I am fortunate that being a teacher in China allows me spare time, whilst earning money, to also explore the country. We work weekends, so have the start of the week off, which isn’t as bad as it may sound.

The weekends are usually extremely busy, with children off from school, parent’s home, and everyone rushing around trying to cram as much as they can into their weekends. This isn’t the case come Monday, so it is easier to be able to get to places, without the huge crowds.

Where would you go?

The question people should ask is ‘where wouldn’t you go?’. I haven’t travelled this far to stay in my small little sphere of work and home, and the occasional bar or restaurant. There is so much to see and so much to do in China, but always so little time. There is Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Lijiang, and so many other major attractions and places to go, but there are also the other smaller, unknown places to see and explore, that are right on your doorstep.
In Fuzhou there is so much to see and do, and it is so well connected to other towns and cities, that you don’t just have to explore Fuzhou on your two days off. Disregarding what the Lonely Planet has to say about Fuzhou, you have so many Temples, Gardens, Mountains, Museums, Zoo’s and parks to explore, that there doesn’t seem like there is enough time to fit it all in. However, you can see some of the places in a morning before work, so I normally use my weekends for bigger adventures.
Xiamen is a few hours train ride away, and so cheap to get to. There is a lot to do in Xiamen, and it is a huge tourist spot. There are several cities around Fuzhou that can be explored, as well as beaches to see. This is after all a harbour town, and near the coast. It would almost be rude not to go and explore some of the beaches.

Transport

Getting around on the trains and buses isn’t that hard either. The trains name the place that they go to in pinyin as well as Chinese characters, so it is easy to see which train you should get. Failing that, there are several internet sites that will provide you with a train timetable for the city in English, and translate it to Chinese for you. So make a copy of the Chinese name, the time it departs, and the date, take it to the booth, and they will understand.

You do need a copy of your passport to travel, as we do not have an ID card. However a copy does suffice, so you don’t even have to panic that you will be unable to leave China should you lose your passport whilst on a train.
Now when I think of a train, I conjure up the image of the trains from home. Slow, smelly, with seats in the retro blue and red, that literally came out of the 80’s. However, this isn’t the case here. The seats are comfortable, with a lot of space. The carriage is cleaned continually, by cleaned I do mean a broom moved up and down the aisles, but that is more than back home, and it is mercifully air conditioned. England could learn a thing or two about rail transport from China. Not only is it clean and comfortable, it is cheap, quick, and has announcements in English too. Even the easily lost like me can manage. The only problem I have had is me being late, getting confused in the station and missing my train, because unlike England, the trains here are extremely punctual!

The trains aren’t the only method of getting around either. In China there is the overnight and long distance buses. Now, this concept is a novel one to me. I don’t think we have overnight anything in England. But using this mode of travel you don’t waste any time. You are travelling whilst you are sleeping. So you go to bed in one place, and wake up in another!
I travelled to Hong Kong via the overnight bus. This is one experience I shall never forget. I had with me my weekend back pack, which was pretty average. I waited in line with my roommate who was going at the same time as me. We went to get onto the bus, and were stopped. We had to take off our shoes. This is pretty standard in Chinese homes, so why not on an overnight bus. Stepping onto the bus I was instantly reminded of Harry Potter and the knight Bus. It was amazing. Even the driving was reminiscent of the movie!

Places around Fuzhou

Using the train network I have been able to explore different surrounding towns, such as Xiamen and Putian (Meizhou Island), Pingtan, Quanzhou, Chongwu and several others.
I have also explored Yongding since arriving in China. You don’t always want to go to the tourist attractions, where the real China is submerged beneath a layer of trinkets, and tourist souvenirs. Here China’s history surrounds and engulfs you. You see different tribe houses, the round houses, Hakka Houses and the Tolou houses. How they are built, and also how they are lived in, as they are still inhabited today by different tribes. You are able to go round, and get a sense of what life would be like. How different it is from how we live, the different values, the social roles, the needs.

Perks of the job

I can definitely say that living in a different country, and teaching English definitely has several job perks, but for me, being able to travel and explore the country that I am now living and working in, is definitely one of the biggest perks, one which can’t be beaten at home!

There are many aspects to living in China. The difference in communication, culture, food, music, fashion, and even animals, and so many more.

So I am a keen animal lover, I have dogs, I have had rabbits, cats, goats, hamsters, chickens, and so many other animals. I love animals so much, that I am a vegetarian. Due to this, I have to admit I was slightly wary about coming to China, where in certain provinces they eat dogs, snakes, rabbits, and every animal I have ever kept as a pet.

When I arrived, I was so pleased to hear other people, native Chinese, saying that they would never eat dogs, that they think it is horrific. But yet there were plenty of people carrying snakes around in bags, and just in their hands, offering them to you, well for you to buy. There are ladies carrying sticks over their shoulders, with either end of the stick about 6 or 7 ducks tied to it, by their feet. Or else in bags, attached to the end of the sticks. There are stray dogs walking around, often in packs at night, no cats, that I am aware of.

