Published: September 10th 2008
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So, a few days have gone by and we thought we should update you all on our mad life here! On Sunday, we had a very relaxing day and went for an explore to an area downtown called Nanjing Road. We were off in search of the Foreign Languages Bookstore and we eventually found it. After a rather interesting Chinese-style curry that is! It was a great bookshop but makes me want to be able to go to The Works or something similar. To be honest, I was able to find some great books for school in both Chinese and English, and some lovely books for Sophie and William too. Actually, they both chose factual books - William chose one about Egypt and one about China and Sophie chose one about Life Cycles and one about Underwater sea creatures. After our purchases, we went on a mini road train through the pedestrian area and visited Shanghai's No.1 Department Store...yes that is the name of it!
This week is flying along again.....school is busy and very manic. We are in a state of flux as we are still in the process of being accredited by the IB and there are so
many things which need Westernising. Today we had a prime example. We are fighting a constant battle to try and get the kids to walk in the building and during lunchtime and teachers are slack at going on duty at break times. At lunchtime, I was coming down my 8 flights of stairs when I heard a very unsettling noise indeed. I rushed down the last few and saw 2 teachers running away carrying a small child. There are large glass doors out onto the athletics track/ pitch where all the kids go at break times and one of them had totally smashed. I was soon joined by a couple of other teachers who had heard the commotion and tried to find out what had happened. Unsurprisingly, I saw Sophie who has seen everything and promptly told me and a couple of teachers the whole story. Apparently a Grade 1 girl had just run straight into the door, not thinking it had been fixed since yesterday when another kid had smashed it with a football. She had a huge gash on her leg and I later found out it had gone through to the bone! She is going to need
surgery and will had a scar for a very long time. So a couple of us teachers stayed out on duty trying to stop the kids running close to the broken glass, especially as the ayis (cleaners) tried to get the rest of the pane out, but we were fighting a losing battle and they just wouldn't listen. I believe there are going to be huge repercussions tomorrow. We were all quite traumatised and hope the little girl gets better soon.
My class is responding well to my teaching and I am feeling more confident every day. I am really enjoying our topic about rules and laws and we have been exploring governments from different countries. I have also now found out that one of my students has a form of Aspergers so I have lots of work to do with her. As all you teachers out there know and appreciate, this will mean pretty much planning a separate lesson for her alone. Luckily the parents are really cooperative and pleased that I am keen to help, and we have a great School Psychologist who I will be working with. She is French so this will give me an
opportunity to practise my language too - hooray!
Ian's teaching career has been momentarily put on hold as the visa people are not allowing him to be employed due to his lack of a formal teaching qualification. The school desperately want him and need him but have asked him to complete a TEFL course. He does not object to this in theory, but this will take some time and we need to be sure there will still be a job for him at the end of the course. In the meantime, he is applying for other stuff and has had 3 companies ring him and an interview today. This was at an Investment company and seemed positive but the guy who interviewed Ian wasn't greatly proficient in English so Ian is not really sure what happens next! He has another potential interview next week but not sure when. There are definitely some interested parties however, which is great news. Watch this space.....
We are very much looking forward to this weekend as we have the day off on monday. Some of my colleagues are going away but we are taking the opportunity to chill and catch up on
some admin and touring! Ian is desperately trying to find somewhere to watch the big match on Saturday and I have a work night out on Friday, so lots on anyway!
I have been thinking about a couple of bits of interesting info to tell you all and will start by probably not making many people pleased, as it is so so hot here at the moment! I can't believe it, it is just almost unbearable. We are having clear blue skies and strong sunshine...perfect for sitting on a sunbed and jumping in the pool. Just a shame we have to work in it! However, we are alos being eaten alive by mossies, so it kind of ruins the joy of heat a little! Also, our ayi is settling in nicely with us. Dinner continues to be wonderful, especially as we don;t have to make it, and she is doing such things as cleaning the kids shoes and mending the hem on my trousers. She also went and posted some parcels for us which was so helpful. We are communicating in pidgeon Chinese, Ian is doing really well, but starts his twice weekly evening lessons tomorrow evening and I
am just trying to pick it up at work and around and about. We have been promised free Chinese lessons through school but not sure when it will start. Sophie has been practising her written Chinese and is doing very well.
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Sam
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Phwoar - look at all that exciting food! Funny fried thing please.