It has been a very busy few days, have I really only been here 4 days?! I arrived at lunchtime and was greeted by my new head teacher and some other teachers who were delayed due to the typhoon (I just missed it, thank god! Though we did fly through a storm and seeing lightning that close up is pretty scary!)
I hadn't slept at all during the flight, so I scraped a few hours of sleep in the hotel and then we were out for dinner and drinks with some new and current staff. Everyone is very friendly and I am glad that we were thrown into doing things straight away. I have gone out the past three nights with new staff too, great start!
On Thursday I moved into my flat.
I am on the 7th floor of this block
WOW!!! It is huge!! I have a big open plan lounge/dining room, a big kitchen, THREE bedrooms and 2 bathrooms!! It is all very modern and I love it! I am in a massive compound which I am still wandering around to get my bearings, I think there about 40 blocks in total. But it is a lot greener than I was expecting. And also calmer, but we are in the suburbs!
I will put some pictures of it up in a bit, but I don't have wireless in my flat yet so I am sat in Starbucks at the moment, and forget to take any photos.
Other than going out for dinner and drinks I have managed to sort out a few things. I have come to realise that everything here takes at least 10 times effort, but it is 10 times more gratifying when they are done! For example, I have a water dispenser in my flat. There was no water in it. Hmm.
UK solution: ring the number and job done.
China solution: Go to the reception. Spend 15 minutes using mime and a translator app to explain the issue. Realise you are at the wrong reception. Walk to the next reception. Repeat the above, including being In the wrong place. Work out where you actually need to be! Repeat the above, buy tokens for water. Get home and look at the tokens as you have no idea what they mean!
Discuss this with people at school. Get given a number to ring. Ring, with crossed fingers there is an English option. There is! Result! Order water. And this morning.... IT ARRIVED!! I actually fist pumped the air when the door bell went!
Job 1 done, only 27 left :)
Glass of water anyone?!
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