Again, I will admit that it took a lot to get used to all of this. Especially the shops, when if you are up early enough in the morning, you see the ducks or geese being strangled and plucked.

Duck Alliance

Having seen these conditions, especially for the ducks, and how they are carried around, a group of teachers at work decided that we would all buy a duck and then release them onto the lake, in the hope that they would actually swim away and survive, hoping that no one would come along and see a free meal just swimming on the lake.
So at lunchtime we all went downstairs, where a lady was waiting for us with the poor animals. My heart immediately went out to them, and we all purchased a duck. The lady did offer to kill them for us, before she realised that we actually wanted them alive.

Cradling my duck in my arms, I slowly walked towards the lake. The duck was docile, which was a relief as I have never held a duck before. We reached the lake and let the duck go. It was such an overwhelming feeling, that I had given this duck some freedom before whatever happened. We all felt a sense of relief. A relief for the ducks that they might experience freedom and joy, rather than being tied by their feet and carried around.

Pets

There are many people in China like me, who love animals. The pet dogs that I have seen are pampered, walked, manicured, and loved so much. There is even a fashion over here at the moment, where animals have their hair dyed to make them look like other animals, such as poodles looking like tigers or camels. There are poodles with lime green feet and pink ears and tail. Whilst this sounds ridiculous, it at least shows that their owners take care of them and look after them.

I had decided that I wouldn’t get a pet whilst in China, as I am only here for the year (or so I thought), and that with working I wouldn’t have time for a pet, other than maybe fish.
So within the first week of living in China, my flatmate and I bought a tank and several fish. They unfortunately didn’t last very long. Then, just over a month ago, a student of mine gave me a puppy. A Teddy Bear puppy. I was shocked and surprised, but at the same time ecstatic. However, she only has three working legs, the other one is crippled. She was born like this, and as a testament to this, I decided to call her Stumpy.

Puppies

Now, I have a three legged puppy, in an apartment, and to go along with her, a Golden Retriever puppy (Buttercup). Puppies aren’t easy at the best of time, I have lived and helped raise litters of puppies, and it is very tiring. I thought I wouldn’t be able to look after the puppies properly, but since having them, there have been no problems, apart from maybe a lack of sleep. Obviously I live in a flat, so everything is different. I have had to toilet train them, actually using the equivalent of a puppy toilet and pads. I have had to protect furniture and obviously taking them for walks is a lot of exercise when we include the eight flights of stairs. But this hasn’t been a problem as I thought it would have been.

There are plenty of vets around to help, so all the puppies have been properly vaccinated, and the treatment has been that of a Western standard. Also, four or five other teachers have dogs so we almost have a dog club going on.

Treatment of animals

Whilst on the surface of things, everything looks so bizarre, with the ducks, snakes, tortoises, dogs and so many animals, but yet this goes on back home, but just not so openly. There is no pretence in China as to what the animals are for. Neither are the people unaware of where their meat comes from. They are willing to go out there and kill their own meat. At the same time, they also know how to look after and treat their pets. There is a little animosity towards stray dogs, and as a result they are slightly scared of some dogs, that they may bite them or attack them. Even with this fear though, people haven’t mistreated the stray animals. There is a sense of love for all animals. Something I didn’t really expect when thinking of China.

So, where I work we are given a strict curriculum to follow for our kindergarten classes, and Hip Hip Hooray classes. We know what vocabulary and what grammar we are expected to teach in that lesson, and all we really have to figure out is how, and the timing for each activity. The homework is provided, and it is a simple job. However, this is not the case for our teenager classes.

Senior classes

Like the Hip Hip Hooray classes, there is a text book, and like all the other classes, there is a cap on how many students you can have in a class, and we have to plan the lessons. That is where the similarity ends. With the teenager classes, we have to look at the material in the text book, and figure out what it is we are meant to be teaching and how. There is a broad general curriculum to follow, but it basically says “Everyday English” or “Past Simple”. Great. There is no set vocabulary or grammar, it is left to us, and our creative devices to come up with it all.

It isn’t as hard as it sounds. It is actually rather a lot of fun. Yes, you have to follow the textbook broadly, but you have the freedom to bring in other topics, to go off of the set path and make the lessons fun. You can even design your own homework, and projects. We have to write two “Stop and Checks” to make sure that the students have grasped what we are trying to teach them; such as the Past Simple or the correct use of ‘would’ and ‘could’. But again, we write this test, with the final test in mind, and knowing what we have taught the students so far, and in which style we have taught them.

