Anouk's Asian initiation

It’s been over two years since I last saw my friend from The Netherlands.  We met whilst backpacking in New Zealand and although keeping in touch ever since we’ve only managed to meet up once, due to high workloads and my habit of country-hopping.  The past week, however, has definitely made up for that. 

This was Dutchie’s first visit to China, and I think Shangers is an excellent starting point for an Asian adventure.  Our time was spent exploring the little lanes and quaint shops of Tianzifang, wandering around the Yuyuan gardens, shopping at the markets and taking in the sights of the city after dark, admiring the neon nightscape from both sides of the water: Pudong & The Bund.

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

Lujiazui

With some extra time at our disposal, a trip to Suzhou was on the cards.  Dubbed ‘the Venice of the Orient’ due to its networks of canals its one of the must see water towns in the area.  Having invited some friends and colleagues along too, eight of us got comfortable on the bullet train for the hour long journey.  Upon our arrival we were surrounded by Chinese tour guides offering all kinds of deals and offers.  After shaking them off long enough to make a group decision, we agreed on hiring a driver and minibus to take us around the city for the day.

Bullet trains

First stop was a local restaurant which provided me with the perfect opportunity to introduce Dutchie to real, cheap, Chinese grub.  Having stuck mainly to western foods since her arrival I was keen to convert her and prove that meals costing less than a euro were the best around.  A plate of egg fried rice and dumplings later I was sufficiently refuelled and raring to go, and Dutchie seemed to have enjoyed her meal too, banishing any thoughts of getting a dodgy tummy long enough to clean her plate.  Next up, the Calm Garden: much as it sounds, a reasonably sized area of green space, lakes, canals and interesting Chinese temples and pagodas, where we spent a couple of hours roaming around and taking lot of photos.

The rest of the day was spent taking in the views from 243ft, at the top of the Beisi pagoda overlooking the city, touring a silk factory where we were shown the process from start to finish, and wandering around the canals and streets watching the locals go about their business.  It was nice to venture out of the city somewhere new with good company and glorious weather.

Add to the mix numerous fun-filled nights out socialising and salsa dancing, and it’s safe to say a very good time was had by all during the week - wonderful to catch up, reminisce about our backpacker days and make some new memories.  I’m sitting eating Dutch stroopwafels as I write this!

A xx

Humpers' Hill

As much as I would have liked to have chosen a more subtle or tasteful title for this blog entry, it just didn’t seem in keeping with the content.  Also, I thought it would attract your attention, and as you are now casting a curious eye over this post, it appears to have done the trick!

I live in a great part of Shanghai: on the interchange of two metro lines, with local shops and great street food on our doorstep, and a short distance from good nightlife spots and great shopping malls.  There’s also a well maintained park a 5 minute walk from my apartment; where families, joggers and yuppies enjoy their respective recreation time.  After dark, however, Xujiahui park becomes a ‘breeding’ ground for young, infatuated Chinese couples who like nothing more than to find a relatively quite spot in the park in which to dry hump.  Yes, I said dry hump!  No word of a lie.

All new teachers at our company are given an induction pack upon arrival in Shanghai.  Included is a map of the city which specifically highlights Xujiahui park: ‘where the local lovebirds like to walk on cloud 9. Pssst… let’s not disturb them!’  They don’t seem to be walking on anything when I see them; legs entwined and busy playing tonsil tennis!

Hey ho, it is at least refreshing to see that younger generations here choose their own suitors and have fun finding Mr. or Mrs. Right amongst the millions of people in this vast city.  A quick trip to Humpers’ Hill might help them distinguish between the frogs and the princes/princesses!  Good luck to them.  Happy canoodling folks!

 

Xujiahui park

A xx

Easy Tiger!

As in Vietnam, pressure is piled upon the younger generations here to do well for themselves, study hard and achieve all they can to provide for their family, whilst being seen in a good light by nosey neighbours.  Pushy parents, mothers in particular, are prevalent here in China, even with children as young as three and four.  They’re known as Tiger mums and always strive to push their child that little bit further in order for them to get an advantage over their peers.  The mother of five year old Lyla greets me after class on a weekly basis, keen to know how many stars her daughter was awarded during my lesson; and more importantly, how many stars the other children in the class received.  It’s a big deal for student and parent alike – keeping up with the Jones’* you might say (*insert appropriate stereotypical/common Chinese surname here).

