Jiangyin days three and four.

What can I write?  Where can I begin? To be honest I don't know!  The last two days have been unbelievable.  Carmel and I have  had an over load of experiences both unbelievably brilliant and moving and also  both sad and disturbing.

As the week progresses it has become clearer and clearer to us that we have been invited to an industrial, hideous hub of modern China which has been polluted and uglified within an inch of its life.  This area is not on any tourist trail,hence the local teachers are just overjoyed and extremely pleased to see us in their schools and think it's a great honour that we are here.  Their hospitality and desire to please us is astounding, as is the friendliness and cooperation between teachers in the English department. They notice everything and when you are just thinking you need a tissue or a glass ofwater or a pen one magically appears. Everything is running like clockwork.  The organisation is astounding and we both really feel like revered guests.

here are some highlights and low lights of the past few days.I'm so tired I really can't write much more unfortunately.  I have uploaded my fab pictures to the laptop but I am just too knackered to upload them.

Our wonderful welcome to Jiangyin.

 After school photo

 Interesting man who cleared up after our photo op.

 Stella takes us on a tour of her town

The town from the river side. It had all been redeveloped.  A little bit of the right side of the river was still oldish. 

The city centre, the quietest High Street I saw all holiday.

Some beautiful street lights.

lowlights:

The pollution, the drab ugliness of this area. The greyness, the rain, the cold, the thick air on your tongue,the grim buildings, the coughing, the ugly regeneration of old areas, the effing freezing classrooms, The awful teacher observation cell room, which the teachers all crammed into to observe me in one school.  (It was like a bunch of sardines behind glass all gawping  at me.)

The extreme pressure the teachers are all under to get students through their final exam.

how this final exam is everything in life to these families. Students board in these High school so they can study from 7am until 9 or 10pm. they are constantly cramming for exams or pre exams, or pre,pre exams. 

the total lack of knowledge of the teachers  about how to teach functional English or work in pairs, or do fun communicative exercises of any kind. it's not in the Gao kow ( final exam) so really it's not important. How kids have no outside interests between the ages of 16 and 19 because of exam pressure. how all kids live away from their parents from Monday to Saturday.  how teachers work from 7am to 10 pm and end up being both teachers and parents to these teenagers. The way they get a bonus if their students pass the final exam. How god damn lucky I am not to have to function in this stressed  and depressing environment.  How one of the teachers called this province MORDOR, from Lord of the Rings and said that most foreigners want to leave this area due to the pollution.  ( he is a very funny guy and also correct!) 

Highlights:

The people.  Genuinely hospitable and kind teachers who do really care about their students and their professions but are also aware of the system they work within and its limitations. The desire to give us a good impression. desperate to show us places we will like.  yesterday a fewteachers  who were aware that Europeans  (and especially revered guests from Oxford ) appreciated old things,took us to one tiny road which was  in the character of the ancient Ming dynasty era. It was tragically lacking any charm what so ever.  The only thing I liked was a street lamp,but it's the thought that counts.

iphone translate came up with this lovely ingredient in this 'lovely' tea we had  lunch time.

Sometimes google translate is a very bad thing.

donkey bum gelatin tea

The visit to Kate's doily, frilly, fruh fruh house. I can't really write about this.  It was just too surreal. Watching Carmel try to  keep it together and not collapse in a heap of tears and laughter was a highlight. We were in shock and couldn't look at each other. One of the most unbelievably weird experiences of my life! Hilarious.

The only picture of Kate's house.

How people defy all your judgements.  You really cant read read a book by its cover.  How top dog guys start of seeming rude and distant and disengaged in lessons and then suddenly it clicks and they are taking part and becoming motivated and actively learning and smiling and taking part. 

Observing teaChers do their trade and seeing them in action in their environment. The food.  Yes, this evenings meal was the best yet.  The Mr Big Wig guy I just mentioned ordered the food for us this evening in a great restaurant and it really was spectacular. Wonderful quails and pigeon eggs, amazing fish, stirfried cauliflower, Japanese style salmon, amazing broths and mushrooms and tree funguses of such quality (they would be so bloody expensive and such a delicacy in the UK) to just name a few!  Food here is so important because it really is a visual and edible joy.  The most fun and brightest part of the day! In the UK I don't really like Chinese food but here I am totally converted.  What I like is the freshness and also the wide range of all types of dishes.   The jerry can of rice wine bought into the restaurant this evening was hilarious.  Wine made by local farmers, it wasn't too bad either!   All the elaborate glass clinking.  All the questions we are asking each other.


mealtime...

Loads of food photos to remind me of my favourite meal of my entire trip.

 And finally to top it off in the car with Mr top Big Whig this evening, discussing the last BBC series of Sherlock Holmes, which unbelievably the Chinese also love. Bloody hell, that was pretty damn bizarre.    Carmel has been great too.  we are really working hard as a team.  Like Chaz and Dave on tour. You really could not go through this experience alone.

Right enough waffle I must sleep.  Night