rupert and hannah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi guys,

sorry we haven't done this for ages, I was going to say that we have been really busy but then when I try and think of stuff to tell you about I can't think of much so we can't have been that busy! Time seems to be passing really quickly at the moment and I can't believe we are over half way through this semester.

The most exciting happening this week was that Rupert gave his "symposium" entitled 'An Introduction to Modern Western Electronic Music' and he basically bored, sorry, thrilled hundreds of students for a couple of hours with lots of information about the different kinds of electronic music, then he showed them some of the software you can use to make it and finally told them about club culture - see I was listening! I went along for moral support and actually learnt something.......although sadly I don't think I like the music any more than I did before but at least I can nod in a more knowledgable way next time rupert waffles about it when he has discovered some amazing new piece of software he can use - you would be suprised how often that happens! Anyway ever since the symposium we have had loads of students tell us how much they enjoyed it and how interesting it was so I think Rupert is making some progress on his mission to inform the 1.3 billion people here that there is much more to western music than the Backstreet Boys and Westlife. Actually, it went down very well and although we think a lot of the English was too advanced for the students who attended, there were enough music and video clips to keep them interested and on the whole it was a success - especially since he got paid 200 yuan to do it (about 15 quid, but that goes a long way here when clothes shopping - for him obviously, not for me - no honestly, we went out and bought him some funky combats and a cool zipper jacket thing so now he has the funky image to match the music, hee heee.........).

Oh and another exciting happening recently was that my parents came to visit as part of their little excursion to see some friends in Shanghai and then the Phillipines. They stayed for about a week and I think we gave them a little taste of the delight that is Haikou. They stayed in a very fancy hotel in the city centre that has some special deal with our college so guests of our college can stay there for about half price (anyone else fancy coming to see us?). On one of the days we met up with my calligraphy teacher and took them to a calligraphy exhibition that was just opening in the city and it was very funny. We arrived just before the opening and suddenly found ourselves being treated as honoured guests. They pinned a little posy to our tops and some of the famous calligraphers asked to pose for photos for us so we tried to look distinguished and knowledgable as we viewed the exhibits - which is no mean feat when it is over thirty degrees outside and there is no air-conditioning, but looking back at the photos I think we managed it - not! The famous calligraphers then would do calligraphy for anyone who gave them a piece of paper and at the beginning people just calmly waited by the table where the calligrapher was working and he would write whatever they requested but after a while it got quite busy and what with the idea of queueing being quite alien to the Chinese, it became quite a catfight with people scrabbling to push some paper under the calligraphers' noses and get him to write something for them. But on the whole it was a fun experience and we are probably appearing in some local media as distinguished foreign calligraphers - oh if only they could see dad's handwriting, or Rupert's for that matter.

Another thing we did with the parents is take them to some of my classes and to English corner. The parents loved meeting the students and the feeling was more than mutual - the students are still talking about it to this day. I think dad made a great impression not just because of his safari waistcoat and shorts, but because although he had a cambridge degree he decided to teach for thirty five years and it is completely unthought of in China that a person with a degree from a famous university would not pursue a top job and aim to make vast amounts of money as quickly as possible. They are quite interested to hear that in the west we are not all so completely obsessed with making as much money as possible! The little fifteen first years I teach met mum and sang her a little song in Chinese about a mother's love. They were quite confident in chatting to her which really suprised (and pleased!) me because when I first met them in September they were so shy it was all I could do to get them to introduce themselves to me. They have come so far in a couple of months and I think its mainly because they are settling in and hopefully starting to really enjoy college life. Its great to watch them at break time, they used to stay in their seats and whisper to each other, looking really guilty if they had to get up to go to the loo, but now they are jumping around, teasing each other, play fighting, singing and sometimes I actually have to ask for quiet when I want to start the lesson after break. Its great!

We are finding that our salaries go a long way here and we (actually mainly me) am making the most of the fun shopping to be found in Haikou. There are some great clothes, shoes, bags to be had, and then there's the dvds. We're also discovering some great places to eat. We haven't cooked one meal since we got here, but I think I am going to start thinking about it soon, sometimes its nice just to stay in and have something simple. The most recent find has been the only Indian restaurant in Haikou. It's really nice and has the closest thing to Marks and Spencer chicken tikka that I have ever found, anywhere. If you haven't tried M and S chicken tikka then I can thoroughly recommend it. Oh and talking of food, there is an Australian guy here with a Chinese wife who teaches at some other uni in the city and is about to open a western restaurant and said he will do a sandwich bar, roast dinners and fish and chips - which is just so amazing cos there's just nothing like that in Haikou. We are trying not to get our hopes up too much in case its a disappointment but he hopes to open by Christmas with a Christmas party which sounds cool. Its very hard to get into the christmas spirit here - I still think its summer and can't get my head round the fact that we're almost in December. Its still pretty hot although the last few weeks have been cooler. At the moment we are very excited to be able to wear shoes and socks, long sleeves, and most exciting of all..jeans!! Yay! I think its going to be like this for a while now, its in the early twenties, going up to mid twenties in the middle of the day and it feels really comfortable although at first we felt quite chilly.

