What to expect when teaching at a public school in China

So guys I guess this is my first post of 2018...yeah in the middle of October but better than nothing right? 

Let's recap a bit. I first arrived in Shenzhen in November 2015, so I have experience teaching here for almost 3 years so I'd like to think that I am able to give you a pretty informative, accurate and unbiased account of what it's like being a foreign English teacher here in China.

Firstly I would like to start off with some advice on what to expect when teaching at a public school in China.  Now Chinese schools are somewhat different to schools back in the UK. Here are some of the big differences:

1.  50 kids per class 

If you are teaching in a public school, there will be almost 50 children in each class. Now I know that this sounds pretty crazy and overwhelming, however due to the classroom layout, you don't realise how many kids there are.

2. Learning names can be a nightmare

Don't try to learn every single students name because more than likely you will only teach each class once a week and you may have to teach anything from 8-16 different classes per week.
Usually every student is given an English name by their local (Chinese) English teacher, but a lot of students prefer not to use them. So then imagine having to remember that many Chinese names, and being unable to pronounce them right. Chinese has several different tones so if you said the word in a different tone then you may have just given their name a whole new obscure meaning... but we will talk about language another time. 

I found that I had a tendency to remember the really bright students names, as well as the trouble makers names. But the one time that I would ALWAYS remember a kids name was when it was something strange. I swear, one of my students was called "Colour-mix". It was as if their local English teacher had opened a dictionary, thrown a couple of words together and then decided to name the student after it.

Sometimes they would directly translate their Chinese names into English. That really vwork well either. One of my students was called "Little White". In Chinese that would be Xiao Bai, which sounds pretty nice but in English....nahhhh. Another student was called "Golden fish" and there was a "Golden baby" too. I can't think of any more off the top of my head right now but if i remember I will update you guys in later posts 😜

My advice, especially if you are teaching these students from grade 1, is on your first lesson with them create name cards and maybe choose a good English name for them yourself, or if they prefer to use their Chinese name, then have them write that on the card in pinyin.

3. Free breakfast and lunch

Yes you read correctly, FREE!!!!
Usually public schools will provide their teachers with free breakfast and Lunch, both served in the school canteen.

Generally school breakfast consists of noodles, fried rice, boiled eggs, mantou (steamed bun), congee (a porridge made with rice) and soy milk.
Lunch can vary on different days usually you can find rice, steamed vegetables, soup, congee, steamed egg, egg and tomato, fish (usually full of tiny bones so be careful), and some sort of meat (pork, beef, chicken etc).

If you have any allergies or strict dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan etc) I would avoid eating in the cafeteria because even the vegetable dishes are often cooked in the fat from the meat, or may contain bit of meat with them.

On the plus side, it's great if you are on a budget, or wanting to save money and want to try a variety local dishes.

3. Eye exercise

It is exactly what it sounds like. Usually straight after 2nd period, and then again in the afternoon after the 4th period, students are required to stand at the end of their lesson and do eye exercise. You will hear an announcement (all in mandarin Chinese) followed by music and counting. The students will do a series of motions, specifically designed to exercise their eyes. There are usually 4 different parts and it usually takes around 5 minutes after the lesson has ended.

4. Actual exercise

The time that this takes place can vary depending on the season. In the winter it is usually done after third lesson has ended, whereas in the summer it is done first thing in the morning before lessons begin, in order to avoid the hot midday sun.

During this exercise all students are called to the field and line up with their form class teachers. The students then have to do a series of exercises, kind of like an army drill. They are then required to also run around the track several times. They do this Monday - Friday unless it's raining.

5. Flag raising

This was a really interesting thing for me, because in England we do no such thing.  Every Monday morning before school (so you're required to come earlier specifically for this) the whole school will assemble on the field. Firstly you will notice that the students aren't wearing their usual uniform, the head teacher will be on stage giving announcements etc, occasionally there is a performance, or a poem read, and then the Chinese flag will be raised. The students also sing the national anthem in unison, it's very patriotic and teaches students to love their country.

