Back to school...

Back to school...
louischuahm Aug 10, 2014 00:28

So, my 2 week break is almost over. Good thing was that I managed to get all my cooking stuff together and cooked most of the days - pasta, guiness stew, seafood paella, etc, all the food that I can't get here. Yum!  When school starts again on 11th, I won't have much time to cook, maybe just weekends, so it's back to hot pot again. 

 

The 2 weeks gave me time to explore more of the city. Some of these places can't be found if it wasn't for the locals who brought me there. There was this river that cuts into the hills forming 2 cliffs on both sides. I can't believe how cool it is there. There river is fast moving and only accessible by boat. I forgot the name of that place but I'm sure I will go there again.

 

Then there is this huge market place somewhere near Shapingba where you can get all manner of trinkets, souvenirs, horn combs, sandal wood handicrafts, etc all for a very good price. Food was good too. The only problem was the heat, it was super hot. It would be better to go during Autumn or Winter. I strongly recommend those who come to Chongqing not to miss this place. Take the metro line 2 and drop off at Shapingba station. Follow the crowd since almost everyone gets off this station to go to this place.

 

Closer to Beibei, things are changing fast. They've replaced all the old mini buses with nice new buses. You no longer need to squeeze into tiny spaces on those old rickety buses. Also, the metro station is almost completed, with some final touches being added. There will be more shopping underground once it opens in a couple of months. 

 

Shops are already starting to display Autumn wear. Some of them are clearing last year's stocks at really low prices. Locals tell me that Autumn has already begun but it's still so hot! It's starting to rain again and the weather has cooled down a lot. Today was a cool 23c, couldn't believe that yesterday was 42c! The weatherman says that this week and next will bring lots of rain and temperatures going down to 21c. That's good for a change since we've been roasting in the heat for 2 months now.

 

When I get back on Monday, there's plenty to do. New teachers orientation, new students orientation, teacher training, meetings upon meetings, teaching timetable, etc. The list goes on. Luckily, I have a good team so the work is pretty much spread out and we should have no issues finishing up before everyone gets back. I managed to look through the list of new students and was quite surprised that most of them did very well in the final exams to get admitted here. The minimum score to get in here is 680 points for their school final exams. I am hopeful that these newbies speak better than those before them - fingers crossed. 

 

The school is getting new uniforms for the kids. I've seen the designs and they look very much like those in HK. At least they won't be wearing those ugly baggy sports suits I've seen so many school kids wear. Somehow, kids behave better when they wear uniforms. I wonder why? 

 

Well, the new semester starts in 10 days, so I better get ready. Write more next time.

Tags:Teaching & Learning Expat Tales

8 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate. Please use the Classifieds to advertise your business and unrelated posts made merely to advertise a company or service will be deleted.

coineineagh

rapid weather changes almost guarantees everyone will catch a cold. chongqing seems fascinating. but im glad this was acool year in my corner of sichuan. cant recall any day being 42C this year.

Oct 12, 2014 19:31 Report Abuse

WendyInChina

Thank you for the update on Chongqing, I read about it the other day and I found it interesting. I need clean air! I think I should start job hunting ;-) Thanks for sparking my interest further... Seafood Paella! Yum.

Sep 04, 2014 21:39 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Thanks Wendy! Yes, this is a nice place and you could consider it if you are looking for a slow paced environment.

Sep 06, 2014 18:00 Report Abuse

kiwi303

That market near Shapingba... would it be CiQiKou ancient town by any chance? when I went there it looked like the market committee had snaffled a bargain lot of unwanted irish trinkets... every third stall had shamrocks or 4 leaf clovers on sale.

Aug 20, 2014 21:35 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Yes, it's that old city. It's mostly traditional Chinese stuff now, some of them you can get elsewhere but there were some really nice ones. Plus the price is half of what you would pay elsewhere. Still a nice place to visit.

Aug 21, 2014 12:54 Report Abuse

kiwi303

I still have a 10 RMB hat one of my students bought for me Jan 2012 at CiQiKou :D lasted pretty well for a $2 object. The history of the market is fairly interesting. It was located there on a deposit of clay and the name translates roughly as porcelain village.

Aug 21, 2014 14:19 Report Abuse

sorrel

I enjoy your blogs. You give your experiences in China and don't expect others to have the same experiences as you do. Each person has a unique view of China. I hope your next year is as challenging - in a positive way - as you have found it to date.

Aug 12, 2014 17:37 Report Abuse

louischuahm

Thanks Sorrel. Staying positive helps a lot and don't take things thrown at you too hard. It makes work more pleasant and at times quite hilarious when you laugh at yourself for doing some things you would never have done back home. Cheerios!

Aug 12, 2014 21:32 Report Abuse