Ooops - Has it really been 3 months?
China was getting stupidly hot (for a European), by the end of May, with the temps slowly edging there way into the late 20's and then 30's by June. By the end of June it was getting impossible to sleep, it still being 28C at night. I managed to find a kind of woven reed style beach mat, which i ended up sleeping on as it was cooler than the sheets (something that apparently is preffered here - but no one told me about
).
Xianning has many tiled areas on the streets, the ceramic type, and beyond 35C, even i was struggling a bit to be barefooted, as the heat they retain was burning my soles a bit. Struggled through, and then the 'Rainy Season' started! Now, Ireland is well known for it's rain - but compared to Rainy Season in China it comes across as being distinctly lethargic and 'half-arsed'! It can literally be the equivalent of someone chucking a bucket of water at you constantly for 2 days - then a sunshine break, for a steamy change, then out come the buckets again
I'd never been an 'Umbrella type' before living in China - but now fully get the concept. It's too hot to wear a jacket - even a pac-a-mac would be uncomfortable at 30+C - but shorts, a vest top and an umbrella is just about OK. Oh and 'Crocs' also came in handy - even my feet were getting that been in the bath too long prune thing LoL
Well the Academic year finally ended, and TBH i have no idea at my students general level of progression. I don't mean that in an uncaring way, just that there was no measuring tool put in place by the college to really assess it. I know that a few students went from being reluctant to speak English to being a bit more comfortable, but as i wasn't supposed to teach
Grammar or anything BUT Oral English, it was difficult to truly gauge. Oh, and it was expected that i'd set an 'exam' the majority of students could pass, and preferrably seen in advance!
The look of genuine shock at being given a test, for which they had no coaching, may speak volumes about the Chinese Exam passing statistics!
So semester finished at the start of June, but still had to wait for all the paperwork to be completed for the extension of my Residency Permit for the next academic year - my current one running out on the 29th of June
The paperwork is pretty convoluted, even with just extending a contract, and of course required them taking my passport for almost a month - meaning i couldn't really leave the city, as a passport or Chinese ID card (which i don't qualify for) is required to be shown to catch a train or book into a hotel. So i was 'twiddling my thumbs' for over a month in the end, with nowt to do, and the college gradually emptying of students and staff. I did a couple of outside 'teaching gigs', and was offered more - but as i didn't know when i would be leaving, had to turn them down. Next year, however, i might be tempted to stay for the summer (paperwork permitting) as i can earn as much in a week during the summer (mainly teaching kids) as i do in a month at the college - and about the same as a UK based ESL summer school, but with much lower expenses.
Well, the passport eventually was returned on the 5th of July, so i could then finally book a flight home
The college (or Chinese Govt), in their 'infinite wisdom', have to book the flight through a registered travel agency (to save money
) and were convinced that if i booked a return at the same time, it would save us both money (i pay for the return to China and they reimburse me in March). My plan was to head down to Shenzhen, see my friends there for a few days, and then fly back via Hong Kong. Not only a good chance to catch up and buy some small prezzies, but also taking 4+ hours off the flight from Wuhan. No problem, they could do that! For the 'return' they were determined it would be better if i fly back via Shanghai? Now my Chinese colleague was doing the booking/translation, and i was trying to explain that for a return to be cheaper, it generally means departing and returning to the same place - but they seemed oblivious to this strange form of logic
In the end, just to get it done, i agreed to the Shanghai return with an additional flight to Wuhan - and it cost me (and consequently the college) around £200 more than if i'd booked it myself! I'll get it back in March, but that could well be my Vapefest cancelled
I also got a temporary flatmate, as one of my colleagues needed somewhere for a student to stay, who was helping her during the holidays. Mengmeng, i had met before, and it turned out to be pretty convenient, as she tidied up the place, and whilst we generally took turns cooking (me more Western style), if i hadn't specified that i was cooking there would be a meal prepared for me anyway. She will also be staying for most of the summer, so hopefully will be overseeing the repairs/improvements that i've been promised whilst i'm away. Silly things like a working light in the kitchen and my bedroom, and a repaired toilet cistern, to improvements like a new (and quieter) Air Condioning unit, that might actually blow warm air in the winter
The trip back to Shenzhen was pretty awesome. Got hold of my friends to say i was coming down before flying via HK, and the 2 Mr Lee's i met at the hostel previously, insisted that i stay with them rather than pay for a hostel (neither of them really speaking English) - Bless them! One of them came to meet me at the subway station, and then we got the bus and then walked to the apartment - which was a nice but an ickle cinfusing as the other Mr Lee usually drove everywhere? Eventually arrived to see Mr Lee2 hoping around the kitchen preparing food - as he'd broken his foot the week before and just hadn't mentioned it - and insisted i take his bed for the duration of my stay!
Food was thoroughly enjoyed - and Cai (also a friend from the hostel and Bilingual) showed up to join us - but with beer, the Xianning speciality of Osmathus wine i'd brought as a gift, and the inevitable Baijiu (the infamous Chinese 'White wine' - @50+%).
The next four days were running around meeting up with my Chinese friends, seeing a few new bits of Sz, and the evenings being spent with the 2 Mr Lee's and Cai. Trying to decide how to get to HK airport, was tricky. A car could be hired and drive me there, which was long winded and required getting out for checkpoints and passport checks, the bus (with the same checks), or the Sky ferry - leaving from Sz (Seiku port) and direct to the airport - and you even check in your hold luggage at the ferry and get your boarding pass/es! OK an ickle more expensive, but possibly the easiest Check in i've ever done - and, more importantly, my bag arrived in Dublin at the same time i did!
I've been in Ireland for a couple of weeks, and am finally getting used to the cold, and lethargic dampness. But also now getting a bit bored by being in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful and quiet though it may be - one of the things i've missed most is being able to interact easily with English speakers! So next week, am heading to Hull to see freinds! If i make it to Vapefest i'll be surprised as i'm financially more constrained than originally intended - but you never know!
One of the good things about the delay, was i finally found a Chinese teacher, so for the exchange of English, swimming and possibly Reiki lessons, i should actually start learning to communicate with the locals LoL Most of the offers i'd had previously (including the 'lessons' contractually provided by the college) were taught 'reluctantly' to say the least, with the 'teacher' not really wanting to, or possibly knowing how, which left me uninspired to continue with them. Hell, i enjoy the challenge of achieving things like getting my computer fixed, using charades, wild gesticulation and if all else fails - translation software
Speaking the language would be kinda like cheating LoL But 'Vicky' (English name), seems to genuinely want to teach me, and is encouraging me to persevere - which is a huge difference and might just work.
). 
The college (or Chinese Govt), in their 'infinite wisdom', have to book the flight through a registered travel agency (to save money 
Food was thoroughly enjoyed - and Cai (also a friend from the hostel and Bilingual) showed up to join us - but with beer, the Xianning speciality of Osmathus wine i'd brought as a gift, and the inevitable Baijiu (the infamous Chinese 'White wine' - @50+%). 