Planning the Lessons

As previously mentioned, we have a wide scope here when it comes to lesson planning. We can make it as much fun as we like, bearing in mind, most teenagers don’t like playing a lot of games as they are at that awkward teenage phase. So you have to conjure up ideas to make everyone feel comfortable, and get everyone involved in the lesson. Boys and Girls!
I really like making the students work in pairs or small groups, as they feel a lot more comfortable, and they are talking to other people in the class, not just their friends. After a couple of lessons like this, everyone knows each other, and there doesn’t seem to be that separation or divide between different groups of friends or boys and girls.

Whilst you are planning the lesson, you have to keep the goals in mind. That you are trying to teach them a specific tense, or all the different ways to ask one question. Neither of these are the most fun things to learn, or to teach, but we have to try to make them fun. This is where project work can be useful.

Depending on the different types of children in the class, choose a topic that they all like – normally movies or music, or something generic and not gender based. Then come up with a project, like diorama’s for them to create, as well as a written script to accompany it. The children have fun in making something, and having something to show for their work. Plus the parents like it as well.

Other projects I have done, have been to set different books for the children to read outside of class, then setting some time aside each lesson to talk about the book, and any vocabulary or grammar they may have found difficult. This is a fun exercise, and helps the children to reinforce what you are teaching them in the lesson. They read different expressions and different tenses, but it’s a fun story. All children seem to like Harry Potter, and I have to admit, it isn’t the worst thing to talk about in class.

Homework

I have found setting homework tricky. You don’t want to set too much, otherwise the students won’t be able to finish it, and you have to mark it in the lesson, or take it home to mark. I don’t mind taking it home to mark, but do mind taking up a huge chunk of lesson time just to go through it, so you have to think carefully. You also have to think whether it is relevant to what you are teaching the students at the moment. If it isn’t, it might just go to confuse them, rather than helping them understand the point of the lesson.
However, you don’t want to set them so little that it is pointless them doing it. Nor do you want them to be repeating the homework, as they have done it before, and will most likely copy the last homework and resubmit it. Boring for you, and for them. I have asked them to keep diaries, and each topic that I study with them, make them then include it into their diaries. Yes, the entries can become repetitive, but then I suppose I expect that when most of my students only seem to go to school to study, and go to another school before going to bed. Not much time for them to come up with an interesting diary entry, but it is good practice at writing, and the different verbs. Plus they are able to improve each time, due to the corrected mistakes, and that repetition helps them to remember some rules.

Is it easier?

Whilst I find a lot of aspects about teaching teenagers a lot easier, it is also a lot more work. A lot more thought, effort and time has to go into planning and preparation, but I have found that I enjoy the classes a lot more because I have put more effort and time into them. I also like the fact that you can have more conversations with teenagers, and there is more understanding. As the curriculum isn’t as rigid, they learn different questions and different ways to ask them, therefore you aren’t stuck to a script.
I love all of my classes though, but I think I appreciate the teenagers more and it gives me a clearer idea of what a teacher back home would have to do in lesson planning and marking. It allows me to engage my imagination and be really creative.

China’s Cuisine

Food is a major part of any culture. We all use it as a form of socializing, or as a hobby, or a way to relax. However, every country has its own cuisine and its own take on different dishes.  Depending on where you go in China, each province has its own school of cooking. Sichuan province is renowned for its fiery dishes, and Beijing for the Peking Duck. Fuzhou’s food isn’t as famous as those two examples, but it does belong to a different school of cooking, where the focus is placed mainly on seafood. This is due to the proximity to the sea, and therefore the large availability of fish. It is also noted that provinces in the South of China don’t use as much red meat as northern provinces. This is a clear indicator of how the weather and geographical position of provinces influents the diet of many people.
The main dish for Fuzhou is fish balls. It is as delicious as it sounds, or so I am told, as I am one of those rare creatures found in China – a vegetarian.

Different Diets

Whilst you may be forgiven for thinking that due to China’s rich history, and large population of Buddhists, that vegetarian options would be available pretty much everywhere. You would be wrong. The word vegetarian does not appear to have the same meaning here in China than it would say in England or America. Here in China, it means you can eat small amounts of meat. Or Fish. Or seafood.Furthermore, they do not feel the need to tell you that the vegetarian option you have asked for, and specifically requested not to come with meat, will in fact have meat in it. How do I know? Because the consumption of meat makes me ill, and it isn’t always hidden within the food.

That shouldn’t deter anyone. Myself, and several other vegetarians are surviving, with a wide and varied diet. Lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, tofu, rice, even some western foods are available over here. There are some trusted restaurants that you will find, and it is always a way to expand your own culinary skills.

For those that will eat everything, then this is the place for you. They have everything here, from chickens feet to cow’s tongue. There’s plenty of rice and noodles, and ordering food becomes second nature. It is definitely a place to expand your food choices.