So those were a few of the major differences you will encounter during your first week teaching English in China. I will continue this series about my experiences teaching English in China, covering different aspects in different posts. If you have any questions or any suggestions on what you'd like me to write about please feel free to comment. Also if you are already in China, was your experience different to mine? Let me know.

xoxo
Jen-Jen

CHRISTMAS IN CHINA

Hi Guys in this post I want to talk about what Christmas is like here in China,

So a couple of weeks ago, I had spent my second Christmas here in China. Now Christmas is not considered a national holiday here in China, fortunately as foreign teacher I was entitled to a day off for Christmas. Well the previous year I did, the Christmas just gone was on a sunday, so it was a non working day anyway...so no extra day off. Oh and boxing day doesn't exist here so no holiday for that either. It's just another working day

However you can see Christmas trees, and beautifully decorated malls, which are really festive. Thankfully even both Costa and Starbucks also had their festive drinks. I have a coffee obsession, so I was sooooooo happy! Black forest hot chocolate though 😍😍😍

Starbucks Pomegranate and Green tea latte

Starbucks Yule log

McDonald's Black forest pie

McCafe (McDonald's) Gingerbread men

McCafe (McDonald's) Gingerbread Latte

Costa Creme brulee latte

Costa Black Forest Hot chocolate & Festive cheescake

Costa Gingerbread Latte

The most creative tree I have ever seen

So yeah there was a lot of Santa Claus everywhere. Apparently there was even a Santa Claus parade in Luohu and OCT on Christmas eve, but I didn't find out until after t had already finished....SO SAAAAAAD, 

This is the problem. Even if there are events going on, there isn't much promotion, or if there is it's probably in Chinese so you would have no idea...if you can't read Chinese.

In Haagen Dasz at Coco park

outside MixC mall

Inside link city

cute Christmas jumper in H&M

Outside Wongtee Plaza

I even heard that there was a Christmas market in Shanghai, but we don't have Christmas holidays so I had no chance to leave the city....so saaaaaaaaad

Any ways, in Shenzhen there are some really great places to buy Christmas trees and decorations from such Walmart, Aeon, Olé, BLT, basically the kind of more international supermarkets. They all have a small selection of Christmas stuff.

But if you want to find some really beautiful stuff, that is somewhat cheaper then you have got to check out the SunGang Christmas Warehouse. They have everything! Christmas trees, baubles, tinsel, beautiful lights, ornaments, even the stuff people put outside in their front garden for decoration..i don't know what they are called. That is located on Bao an bei lu , so bao an north road. The closest metro station is Sungang station on metro line 7. And I think it was exit E?

So anyway, Christmas day in China is called sheng dan jie, which literally means holy birth day. However even though it is called that, there is no sign of anything Christian, or nativity related anywhere. However I did see a Christmas show/ performance at KK One mall By a group called Freedom 61. The show was basically about the true meaning of Christmas. It was really awesome hearing Christian Christmas songs and worship songs sang in both English and mandarin.

So like I said, apart from maybe at a church, or an event such as that one, there is nothing that I have experienced here, that is really “Christian” about Christmas here in China.

So basically it's just like a commercialised day here. Chinese people don't particularly celebrate. So stores and restaurants are open for business as usual. Maybe some young people go out to partys or clubbing events, that are “Christmas” themed. But people here don't celebrate the way we would in the west. And it can be a pretty depressing and lonely time, if you are used to having a big Christmas meal with your family. But not all hope is lost. You may not have the same experience or feeling as you would back home but there are restaurants where you can have a wonderful Christmas meal. My friends and I went to a place in Luohu, close to guo mao station. It was called “spaghetti”, literally just spaghetti. And no we didn't eat pasta for Christmas. There was a wonderful Chef there from Portugal who prepared not only a beautiful but really delicious dinner for us.

Like I said this was my second Christmas in China. I first arrived here at the end of November 2015, so Christmas that year was super depressing for me. I was still new here, I didn't really know anyone apart from my work colleagues, who are Chinese so don't celebrate Christmas at all. So Christmas day, I had to go into work at 7am, which was a whole hour earlier than I usually do. Why? You may be asking? Didn't I just say it is a holiday for foreigners? ….*sigh* well, I was basically “forced” to come in to work, only for an hour that morning...to be Santa Claus....