Well thats about it. We have put loads of photos on this time because my parents brought out my new digital camera (along with 24, yes thats 24 packets of salt and vinegar crisps - oh I love my parents) and I have taken quite a few pictures recently, although none that I am wildly excited about but I'll have to keep trying!

Hope you're all ok, we haven't had many emails recently but then I guess we haven't really sent many or blogged for a while so we forgive you.

Lots of love Hannah (and Rupert who is currently taking over the world in a computer game)

Well, it has been a long time since our last posting. I don't quite know why that is, but we have just been busy doing stuff, though what I don't know because I haven't got a lot to write about!

Well, since our trip to Sanya we have been spending time getting to know some of our students. We went to a Xinjiang province restaurant with a couple of third year students. There are a number of Muslim minorities in that province (who don't have it all that easy, but you don't here Al Quida blowing their lid about them, hmmm, wonder why..) and they make some great food. We had some kebabs from there, plus some real spicy chicken (which the students recon were not that spicy, yeah right, tell that to the raging inferno in my mouth dudes). One of the Muslim minorities are the Uighurs. Even though they are from the far north of China, there are quite a few of them in Haikou. We see them on the streets selling traditional Uighur food (yummy kebabs, scrumptious Nan bread and delicious but very sweet nougat (sorry, slipped into my namesake's character there for a second, go away Badger, now!). They are more open and friendly than the locals and always call out "Hello" when they see us (to get us to buy their stuff).

Anyway, the same weekend we also bought some bikes, since we need to do some exercise to regain our (well, my) Adonis-like figure (that I had when I was about, ermm, well, that I should have). We took a student to help us bargain. For a while we considered buying second hand, and inevitably stolen, bikes. You do get a very good deal, but most of the bikes have been cannibalised from various parts and it all felt a little dodgy. So we decided to get some new ones. Since Chinese people are not very tall, it was hard to find a bike that was actually big enough for me, but we eventually managed to get two pretty decent bikes. They are both mountain bikes, mine has front suspension and is blue with phunky yellow tires, Hannah’s is a nice metallic blue, all for only £45. Bargain. It has allowed us to cycle around our Uni. There are some really nice rides to do. There are massive bike and motorbike-only paths by the big and small rivers near our college and there are loads of little farms dotted along both rivers. Its great coz we get to see some rural life go by; people watering their small crops of greens, water buffalo wallowing in muddy ponds, naked boys playing in the river, naked homeless people having a wash and fishermen repairing their nets. One of these times we will remember to take our camera with us so we can show you guys some pictures.

Also of note recently is that Hannah has started Chinese calligraphy lessons, but I will leave that for her to tell you about later. We have continued to expand our DVD collection, we now own all of the series of Friends (on only 8 DVDs, the quality isn't perfect, but for 60p you can't complain), all of the series of 24, all of Lord of the Rings, all of StarWars (neither of the last two Hannah was keen on) and loads more stuff. Plus we have now watched all of the first series of Lost, not bad I suppose. The only problem is our TV has died, but that should be fixed soon.

Oh yeah, I am reliving my youth and have bought a skateboard, I have always wanted to have a proper skateboard, and, you know, when in China.....well, eat rice and spit on the floor, but anyway, I decided to get one. Sad, huh?

Last week, during English corner (where all the foreign teachers have to talk to any students from college that decide to turn up and ask us if we like China/Chinese food and if the UK is as hot as it is here) we met some students from a local school, a boy and a girl, who both spoke very good English. I gave the boy my e-mail address so we can "exchange greetings and letters and you can be my first foreign friend". In his first e-mail to me he said the following:

"How are you doing? I am a boy who spoke to you yesterday. Did you still remeber me? I am a very outgoing person, i like tell jokes, especially to listen others to tell. I like make friends with others.We can exchange our idea with each other and also can know a lot of things. I am also full of confidences, I think your GF is also very easygoing, i like her very much.but the not love. so don't get wrong with me. Ok? i also like you .
Please say hello to you GF. thank you!"

I have to say, I was very relieved (GF is girlfriend btw), since he was serious competition to me and I was scared that Hannah was going to run away with him, especially co he is five foot tall! Yeah. I think that girls are all he can think about, because when I first met him he asked me if my female students were attractive, then in his second e-mail he asked how he could get and keep a girlfriend. Bless his cotton socks and raging hormones!

Oh yeah, it was nice to hear that at least one of our PGCE buds has survived the first term intact, well done Jo. Now, what about the rest of you? Are you chaps ok?

Some good news on the music and China front. First off, we have found some dodgy places that sell some western music, it may mostly be German Techno and Trance and thrash metal, but it is a start. And secondly my students now know that Oasis and Coldplay exist and that there are more bands than just Westlife and the Spicegirls (sorry Pete, Franco and Al, I don't think they are quite ready for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club etc. yet, I haven't got any of their stuff anyway, but it is a start).

Well, that's enough for me, i gotta go and graze my knees as I try to forget the fact I am 28 and going a little grey round the edges.

Hope all is well in Blighty. We'll keep you updated on what it is like to catch Bird Flu. Blunket resigns again huh? Notice how things went bad for him ever since he changed his guide dog? Obviously the new one he got is some evil conniving power hungry Labrador.

Laters