39. A change in season

'Spring is coming.'

The weather fluctuation in this city is simply extraordinary. No more than 10 days ago the temperature was 1-3 degrees in the day and below freezing in the night. It’s now a majestic 18.

I was caught off guard somewhat by the sun on Saturday whilst playing rugby outside. The following day therefore my cheeks were somewhat rosier for my inside classes.

My school on a Monday, YAH, is my favourite I teach at by a country mile. The staff and the students are both great.

I was chatting with the liaison and she uttered the words ‘Spring is here and the students are happy’. Happy students mean easier to control lessons, which means you leave the school feeling good.

The school looked quite magnificent in the late afternoon sun so I took a picture of it.

Yan An Senior School

She’s perfect but…

On my way home I got thinking about games.  The students are good yes but how to get them talking more, or even better, debating!

The idea popped into my head of ‘Would you rather’. How could I incorporate this game into lessons?
I then had virtual divine inspiration. I am the impartial judge. I announce the ‘Would you rather’ question. For example ‘Would you rather have no legs or no arms?’

The students then vote. But anonymously by putting their head on to the desk and raising their arms. Votes are counted by I the impartial judge.

Then without telling anyone who won I ask a few members who chose either option to cite their reasons why they chose that option.

Now in my mind I know which choice was the more popular and the popular choice will always win. But the decision can be overturned if the less popular decision is given a better explanation for by a member from the losing side. This is the debating bit.

The game is played probably on a time limit or students are eliminated if their choice loses.
This then stemmed out. Maybe I could introduce ‘ The compliment game’ famously played on the Doxbridge tour 2010, or the ‘ She’s perfect but….’ Callum Douglas innocuous  drinking game. This could work.

If you know of any other drinking games let me know. I think through this anonymous voting and debating, this system can work for all drinking games.

Human Rivers

I must say the winter season has not been too bad. But for the odd day when the school chose to not put the heating on, its been fine. My jacket has been devoutly worn through out. I’ve got to sleep easily as it hasn’t been too hot. I have barely broken sweat.

Spring's coming means that Summer is  just round the corner and from accounts I've heard it sounds like Shanghai is one big sweat box which I am not looking forward to.

One area that I think will really heat up is the underground. Not necessarily the trains where I’ve heard its kept cool by air conditioners, but the walking in between the platforms. The number of moving bodies is quite extraordinary sometimes.

Someone who studies river will no doubt see certain correlations between them and the Shanghai underground.

The real whirlpool is Peoples Square station. Below is a picture which can possibly go some way to enforcing the fact that you do not swim/walk against a current! 

Human Whirlpool

Receiving letters

Is great.

Thank-you to Grandpa, Granny and a certain Aussie!

38. The Two Festivals

Great Migration

As before mentioned I got a visit from my sister over the Chinese New Year break. It was quite symbolic given the celebration being about business being dropped and family time happening.

I also had the week off. Travelling and seeing the most we possibly could was the agenda.

The problem is that China experiences the largest human migration over this period. Approximately 11 million people leave Shanghai to travel back home to their families.

The festival starts at the start of the lunar month, so the exodus happened over along period but the main concentration was a few days at the start and end of the week.

This ruled out doing anything in the way of X’ian and Beijing as coming back to catch Jessica’s flight would have coincided with the rest of the Chinese countryside.

In the end we ended up getting tickets to nearby Suzhou and Nanjing which worked out fine.

 

Chinese New Year

We were in Shanghai for the actual date of the New Year, and as advised to us, it was dead.

A place that was still buzzing was the Western bars on the Bund and us with other Western clientele paid our way into the snobbish feeling Bar Rouge.

The party was good. It had snowed but we both fought our way out on their terrace to over look the famous Pudong skyline.

Their terrace was weirdly cordoned off halfway. This made sense when they brought out their own fireworks to set off  before the real show began across the HuangPu river.

Fireworks were going off literally 10 minutes from where we standing I think even someone in the crowd got hit by a stray spark. We got some good footage off the 10 minutes show and then waited for Pudong to erupt.

The clock struck midnight. People were piling out on the Bund. Faces facing one way only, people on rooftops, breaths were baited all watching from the Bund and possibly all around the city in view. We were all waiting for the show to start. However,

Nothing.

I stood out in the cold as people trickled back in. Surely there must be a show. Maybe its Chinese tradition to do these kind of things late. But no, it wasn’t to be.

Pudong skyline New Years Eve 12pm.

There has been a mini hiatus for fireworks this year as China realizes its pollution problem. The Pudong inactivity might have been the political statement of 'holding back till we sort this shit out' kind of thing.

In any case not everyone was holding back. Fireworks did go off all week just no big pretty ones. The one night where, it felt like you were in Baghdad the noise was so bad, was the Wednesday night 4 days later.

Most fireworks set off during the week were meant to celebrate wading away the devil from your family. I later found out that the fireworks set of on that Wednesday night were to bring you prosperity and wealth for the year. A little obvious of course!

---
 The last night Jessica was here she to my satisfaction really felt the city come alive again as people returned to the city. It was quite a nourishing feeling and the buzz was palpable as we walked down Nanjing Lu.