I know right? Me? Frickin Santa Claus?! Firstly I'm a woman, Secondly I'm not even white 😂. 

my work colleague and I December 2015

Me as Santa December 2015

But I did it anyway, and I've got to admit it was an interesting experience, and definitely an unforgettable one for me. So yeah basically after that I went back to my hotel room, and just sat there, the whole day by myself. I just sat and cried for the rest of the day. I wouldn't answer any calls or talk to my parents on skype. I didn't even eat literally the whole day, because I felt really homesick and lonely. Which is something you really have to get used to sometimes, being in another country alone.

But praise God, here we are a year later and I have made some really amazing friends. So the Christmas that's just passed was awesome because of them. Wonderful food, wonderful company, It was a perfect day. And although there's not much of a Christmassy feeling here in Shenzhen, this time I made extra effort, to make everything around me Christmassy. I bought some really cute stuff from the Sun gang market to decorate my room with and I was watching Christmas movies non stop, and listening to Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé's Christmas albums all the time. I even introduced the songs and movies to some of my Chinese friends. Just wanted to keep up with my usual Christmas traditions. My friend even got us Christmas crackers and mince pies from Hong Kong, because you cant find them here. But overall, my Christmas was amazing, mainly because I refused to let negativity and loneliness bring me down. Just because it's not Christmassy around me, doesn't mean I can't celebrate or be happy. And aslong as we are surrounded by our loved one, whether it's friends or family, is good enough. That is all that matters.

So I really hope that you found this post helpful.

Love 

Jen-jen

xoxo

THE NEW CHAPTER | CHINA

So for those of you who didn't read my previous post (go back and read it NOW...just kidding), I am living and working in Shenzhen, China. So just a heads up for you, this is gonna be a looooong  post. So yeah, I have been here since the end of November 2015, initially I was going to only stay until July 2016 and then go to Japan at the end of August, after my sisters wedding. However, I liked it in China so much that I decided to stay longer.

This has been one of the biggest and craziest transitions of my life. There have been struggles...oh so many struggles, there have been amazing and unforgettable experiences, there have been moments of loneliness and even depression, but I am pulling through it all, because I know that God did not bring me to this place for no reason, so I will work hard.

So how do I know that God led me here? Well just the way everything worked out. The whole lead up to me leaving, and also when I arrived here. It was all far from a coincidence..

Basically, I was working before, at another place. Doing the same job for the longest time. I was really unhappy, and I wasn't treated well there. But I just stuck at it. Then one day, I just snapped after I had this one rude customer..now, I dealt with so many rude customers for many years, so actually this was nothing, now that I think back. But it pushed me to the point where I just quit my job. I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore. Like God just told me to get out of that place. After that I was really stressed as I didn't have a job, but I felt at peace and like a burden had been lifted. I knew it was time to focus on myself again.

So one month later, I was told by a Pastor, that he had a prophecy that I would go to China. I had not told him nothing of my wish to go.

Also I had already secured my job in Japan so I didn't think too much about it. Then almost a month later, one of my close friends told me that she had a dream about me. That we were in another country and i was leading her through a place with tall skinny trees (she meant bamboo trees lol) so of course I saw this as confirmation that I would be travelling to Asia soon, but I still did not have China in mind. Until my friend in China persuaded me to come visit her. So I applied for China, put Japan on hold and just went with it.

I prepared myself with teaching work experience which I learnt a lot from, and it was really fun. For some strange reason my China application was taking the longest time to process. It was getting very late into the year, the term had began so long ago and then I started to have doubts. I wasn;t sure if it was going to happen after all. Then after a month had passed, everything had finally processed. It was really happening, then before I knew it, it was time to leave.

Without thinking twice, I just did it. I have never flown anywhere by myself, or lived away from home but I was not afraid. When I think about it now, it seems pretty crazy that I was brave enough to actually do it (especially when I had been doubted by so many before that) I just took that step. That leap of faith and everything was fine. I arrived Safely, nothing went wrong. I was so happy....Until the next morning when it actually had sunk in about what I had done..

