 | | Tom Edwards |
As I start writing this diary in an Internet cafe, my eyes meet with an elderly Chinese couple in the street. They stand transfixed by the strange sight of the foreigner in the window and study me curiously. Two weeks ago I would have felt uncomfortable, but now I just smile back politely as they continue to gaze at me through the glass. Rewind fourteen days to my departure from Heathrow airport and things are already going wrong. My flight's delayed because of an unidentified technical error - not a particularly good sign. After a tense five hour wait, we finally board the plane. Then I know I've reached the point of no return and the panic sets in...
 | | The Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai |
It's always been my dream to go travelling and experience life in other cultures. But after uni I was broke so I decided teaching English was my ticket to see the world. China was recommended to me as the ultimate culture shock - a far away land where the way of life differs so dramatically from the west. The idea was intriguing, so despite my lack of experience I decided to go for it. After all - how hard can it be, right? No Going Back But now, glued to my seat, paranoid thoughts race through my mind - What kind of place is awaiting me? What will the people be like? How will I handle teaching classes of up to 50 students? Have I made the right decision? What the hell am I doing!? After the 12 hour flight and a painfully long interrogation by Chinese immigration, I was absolutely exhausted. Emerging none the wiser into Shanghai Pu Dong Arrivals, I was relieved to be met by a girl from my company and driven to my apartment. If you can call it that. 'Hole' would be a more accurate description. Home Sweet Home
 | | Shanghai street |
The primitive boiler did nothing apart from shudder and make a loud moaning noise, so there was no hot water. Only half of the light bulbs worked and to top if off, the place was filthy! However all I was concerned with was sleep, so I accepted my fate for the night and hoped that things would appear better by daylight. I got my first real glimpse of Shanghai during a taxi ride to see my company the next morning. What an incredible place! Gigantic gleaming skyscrapers compete for light, whilst hordes of people negotiate their way through the endless stream of traffic below. Words cannot begin to describe the new sights, sounds and smells I experienced in those few minutes alone. It's a truly breathtaking city and I can't imagine ever getting bored of it. A third of the worlds population live in China and it seems like most of them are in Shanghai! Everything Changes with Woo
 | | Tom gets to know new flatmate Allan |
At the office, in a rather shady area of town, my boss (the aptly named Mr Woo) informed me that I had the option of moving to a boarding school an hour south of Shanghai. I would live on campus, get all my meals provided and have no bills to pay. Although hesitant, I agreed to go with the flow, even though it wasn't what I had signed up for. I knew one thing - there was no way I was going back to my downtown cave! Then I met some other foreign teachers who arrived in Shanghai at the same time as me and we all went out for a meal together. As you'd expect from a group of TEFL'ers, they're an interesting mix of characters, but all really friendly. We ate in a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant, where although the menu boasts dishes like jellied eels, it's actually all made with mushrooms. Afterwards I was taken to my new school, in the small (by Chinese standards - pop 500,000) town of Nanqiao. On the way I got to know the Australian guy I would be teaching with and we got on well straight away. His name's Allan and at 63 a lot older than me, but he's really laid back and enjoys a good laugh and a drink. Fengxian High
 | | Fengxian High School |
As we got closer, the school loomed at us from a vast distance on the horizon. Security at the gate was tight, despite the fact that they were expecting us. Our taxi driver had his license temporarily confiscated from him, not to be returned until he left the campus. It felt more like we were entering the Communist Party headquarters rather than a high school. A Chinese lady called Tina showed us around campus and I was blown away by the sheer size of the place. There's five blocks of classrooms and each one is as big as a multistory car park. There's even a man made lake in the middle of the school grounds, surrounded by a gym, performing arts centre and various other massive buildings. However all of this space is definitely needed, as there's 3000 students aged from 15 to 18 living in the school dormitories! I doubt if there's a university campus in the UK with much more of an impressive campus - and it's all brand new. The icing on the cake
 | | Sights of Shanghai |
The best thing though has to be my apartment. I'm sharing with Allan and our separate bedrooms have an adjoining balcony. It's all furnished to a very high standard and we even had to unwrap our wide screen TV because no one's ever lived here before. It's more like a hotel suite than anything else. I think it's safe to say I've landed on my feet! By nine o'clock I was totally exhausted once again and after unpacking I collapsed into bed - this time with a relieved smile on my face. It's been the most eventful 48 hours of my life yet and there's plenty more to come! I can't wait... | 