Working in my new Chinese school offers more opportunities to meet my students’ parents, compared to my time in Vietnam.  At the start of every new course we offer orientations, during which we introduce ourselves to students and parents, explain the syllabus and do our best to answer any queries and concerns.  Throughout the course we also have open door lessons where parents are invited to watch their child in class and a few weeks later they return for our parent teacher meetings.  It sounds quite nerve wracking but is actually a brilliant opportunity to show the parents what they are paying for and keep them in the loop.  Most parents speak English (to varying degrees) and those that don’t are generally happy if they witness you enthusiastically greeting their child in English.  So far I think I have them on side – and I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Seeing their child has a white Caucasian teacher is no doubt their biggest concern and as that isn’t about to change any time soon I feel confident that first impressions will always be that of someone who is qualified to teach their children English.  Sadly, that’s just how it is here.

It’s not only mothers here who strive for perfection.  Shanghainese women in general are well known for being quite ballsy and no-nonsense types: perhaps that’s why I fit in so well here!  They know what they want and how to get it and their partners often appear to be at their mercy.  I frequently see Chinese men carrying handbags for their other halves and responding quickly after being beckoned to sit next to their Juliet’s on the metro.  Western men advise my female Chinese co-workers to stick with Shanghainese guys as they’ll be treated like princesses.  Couples go to great lengths to show others they are in a relationship; matching t-shirts and shoes are often chosen (by the women no doubt) - true signs of unity and togetherness if ever there was one.

That’s all well and good if you want an obliging doormat for a partner; I however, like my men to be a little more independent, with a bit of bite – so I guess if I do ever get ‘yellow fever’ I won’t find a Shanghainese guy to suit my needs…

A xx

Surreal club scene

So the nightlife in this city is as good as any I’ve encounter before on my travels.  There are an abundance of expat bars, wine bars, dive bars, ladies nights, drinks offers and quiet hidden-away spots to keep the most indulgent inebriated individuals intoxicated indefinitely.  But there comes a time when all you want to do is don a pair of high heels and dance like there’s no tomorrow.  For this you have to head to a club, unless of course you are either confident and carefree or totally trolleyed.  

My first encounter with a Shanghai nightclub came a couple of months in to my stay here.  It was a spur of the moment thing after leaving a wine bar with friends, and I had no preconceptions about what I was about to encounter.  After walking past the entrance desk (without having to pay an admission fee) and stepping cautiously through the airport style metal detector, I was a little overwhelmed by what I witnessed. 

Clubs in the UK are generally vast open spaces – a massive dance floor with bars found at the peripheries: not in China.  Here I was surrounded by some kind of Alice in Wonderland style experience – dark wooden gothic style décor; grotesque oversized chandeliers; antique-style empire couches; tables laid with fake candles, platters of fruit and jugs of iced water; lasers shining on the lot to add a strange club-like effect.  Couples were sitting playing dice games whilst delicately sipping their drinks.  The dance tunes were interrupted by cabaret singers/dancers dressed as airline hostesses who jumped on stage singing dodgy cover versions and encouraging all and sundry to join in.

As you’d expect there aren’t too many western faces in these places mid-week (Tuesday and Wednesdays are most TEFL teachers’ ‘weekends’ here) so a few looks and stares from the locals comes as standard.  Standing next to a giant cast iron statue of a western armour-clad knight mounted on his horse our group looked on, half admiring half mocking the member of staff who was busting out some 1990’s style dance moves, with great enthusiasm: which was almost infectious… the key word there being ‘almost’! 

A man in a giant teddy bear suit walked past a few times, no one seemed to bat an eyelid.  We then found ourselves singing happy birthday to a local man who was later seen walking to the bathrooms with cake and icing covering his face!  Drunken Asian men were escorted to the exit every 20 minutes or so, all of whom seemingly congregate outside on the pavement, burying their heads in their hands in the hope that applying pressure to their skulls would magically make the pain disappear!  And there are no dirty midnight burger joints here – just street vendors selling freshly cooked, super cheap meat on a stick as you exit - superb stupid-o’clock sustenance.

I felt far too sober to be surrounded by all of this, yet I loved it!  As a people watcher it was one of the most amusing and curious places I’d seen in Shangers so far!  If I’m ever bored of an evening, I may just pop down there to submerge myself in their sobering Shanghai shenanigans.

A xx