Restaurants

The restaurants and eating out in China is also an experience. It is an adventure, and often leads to funny anecdotes. Don’t come expecting everywhere to be of a Western standard, with spotless areas, but they have their charms. The waiters and waitresses are so welcoming and friendly. Even if you don’t speak Chinese they more than try to help you, often laughing with you as you try to TPR out a food menu, or draw food items with your fingers.

Street food is amazing. There is a whole culture of street food, with so many vendors lined along different streets, opening after dark and not closing until late. They are everywhere. But the food is delicious. Especially the barbecues. You walk up to a vendor, and the food is all fresh and on display. You don’t need to speak Chinese to order, you can just point at what you would like. They add the most amazing spices, and everything just tastes amazing. I definitely recommend the sweetcorn and the aubergine, well any of the vegetables.
A lot of people love the ban mian (noodles cooked in something like peanut butter) and the rice and chicken. These are available everywhere, and cost from 3 – 14 Yuan. So cheap and convenient, it almost makes it seem cheaper, and easier to eat out everyday rather than cook.

Overall

Whilst some restaurants may make it hard for people like vegetarians, or those with certain allergies to eat out, it is not impossible. The street vendor food is delicious, and you watch it getting cooked whilst you wait. There is so many combinations to choose from, you have to go back time and time again.

If you don’t want to eat out, then the food in the supermarkets is just as fresh, cheap and convenient. Fruit is even sold on the streets, from baskets, or on carts. You cannot escape the different foods available here, they are literally on every corner you walk past. They are so colourful, and tempting.

The lack of western food also forces us out of our comfort zone, and into the area where we are left to experiment. Believe me, the food here is nothing like the food at home. There is so much to choose from, and so many new fruits and flavours to try, a year wont be long enough!

Teaching in China

When you teach in China, I have already noted that the greatest resource you have available to you are the other teachers in the office. But who is going to be the biggest support, well that is your Teaching Assistant. Each class is assigned a foreign teacher and a Chinese Teaching Assistant (T.A). Make sure you are on good terms with your T.A, they are so vital to you being a good teacher, and for being understood.

The Role of a Teaching Assistant

The main role of a T.A is obviously to help support you in your lesson, help with translations, explaining complex grammar points to make sure students can understand it, when you are busy too step in and help, write points on the board, and most importantly to be able to go between the parents, students and yourself. The T.A is an extension of you in the class, and out of the class, they go beyond what we do. Sometimes I would not want to be the one to tell a parent that their student has been naughty, or may need to do a restudy. The T.A is so vital to your class, that you have to make sure you appreciate them. You soon notice when they aren’t in the class!

The Classes

For the younger classes the T.A’s are present in every class. These classes are all Kinder classes, Starter Classes (Seniors and Juniors) and 1A and 1B classes. After these units, when the students go into Level 2, the T.A only comes to every other class.

When I made the transition for my 1B class to the 2A class I keenly noted the lack of support. The students might stare at me with blank faces, and their limited English and my limited Chinese left me trying to resort to extreme measures, including TPR, Charades, using smart phones, and also having the Chinese written on a piece of paper beforehand then me trying to reproduce that Chinese either in pinyin or in writing on the board. I then made it a point to teach all the children different aspects of English – classroom English, like “Do you understand?”, “Can you explain it to me?”, “One more time?” and so forth. It is always advisable to do this from the beginning.

Discipline

Another key part of being a teacher is classroom management and discipline. With a T.A in the class it is like having a pair of eyes in the back of your head, an extra hand, and an extra voice. I have spoken with my T.A’s for all of my classes, and asked them if they could help me with corrections if we are doing a group task, and I obviously will not be able to listen to all 16 students at once, or in a game when we are doing relays. I have my T.A’s making sure that the students are paying attention if I have to turn my back for a moment, to say, write something on the board. I swear as soon as your back is turned, anything can happen!

Also, when you are talking to a group of students, the T.A is making sure everyone is on task. I ask that the T.A’s help, or focus a bit more attention on weaker students, that may not be able to speak up as much as the more confident children, or may say that they understand something when they don’t. The T.A can pick up on this as well, and help you to make sure that they grasp the grammar or the vocabulary being presented to them.

Outside of Class

Whilst the T.A’s play a pivotal role inside the class, most of their work goes on outside of the classroom. They help with relaying homework to absent students, improving weaker students English, spend extra time with students, explaining things further, talking with parents, arranging all the information sheets for change of times, or holidays, or anything that may be happening. They mark tests for you, and basically do all of the extra paperwork that you don’t do. T.A’s put a lot of effort into each class outside of the class time.
I have 6 classes, and 6 different T.A’s. I try to make it so that I talk to each T.A about how I think the class is going, how they think the class is going, what needs to be worked on, which students may need extra help, or what may need to be gone over again. Whilst you are the teacher, it is important to listen to the T.A’s as they will be able to help you to improve your style to suit each class so that the students are able to gain the most from every lesson.