Shanghai was almost a reluctant New Years celebrator. You know the stiff business wearing man in the corner of a party who doesn’t talk just gives a nod to the passes by. He's alive in the business room though.

The endearing image I remember of Shanghai Chinese New Year was of seeing our first dragon not parading itself down the street but heading into a Costa coffee.
 

Lantern Festival

Jessica left and my life was back to normal for a while. However, Shanghai the old sleezy dog had one last trick up its sleeves.

This was the Lantern Festival a week long thing. I’m not sure what it celebrates but there was a huge mass of people out for it on Sunday night in Yu Yuan gardens.

It was a party and I loved it. Traditional music pumping, the lanterns were out and the place looked stunning. It went some way to appeasing the New Year No Show and I got some good pictures.

My Chinese teacher told me of stories where Chinese New Year was once the party in the street all night long thing. But its now a more relaxed take a break with the family holiday.

Shanghai more than any other city is one that can earn this temporary rest.

37. Dating 2: KTV

RUGBY TOUR TO NANJING

It was a week-end for firsts. Good firsts.

Yes first tour of the year to the city of Nanjing. First time I’d travelled over 600 km in one day to play a game of rugby. But well worth it!

Our Freshers team is just that fresh faced but raw talented newbies in Shanghai. The game in Nanjing was schelduled as a warm up game for a 10’s tournament next week-end of which we are reigning champs,  so we better start bonding quick!

And bond we did!

Nanjing were extraordinarily good hosts but the pitch they provided us was by far the worst pitch I’ve ever played on. There were dug in bricks in some parts so we had to cordon part of this run down football turf.

The 10's game was a little one sided, 16 tries to 1. They’re quite a new team as well with less big people.

Incidentally as I’d missed training recently due to work, I’d been moved into the pack. But consequentially loved it. I ended up at prop when we transferred to a sevens game. Prop! First time I’ve played there. Unfortunately I didn’t notch my first try, which was particularly fine worthy given that the whole team got about 30 (including  the sevens game). Rob Johnson, prop and Derwent top try scorer would be shaking in disbelief at my try negligence.

Anyway tour finished with us losing half of our French contingent to an early train so the seven of us left went to socialize in the bar.

Nanjing’s great hosts tag was deserved here. 8 large pizzas they provided and beer on tap. It was a heavy four or so hours, which included numerous boat races where I chugged for my life and numerous fines which were diligently honoured

I love Rugby. The people who follow it are generally wealthy but also love drink. So naturally our parting gift received was 2 thirty packs of Tsingtao. I asked the stupid question ‘Shall we save these for the party* later?’. *We were attending a leaving do later.

Needless to say, the train ride home was how can we put it nicely, very English.

New Class

I woke the next morning. I was still drunk. But good drunk. No headache just a fantastic sensation to carry on singing.

And I can safely say my classes in school benefited. Being a little under the influence is without a doubt not in the contract but the classes were great and that I swear it wasn’t blurred vision!

Yes I have a new class. This is my PET examination class. However me taking this class caused quite a stir namely as it involved me dropping out from my Kindergarten class from which a parent had taken me out for a drink (buttered up, I like to call it).

An argument followed. Thankfully it didn’t trouble my new class, which went well. Essentially it’s teaching the best 5 students in the school for an exam they are going to take, the motivation in there is palpable.

Changning staff were in good form though. I think the parents argument brought us all closer and good banter was had.

KTV

This very vaguely brings me to the date. I hope I haven’t lost any of you readers out there. Its just I thought I'd get some more of my life in after enticing you in with the juicy headline. Thanks for hanging on in there. 

Yes KTV the other option of a first date it seems for Chinese girls. Other being of course skating. KTV, ‘a way to relax’, is glorified karaoke. Cracking stuff, where's the alcohol.

Yes, Luo Wenjuan, a new girl who I met serendipitously at last weeks Lantern Festival brought with her hope that Chinese girls could be dated. She’d bought me dinner despite my cries on the first date and I was fairly pumped to try my hand today at KTV.

Things you should know. She doesn’t speak a word of English. Not a word. This is a check in my books. I need to learn. My google translate has been used a lot recently.

However for this date the sister was coming along, who spoke perfect English because of her job.

Ok so the date went ok. Here are the reasons.

A work colleague of the sister came along too. Thank god because three is a crowd.

Chinese girls are more generous than I gave them credit for. They bought me a drink.

I had my first cider in China. A rather nice one too.

Singing is fun. The Chinese girls take it very serious which is funny to watch.

They named the Chinese song which has been in my head since Suzhou with Darren. Youtube : zui xuan ming zu feng. As Toon champion Greg Robson would say an absolute TUNE.

My song choice was good. Stumbled a bit with One Love-Blue, but brought it back with Mariah Carey- When you Believe, an absolute belter and when it was Gotye’s classic I brought it home with my own Walk off the Earth version.

Luo Wenjuan had actually an English name. Cherry. It’s a fruit and means lovely I was reassuringly told.

I suppose after a host of special dates you have to kind of cherry pick when in China.

I'll get my coat.

-----

Right well that’s all folks. Thanks for reading and maybe one day I’ll write about the New Year celebrations or something.