When I first arrived here in Shenzhen, I was staying in a pretty crappy hotel, with an even crappier internet connection. It was the accommodation that the agency had provided for me. It was an absolute nightmare. It was so frustrating when I tried to Skype with my family and friends back in the UK. Then to top it off I could not access Facebook, Youtube, Blogger, Snapchat, Instagram or even google. I knew Facebook was banned in China, but the rest came to me as a surprise, It made feel really lonely and really tested my patience. But I stayed positive as I was excited and pretty nervous about starting my new job.

So my first day was literally insane. I had arrived in China on a Saturday night, literally only had Sunday to sleep in and get over my jet lag, then on Monday was my first day. Not my first day if training, literally my first day.

So Monday morning, a girl from the agency collected me from the Hotel and took me to the hospital for a full health check. So they literally tested everything, took urine samples, did x-rays, you name it. Then it came to "my favourite part" the blood test. So, I have some kind of problem, I'm not sure what exactly causes it, but every time I have blood taken and even sometimes when I get an injection, I pass out and I don't know why. So they took my blood, and I passed out in this hospital. I'm not sure how long I was out for, but I woke up to a nurse squeezing my hand and poking a pressure point in between my nose and lips, and the girl from the agency was almost in tears. I was so confused.
So anyways, after all that we went to get photos taken for ID cards etc, made a bank account (all whilst I was feeling dizzy and weak from the blood test) then I was taken to the agency office to fill sign my contract (even though I was too out of it to read it). Then finally we had lunch and then I was taken to my School.

I was literally exhausted. Firstly I had not gotten over my Jet lag, and then having blood taken out had really gotten to me. Not only that but also, it was soooo hot in Shenzhen and I had just come from a very cold winter in England, so naturally I was having a hard time adjusting. I literally felt like I was going to die.

So We finally arrived at the school. I was then introduced to the current foreign English teacher, and told that I would be taking over from her, as she was leaving the following week. This explained, the delay in the process of getting me to China. I was delayed because I was supposed t take over from THIS particular woman. She asked me to come into the classroom and introduce myself to the children. I walked in, nervously and all I heard were gasps and a chorus of children's voices saying "Woooooooooooow", followed by applause. It was one of the sweetest and most surreal experiences I had ever had.

So I got to watch her teach her final 2 classes for the day. Literally absorb what I could, then at the end of the lessons, she told me that I was teaching the next day. Literally the next day! So no training, nothing. I was literally thrown into the deep end. So that night I prepared my powerpoint and crashed out to sleep. I was literally drained.

So the next day came. I was so nervous, standing at the front of the classroom. I remember my knees were shaking. I had a full classroom of 50 students staring at me, eagerly waiting for me to begin. And at the back of the classroom was the other foreign teacher. Watching me with a huge smile.

So after observing my classes she gave me some advice and was a really great mentor. I later found out that she was the one who mentored the other foreign teachers, and I was blessed enough to get one on one mentoring from her. So throughout the week, my confidence grew and she guided me a lot. Then on the Friday just before my lesson began, I went in earlier to pray in my classroom, and she walked in. We started speaking about our personal lives and I then found out the reason she was leaving China. It turned out that she was a Christian too. The reason she was leaving China, was to go back to America to get married, to a Pastor. I was so shocked, I knew there was something about this woman the moment i met her. We just clicked. It was the spirit of God who brought us together, and that was in us. She then told me that she had been praying for a God fearing teacher to come and take her place, and that God had heard her and sent me. It was so surreal, but I knew that God had orchestrated everything. Nothing is a coincidence. I know that now for sure. I went home later that night and looked at the quote that was printed on the hotel room wall above the bed and smiled. It said " A journey of a thousand miles, must begin with a single step."

I'm going to stop here now, I wonder how many of you are still reading? If you are still reading, well done, seriously 😂

Thanks for reading and I hope that this blog post encouraged you!

Love Jen-jen
xoxo