Undervalued resource

Whilst the T.A’s may be easily overlooked, they are one of the strongest parts of a classroom. The children and parents are able to build a rapport with them, and they are there to help you, so listen to what they have to say. If you have any problems or concerns they will listen and try to help you to resolve them, or do their best to resolve them for you. Furthermore most T.A’s aren’t just your Assistant, they quickly become your friends too, and can help support you whilst you are living in China.

I am sick

I struck down, after 6 months living in China. It came on slowly, and then suddenly hit. I thought it was a simple bug, and armed with antibiotics written in Chinese, I headed to the pharmacy and bought myself some medication, thinking that, an early night, and lots of water would see me right as rain. And yes, you can buy antibiotics over the counter here in China without a need for a prescription.

My plan did not work out as I had expected. Instead I went to bed feeling worse, if that was possible than I originally felt, and was even up throughout the night running to and from the bathroom. So my hope of a restful night, and plenty of sleep did not work. I called into work sick the next day, thinking the tablets hadn’t had enough time to kick in, and promising myself the day of rest that I probably needed. Plus I didn’t want to make any children ill.

The Next Day

Come the next day, I arm myself with plenty of water, a blanket, my medication and a comfy seat. I am adamant that I will beat this. The cough will go, the world will stop spinning, and I will be able to hold down food long enough to digest it. Again though, the’ best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray..’ and it was not to be. By the end of the day, after feeling like I was on a continuous carousel, I rang work again, and had to tell them that I didn’t think I could safely come into work again, and apologize, and then ring our Chinese and English liaison at school to see if she would take me to see a doctor the next day. Then I settled down for another night of hacking, coughing induced vomiting, and sweating. Being sick is such an ugly way to be.

The Clinic

Now, it is the third day I have had to be off of work, and I am feeling so bad. I haven’t taken this much time off for an illness since I had my tonsils removed in year 9, and then that was because I had to have an operation. I was feeling awful for all the teachers who, with an already full work load, had to take on my classes as well.

I finally left the apartment to meet the liaison at 10am outside the school, to go to the Clinic. Hospitals are apparently closed on a Sunday, well the walk in hospitals anyway. So after a very slow walk, so that I didn’t faint, and could still breathe between my coughing fits, we arrive at the clinic. It is unobtrusive, and I wouldn’t have given it a second glance if I had walked past it, which I had done several times since being here. We go in, and fill in a form about my details, and have to put money on a card.

In China you have to pay up front for any medical treatment like this, and they just put the money on a card, and when you go to get treatment or see the doctor. They put the card into a card reader and deduct the fee each time. They also can use the card to write notes for the pharmacy and to let other departments now. It definitely beats trying to fill in a million insurance forms before being seen.

So I wait my turn to see the doctor, who turns out to be really friendly, and doesn’t seem to question that I am ill because I am a foreigner, which I had heard other people say. Though I was a bit disconcerted by the fact that you didn’t seem to have a doctor patient confidentiality as I would have expected. My examination was done in front of two other families waiting to see the same doctor, and she did not feel it inappropriate to ask me about my menstrual cycle in relation to my illness. I personally didn’t see the correlation, I don’t generally get hysterical and over exaggerate illnesses depending on the time of the month, but I went with it. She was the doctor after all.

After a chest examination, so she could listen to my breathing, (I was glad she didn’t lift my top up in front of everyone else, I might have had to ask for some privacy), she stated that I had a throat infection. Even though my throat didn’t hurt, and my symptoms were coughing fits, often inducing vomiting, the world continually spinning, feeling faint and a headache that felt like someone was trying to pry my skull apart. I asked her if the infection can cause all of these symptoms, and she said yes, but she sent me for a blood test to make sure it wasn’t something else as well.

The Blood Test

I have never been good with needles, in fact my first memory of having to have an injection involved me running around a room, screaming at the top of my lungs like someone was trying to murder me, evading my mum and two nurses, whilst my baby brother looked on bemused. So I went with trepidation to have this blood test. I was very surprised when the nurse, after taking my card, and reading the instructions, reached for my finger to get blood from there. I suddenly reverted back to the screaming 5 year old, and in panic pulled my hand back and said no. No, they could not take blood from my finger, only my arm. I stubbornly refused, and made her take a blood sample from my arm, to the bewilderment of the nurse, my liaison, and the group of 5 year olds actually waiting for their test. They were having their pre-school health check-up, and were nervous enough, so I probably did not help them – Sorry. The blood test done, I went back to the doctor.

Results

The doctor looked at the blood test print out, and then said I had a throat infection, and proceeded to prescribe me four sets of medication. 3 are a liquid, whilst one is an antibiotic in pill form. I say pill form, it is about the size of a pill I would expect a horse to be given. The liquids aren’t better either, every time I take them, three times a day, I have to remind myself what my mum would always tell me; ‘What doesn’t taste good makes you better’.. Though I do really think that was her way of making me take all the vile medication growing up, and even the vile food she made us eat, but at the present it comforts me. The whole experience cost me less than a prescription back home, and it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was clean, hygienic and as professional as I could have expected it to be.

I am still on the medication, and am starting to feel more human. Well the world has stopped spinning, even if the coughing hasn’t yet. I also wasn’t sure about not eating and drinking cold things, in this heat I need my cold to room temperature water. I am not converted to the warm water drinking just yet. I am just hoping that all this works, as I am really starting to feel the effects of cabin fever. There is only so much resting you can do before you just need to burst out and see the world; run, skip, jump and just explore the world, rather than your bedroom!

Rumor has it

Rumour had it that getting your haircut in China was this huge ordeal, only to be undertaken by those in the most desperate and dire of circumstances. People had horror stories of going to the hairdresser and coming back with a bob instead of the luscious long locks that had asked for. Or else a hairstyle reminiscent of the 80’s, no backcombing needed.

The Truth

With these rumours having been firmly planted, I was very reluctant to go for a haircut. I imagined several horrific scenarios that might happen, and it isn’t as if you could go and buy a wig here, or try to get it re-done (imagine reliving the original nightmare, but magnified?). This meant that I would have to go prepared.

I thought about how I wanted my hair to look, what was it that needed to be done, and I came up with a huge list. It needed tidying up, trimming, getting rid of split ends, and basically everything. So I hit the internet, and various different websites with pictures of hairstyles. I searched for famous people to look at their hair. I compared their length to mine, not wanting to risk taking a photo of someone with longer hair than me, in case they thought I wanted extensions, or someone with significantly shorter hair in case they thought that I wanted a lot cut off. It took, what seemed like forever to be able to find a picture of about the right length, the right style, and the right colour, (I didn’t want it to look like I wanted my hair dyed either).

Having found the picture, I asked around for which hairdressers people could recommend. The Teaching Assistants came in very handy, they really are the best people to talk to about anything, as they know everything! I also asked around for price, time, distance, any information I could garner. I managed to find a hairdresser’s, have everything I wanted done with my hair translated into Chinese – characters and pinyin, and took along with me, my trusted print out of the picture.

Facing The Music

With everything prepared, all there was left for me to do, was to go. That took more courage than anything. Some of the rumours were really horrific. I decided to go without telling anyone, and on a spur of the moment after work one night. With not much thinking beforehand, just going for it, I set off.

I entered the premises, and was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t look like a rusty, worn down shack, but was very modern and clean. One of the rumours dispelled. The hairdressers were friendly, and seemed to understand exactly what I wanted, and the price was so reasonable, another rumour gone.However all the hairdressers in China seem to be male, as was the case here. It seems to be the profession to be in.

I was whisked away upstairs to get my hair washed, and my head massaged, (men can give good head massages), then my hair was placed in a clean towel, (rumour three). I was escorted downstairs and given a nice cup of coffee, and placed in a chair in front of the mirror. There were no dramas. Everyone said hello and seemed so friendly.

The hairdresser came along, and with his very limited English introduced himself to me, and pointed to the picture. I smiled weakly, nodded my head and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see what might happen. I had already surrendered myself to the inevitable.

End Result

There was no need to close my eyes at all. When I opened them, the hairdressers were laughing at what I can only describe as my foolishness. My hairstyle was exactly like the picture, minus changing the side my hair was parted on. It was amazing. They blow dried my hair, straightened it, and styled it. I felt like I should have gone out for the evening to show of my new hair, rather than just the 3 minute walk to my apartment block.

The end result was perfect, immaculate almost, and the service as a whole was impeccable. I don’t think I could get what I had done back at home for less than £100, but here in China, it cost me the equivalent of £1.80. Crazy huh?

Since then I have been back to the same hairdressers, I feel I can trust them, and have a rapport with them, and have had two other treatments of my hair. I decided to permanently straighten my hair, the humidity was not kind to it, nor all the time it took to try to style my hair, and again I felt like royalty. My hair was washed, my head massaged, coffee provided, and water, and unlimited entertainment. I felt so relaxed, and really enjoy my visits to the hair dressers.

What Rumours?

I would really like to say, don’t listen to all the rumours. Yes there is a language barrier, so take a photo, and be prepared to say, or have written down what it is what you want. If you go in there with no idea, and under prepared, then the end result really is your own doing. There was no sleazy behaviour either, but a very friendly, welcoming environment. And anyway, what are rumours? Nothing but hearsay.

Classroom Games

Every lesson needs to include something fun for the children to do. No one wants to sit through an hour and a half of a language lesson, without being slightly amused or captivated. Games are the best way to captivate the children, and make each lesson more enjoyable, and memorable!

My top Games

Every teacher is different and has their own games that they like to include in lessons, and I am no different. I try to think what type of lesson I will be teaching so as to know what type of game to include. I have broken down my top seven according to the class and activity.

Warm up Game

At the start of every class, whilst I am going around and checking the homework and diaries, I like to get the children up and thinking, rather than being sat there and bored. One game that they love to play is word hunt. It is one of the simplest games I know, but so effective.

Before checking the diaries, I get each child to say a letter of the alphabet and write it in the centre of the board. I then draw a circle around the line of letters and give two students a marker. They then have to go and make a word out of the letters, before passing the pen on. This continues until I have finished checking the diaries.

Depending on the level that I am teaching, depends on the rules. If it is a young, lower level class, the words can be short, so maybe a minimum of two letters per word, and if it is a higher level class, minimum of four or five letters per word. I then award points to the student with the best word.

I have found that things game gets the children thinking right from the start, and wakes them up. It also encourages them to learn new words, and if there is a new word on the board, I ask them to explain what it means, and translate it. That way the whole class has also learnt a new word.

Vocab game

Most lessons will try to incorporate new vocabulary, or else be reviewing the vocabulary. If I am introducing new vocabulary I like to make sure that the children can pronounce the word, and also understand what it means.
First, I ask them if they know they word, try to elicit answers, if not I tell them, and get them to repeat, before asking for the meaning, or to act out the meaning. Once it is understand, I will almost drill the meaning, but in a fun way.

The children are already in two teams, so I will draw two lines on the floor in front of me, and get the children to line up behind the lines in their teams. Using flashcards we will then play the ‘I want to sit down game’. The purpose of this game is that the first team with all the children sat down, gets points. All the children have to do is say the new vocabulary correctly, and before the other person in the other team.
The two front children in each line will be shown a flashcard, either the image or else the word, and will have to tell me what it is or says. They have to be correct and say it before the other person. The first one to do this gets to sit down, or else be a judge for me.

I find this game is very useful in helping children to remember. Not only to remember, but also to help with reading and understanding. They are very competitive so they enjoy it as well.

Another game I use is what I call the ‘Mexican wave’. In this game, the children are all sat in a circle, and are asked to each stand up and say a word. But each word has to be different from the others, and has to be done quickly. At first, the children are given a word and have to say that word when it is their turn, then they will pass the word onto the person on their right, and repeat the game. This way each student will say every word, but they enjoy it because it is a fast game, where they are standing and sitting, listening and speaking, and you can even make it so they are writing and reading. It is different from just sitting down and repeating words!

Grammar games

Sometimes grammar is hard to teach, or for the children to understand. Therefore games can be essential.

One game that has never failed me, and all children love to play is trading cards. I get the children to write down the vocab that goes with the grammar point on a piece of paper that has been folded, normally into six. They can cut these sections into cards, and have to go around the class asking other students the grammar point, in order to get the other’s card. The student with the most cards at the end wins a certain number of points, or a prize. This get’s the children up, asking the grammar, getting answers, and they really want to win so they repeat the grammar point so many different times, and have fun doing so.

Another game, or activity that is really good is a puzzle. This can be in that the students get a piece of paper with lines drawn on it, and a box full of words. They have to place the correct words in the correct order to get the grammar point and the answer. This includes the different structures, such as he or she, they, me, we etc. It gets the children thinking, and also practises their reading and writing. When some students have finished ahead of others, they help each other, not by giving answers but describing – they become teacher’s themselves, and they love it!

Checking understanding

It is important to check understanding for each point, especially if you don’t have a teacher’s assistant that lesson, and aren’t fluent in Mandarin yourself.

One way that I have found invaluable, is through the use of charades! The children get together in small groups, and play charades. At first I will nominate a student to act out the vocab first, and the others get points if they are the first to guess what they are acting. After a certain period of time, I rotate it round, so every student has a chance to act out the vocab. If they haven’t fully understood it in the first place, through charades they can see what the word is, and what it means.

Another fun way of putting all the grammar and vocab together is through a round of KTV. China seems to love KTV, and so do the children. They get really into, it love it if it is almost like a game show – X Factor maybe, and the others get to help select the best of the best. They use microphones, and also have to act out what they are singing, almost like a dance routine. Really good in song lessons, and the whole class gets involved.

These are some of the games and activities I use within my classes to help the children have fun whilst learning English. There are so many more, and the activities can always be adapted and evolve to suit the level of the class and what is being taught. Plus, not only do the children have fun, you do too!

Having been born and educated in England, most schools taught us French or German, possibly Spanish as our second language. I never even considered trying to learn Chinese. China was so far away, and at the age of 11 I didn’t even dream of going and working in China.

