It's been a while since my last post, principally because my time with the computer has dominated by attempts to solve my present visa issues. On Thursday I had my first meeting with one of the school leaders (how many there are I don't know but I'm certain that there are enough to confuse any potential martian invader) which concluded that it is far more difficult to obtain a working visa while in China than I had initially been led to believe and that the school would be unwilling to employ me without one. Bugger.
Firstly, I am a little peeved having been told repeatedly (as a result of a number of anxious enquiries) that it would be fine to travel on a tourist visa and get it's status changed once I was in China. Secondly, I am now beginning to settle in and appreciate the scabby charm of Zhengzhou. As an example of this, tonight, I met up with Tom in the city to have a beer and lament the seemingly pointless bureaucratic that is the visa system. We had roast duck at a restaurant only accessible by crossing eight lanes of traffic, fortunately the potential for death is more than compensated by the quality of the duck, which was awesome. We then by chance met a group of three American graduates teaching at Number 47 Middle School (I am informed by Tom that this is the largest concentration of westerners he has encountered in Zhengzhou ) which was an experience only marred by the fact that one of the group was wearing Sunglasses despite in being dusk and was named Cy, the shame! This evening was topped off with a brief visit to 'Target Pub', the popular hang out for westerners. We were the only clients.
Anyhow, it would be such a gargantuan waste to have to end the trip now. I will not go home, no matter the outcome of the impending negotiations, but will have to think of a new plan.
Apart from all the hoohar, I have been enjoying the school more and more. I have been helping a boy in Grade 2 to practice for his SATs (American senior school exams) so he can study in the states. For a Chinese speaker this a mammoth task, he not only has to write an 400 word essay in 25 minutes, very difficult for anyone educated to constantly check all English with a dictionary and a textbook to ensure flawless text, but also complete a number of difficult vocabulary based close test, that I find challenging myself. It is a bit of struggle to get him to leave the office or let me go and eat some lunch, but I will allow him this almost frightening obsession with me considering the work he has put in.
On a completely unrelated note, it was Lantern Festival yesterday. This took the form of 'sweet dumplings' ('soggy black balls with a crunchy centre' would be a more accurate title), and more fireworks than usual. By more fireworks, I mean that for about three hours, the entire sky was dotted with fireworks and permeated with screams and bangs. It seems that part of the excitement of fireworks in China, were health and safety most definitely does not rule supreme, is seeing which ones reach a safe altitude before detonation. The students, who would escape from their classrooms whenever the teacher on patrol did not shout at them to return to personal study, took great delight in any fire work that acted like a WWI air burst shell and sent the observers scattering, often into a busy road.
What Larks! I shall report again as soon as possible, hopefully from China.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment