Let me introduce you to...

My brand new flat :)
*apologies in advance, a lot of photos! I love it!





Dining room/ lounge





Continued! (note the dangerous glass table, not a great idea!!)





Spare room/study room (haven't really been in there much!)





Kitchen!! The thing under the hob isn't an oven, it just heats up your plates?! Apparently very common in china! I have an electric oven instead. Please take note of the water dispenser in the corner, haha!




Spare room #2, otherwise known as the "hair room" (it has a mirror and a plug, therefore making it perfect for straightening and other necessities!)





Bathroom #1!





My bedroom!





My bedroom again, leading onto the "dressing area" and bathroom! Oooooh, fancy!

I haven't taken a photo from my balcony yet, and it is dark at the moment so I will put it on soon!



This is one of my favourite parts of the flat! It is part of the toilet! And FYI, the massage function does not refer to the toilet seat. I won't be making that mistake again!!!!

I won't take up any more space here chatting, but still having lots of fun. I am going for my medical tomorrow so I imagine that will involve some comical

Zai jian!! Xx

I have arrived!

I am here! In China! Still pinching myself when I wake up in the morning!

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?!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

And.... I'm off!

I actually wrote this on the plane heading towards Hong Kong, so it is a bit delayed in getting posted!

The last few days in the UK have been great, Libby and Andrews wedding was absolutely fantastic. She looked stunning and they both looked so happy the entire day :D happy honeymooning! I will put some pictures on here when I can. It was also good to spend time with Em and Em and with my family :)

I am now starting my journey, both physically and metaphorically, to my new teaching career in Shanghai. Hopefully the posts from now on will be slightly more interesting than "I said goodbye to this person, and then I packed, and then I did some more goodbyes" which is what they seem to be so far! (I swear I started saying goodbye at the start of June! Though generally that involved a lot of wine and laughs, so not complaining!!)

I am feeling pretty nervous about everything ahead of me; it is all quite overwhelming! And I know I will miss a lot.... Hmmm a list seems quite a good idea here!

- my family
- all of my lovely friends
- living in London. I am so glad I have lived there, it really has been a great 2 years.
- living with Libs!
- cadbury boost bars (the 4 in my suitcase are not going to last long at all!)
- crisps and tzatziki mmmmmm

But when that becomes a bit too much I am going to try and think about all of the reasons that made me want to teach internationally in the first place. Namely;

- travelling around China
- travelling around Asia!
- meeting people from all over the world
- exploring a completely different culture
- trying lots of tasty new food, mmm
- attempting to learn a new language
- developing as a person

That last one sounds really cliche but I am doing this by myself, and I don't want to sit around my flat by myself every night. Therefore I will have to become more confident and proactive. In a way that makes me glad I am going solo, If I were to do this with a friend/family then I probably wouldn't force myself to attend different events, and who knows what missed opportunities that would result in!

Anyway, time to watch the Hunger Games! See you in Asia! X

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A puppy, a party and lots of packing!

First of all, let me introduce you to Pippa, a new member of the family and a mix between a Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a poodle... The result? A cavapoo!



We didn't really need to weigh her, but how cute does she look in the kitchen scales!!

On Saturday night we had our family and friends over for another little party (in the garden... In July?! Unheard of!) It was a really nice evening, completed with an English-Chinese dinner of prawn toasts and satay chicken... Yum yum! I was really overwhelmed by all the lovely presents I received, which I really wasn't expecting!



We also had fortune cookies. This wasn't actually my fortune, it was Charlotte's but I decided I liked it better than mine which was going on about the disappointments of today blah blah blah! So I have made my own fortune by stealing someone else's ;)

I have FINALLY finished packing. Though actually that involved packing up the London flat, unpacking all of that at home and then repacking what I want to ship. The result.... LOOOOOOOOONG!!!! 9 boxes (how have I filled 9 boxes?!) and 2 suitcases later I am finally done.



Pippa helping out with my packing!