13 years later, and living in China, I am now trying to learn Mandarin, from scratch.

The basics

The optimum age for acquiring a new language is when you are younger, when your mind is open and still able to be shaped. The younger the better, though I did try to delude myself that being immersed in the culture, and surrounded by the language, it would come easily. I was soon proven wrong.

First day in China, I only knew how to say ni hao, and probably not with the correct intonation. I was asked why I didn’t say thank you, or at least try to be polite. Simple truth, I didn’t know. I was under prepared. I vowed to throw myself into learning the basics of the language.

Over the days I was told xie xie is thank you, and ting bu dong means I don’t understand. I must have said both of those phrases a million times each day, to be greeted with mock laughter, and much repetition of ting bu dong. Maybe I wasn’t saying it correctly.

The language

The hardest part about learning Chinese is the different accents and dialects. Every country has a different accent or expressionisms depending on the county or even state. This is the same with China, though there are plenty more towns, and villages, each with their own unique language.

Furthermore, the four different tones and ways of pronouncing the vowels make it even more interesting. The first tone I feel like I am singing (or trying to sing), the second tone (the rising tone) I feel like I am trying to ask a question, then third, I repeat the way in which we say water, down then slightly rising, then finally the fourth tone. I feel like I am angry, shouting, sharp. Saying a sentence where the tones are constantly changing, I feel is a vocal challenge, you are thinking whether to sing, question, water, or be mean, and the facial expressions I pulled whilst trying to master each sentence tells a story. Plus the accompanying hand movements to indicate the tone is just plain hilarious. It doesn’t help anyone understand you better, but it does make them laugh at you.

Lessons

I attended Chinese lessons provided by the school with some other new teachers, though even then I was out of my depth, and couldn’t keep up. I then approached a Teaching Assistant and asked her to give me private lessons. The best decision I ever made. I had an hour lesson each week, and it was at my pace, and focused on me, my pronunciation. The lessons were aimed at what I might reasonably need to know, such as taking a taxi, ordering food, numbers, my address and so forth.

These lessons were conducted at my apartment, so I felt comfortable. I was told to always open my mouth. As an English person I tend to keep my mouth pretty closed when speaking, but here you need to really open your mouth to say the vowels, and get the correct intonation. Plus looking at yourself in the mirror helps. You can see what a word looks like, as well as hearing what it sounds like.

I would be so confident after each lesson, that I had retained at least some information and keen to test out my newly acquired, rudimentary skills. So I did.

Miscommunications

In one of my lessons I was teaching children different types of jobs, such as baker, carpenter, toy maker, and one of the roles was teacher. I thought great – I know this in Chinese, I can tell them in English and Chinese. So I did. Then the children burst out laughing. Not the reaction I had hoped for. I said it again, more laughter, but accompanied with pointing this time. I decided I had better ask them what was so funny. Instead of telling the children that I was a teacher, I was telling them that I was a snake. That was the first of many communication errors.

Others include numerous scenarios in a taxi, where I would ask to be taken home from a train station, or a night out, and they have no idea what I am saying. Or, in some circumstances dropping me off on the opposite side of where I wanted to be.

Three of us had gone to the Bird and Flower Market, and decided to get a taxi back. We dropped a friend home, and my flatmate helped him in with his purchases, whilst I stayed in the taxi. Big mistake. After a minute or two the taxi driver started turning around, and going to drive off. As soon as I realised what he intended to do, I started asking him to stop, and wait. He didn’t understand. I raised my voice a bit, and gestured using my hands to wait. I thought the hand straight out in front, palm outwards was a universal traffic signal to stop. I was wrong. He got to the main road, until I frantically rang my housemate, and asked her what stop was in Chinese. I said it, no comprehension, so passed the phone to him. He then stopped, and I indicated to go back. Relief as he turned the taxi around. I have no idea where he would have gone, as I didn’t know the name of my street, and he obviously couldn’t understand my Chinese. However, it did prompt me to learn stop (ting) pretty quickly.

Ordering coffee isn’t that easy either. I once asked for a hot chocolate, and was given a cold latte. I asked for a cold latte, and was given a hot cappuccino.  It is a lottery, unless the place has it written in English underneath and you can point, or else, TPR is understood, it is a mystery as to what you may end up with.

The journey

Learning Chinese isn’t easy, it’s a journey. You have to be prepared to pull funny faces, be misunderstood and laughed at, to get lost, to really apply yourself to learning it, and then learn from your mistakes. I can now clearly say teacher, and snake. I can say stop, and give directions, I can order my drink. I learnt from every experience and improved. Though when my neighbour stops me on the stairwell and starts saying something to me, I still don’t understand, and politely say so.  I am slowly learning. I doubt I will ever master the language, but I will keep learning and adding grammar and vocabulary to my expanding repertoire, and enjoy each misunderstanding along the way.