John & Chris’s News from China M O N DAY 22N D AUGUST 2011
WEEK 1 - 5 NIGHTS IN A HOTEL IN DONGHUAN AND ARE NOW IN HUIZHOU - BOTH TWO HOURS FROM SHENZHEN, 1.5 HOURS FROM HONG KONG. After a great family party in Basingstoke on Saturday 13th of August for John’s Grand Daughter Izzy’s 2nd birthday, we were taken to Heathrow airport by Michele (John’s youngest Daughter) very early in the morning of Sunday 14th, for the flight to Hong Kong via Mumbai (Bombay), India. We landed in Hong Kong on Monday 15th at about 9.30 am local time and spent nearly all day there. This included opening a bank account for our salaries with HSBC. Hong Kong proved quite expensive
CHOOSING OUR FOOD IN A “COOK YOUR OWN” RESTAURANT
and we didn’t hang around there a Chris will be working 22 hours per moment too long. week teaching 3-13 year olds in groups of 6-8, and John will be We were then driven to Donghuan teaching business English to city, which is further north of corporate people on a part time Shenzhen, the city where we basis. thought we were to be based. Then yesterday we travelled by bus to this So far it’s been quite an interesting city we’re now in - Huizhou. experience, but until everything’s sorted out for us we’re spending a We had interviews yesterday lot of time hanging around in hotel afternoon at the “Hope Rising” rooms and foyers. International language school here in Huizhou and we’ve both been Today they are still sorting out our accommodation with the language offered a placement. school, but we expect this to be our
THE “COOK YOUR OWN” POT! (SUNK INTO THE TABLE)
JOHN WITH ADAM. OUR TRAINER
MORE PHOTOS
last night in a hotel, although at about £16.80 per night, it’s not exactly going to break the bank.
at the beginning. However, we think the climate is going to take some getting used to - very hot and sticky!!!
We’ve also had to eat out every time in cafés and restaurants, but John has amazed me (Chris) by eating virtually everything, including the rice, and appears to have actually enjoyed it. Further more, he refused knives and forks today at lunch in lieu of the chop sticks, and he’s even tried some hot spicy dishes..
Our first night here last night we’ve already been taken out on the town for eats and drinks with other teachers here, the majority of whom are from the UK. It was a great evening and we learned a lot about the teaching and life here, from chatting to the others. True to the old die hard form, we got back to our hotel at 6.30 am this morning in broad day light, and slept through to around 1.00 pm.
The city of Huizhou is really very nice and, funnily enough, in some respects it reminds both of us of Valencia, with lots of tree lined streets and plazas, fountains, western style high rise buildings, and has two rivers running through it. It also has a large lake with boats, so we may take a boat ride at some stage. The city looks particularly fantastic by night! We haven’t had much time to explore it yet, but we like the look of it and it’s infinitely better than Donghuan, where we were
Our language school is on holiday until 1st September, so we are now having a week’s holiday which will allow us the luxury of more time to settle in and explore the city! We will keep in touch with more news as it unfolds. Hope you are all OK and hope you all keep in touch with us!