Ok well that it is it for now, only 8 days until I fly... Nerves are really kicking in! But also excited to get there and see my flat and neighbourhood, and to meet my new colleagues and class!

Zai jian!! Xx

Agate dates!

Two years of Agate Road have come to a close. Today was our last day at number 47 - I will miss living in Hammersmith and with Libby tons! I have had so much fun since we moved in, brand new to London and all the laughs, drama, tears, more laughs and singing still ahead of us!

Goodbye musty hallway and Mickey Mouse!

Out of about 10 jumps, this is the best we could do!

Goodbye to the famous residents of Agate Road, don't forget us!

 

Haha - if only!

And one for you Libby:





How lucky am I...

To have something that makes saying goodbye so hard... (Winnie the Pooh)

I read this a while ago and it really rang true for me... This past month has shown me how lucky I am to have such fantastic friends, not just in London but all across the country :) I have received some lovely cards and personal presents that I will cherish forever, and they will make my new apartment in a strange new country feel slightly more like home. I love them all!

So the past 4 weeks... our school end of year party which was as ever an epic night. Jo went to lots of effort making a board for the 'drop outs' with photos and books for everyone to sign - again something that will be kept forever so thank you Jo :)

Some of the WLA crew - I won't bore you with all of my photos!

I loved the idea of dedicating a song to someone on the night, Groomy was dedicated 'Heart of Glass' (courtesy of Magic fm car journeys!) and I enjoyed a slow dance to 'China in Your Hands'... nicely done!

The following weekend I spent in Cardiff. On Saturday Kat and I ran the 10k for Race for Life! Not as bad as I was expecting, but I think that was mainly due to Kat's encouragment (and orders to stop dragging my feet!) I felt great once I had finished and definitely want to sign up for another one once I move - good motivation to carry on running.

Could I be any redder?! (Friends quote Friends quote Becca!)

In the evening we had a fantastic time in our own Karaoke booth in Tiger Tiger (love love love Tiger Tiger!) complete with brightly coloured wigs and cocktails... is there any better combination?! I don't think so!

Don't stop believing, hold onto this feeeeeeeeeeeling!

The kids finished school on Friday, lots of chocolates, flowers and mugs were gratefully received, though the red spotty dress was a major highlight of the presents! Monday and Tuesday was spent moving boxes around the school, or being pulled around on trolleys, either way it was very productive! Our final night in the Orchard (go black panthers) was lovely was ever - to MARIIIIIIIIIINA!!

And now I am into my final two weeks in the UK - I can't wait to carry on the fun! Lunch with Tom tomorrow, followed by jiving in the evening, brunch with Libby at Raouls on Saturday (after 2 years we are finally going!), moving out on Monday, family party next Saturday, Charlotte's family on Sunday, my final school night out on the 1st, Libby and Andrews wedding on the 4th, Emma and Emily on the 6th and then gooooooodbye off I fly on the 8th! EXCITING TIMES!!!!

So for now goodnight and zai jian!

xxx

Goodbye England, ni hao China!

Last night was my leaving party! I had such a fantastic night with fantastic friends and family from all different parts of my life - home, work, university, school (primary school - 22 years almost Charlotte!!). We danced (and drank) the night away and had such a good time.

Thank you to everyone who came, it meant so much to me that I could celebrate with you all! And I am glad that I made the decision to have it about a month before I leave - it meant that I knew I would be seeing the majority of people again. Therefore it was a happy night and there were no tears :D

Here is a selection of my favourite photos from the night :)

Me and Charlotte :)

The soon to be Mr and Mrs Gorin, Tom and Pete

Eliot, James, Kat, Jenni and Laura

RHOMBUS!

Me and Tom, followed by a pinky promise to come and visit next year!

The Cradicks and Scott

The jivers - Adam and Paul!

HEY I just met you, and this is crazy! But heres my number, so call me maybe!

Claire, Jo and Nav

Groomy and Jags

Best housemate in the world :)

There are loads more (I took 85 in total...!) but I think that is plenty for now! Bring on the next 5 weeks - lots more partying and fun times to be had!!