My dad sent me a very nice email some weeks ago, politely enquiring if the reason I hadn't updated my blog in so long was; a. I was too busy at work, or; b. having to much fun?...
Whilst I've definitely been having a lot of fun the answer was actually c. the Chinese media censors have taken exception to blogger, and blocked it. I haven't been able to access it in weeks. The 20th anniversary of Tiananmen was last Thursday, so it seems the censors did some pre-emptive blocking to stem the tide of posts on the subject. Blogger is actually still blocked, however I've just learned I can access it using a proxy server - exciting but unfortunately it means no photos for now!
So an update to now is in order - I arrived in Beijing at the end of April, as planned. It's a lot more Westernised than I ever expected, and I've grown to love it here very very quickly. I'm teaching English to mature learners which is less strenuous and less rewarding than teaching to children but also means that I get to have fascinating conversations with all kinds of people - my students range from married couples to cancer scientists, policemen to people with mafia links (!), make-up artists to housewives and I literally never know what conversations I'll have at work from one day to the next. What's even better is that my colleagues are young and great fun, and of course there are some AIESECers here to spend time with, so it's easy to spend time enjoying the cultural scene, nightlife and amazing restaurants here.
Beijing itself is extremely cosmopolitan, ever changing, and a veritable temple to commercialism. When I arrived in the airport two people offered to sell me sim cards before I'd even had my visa checked, and when that part arrived an electronic panel on the desk invited me to smily-face rate the service of the guard ( :) ? :/ ? :( ?). There seem to be malls and European brands everywhere, as well as markets and people on the street. I'm aware that this doesn't characterise the whole of China, or even of Beijing - I live and teach in a very prosperous area, however the entrepreneurial spirit seems to be consistent regardless of how modern an area you're in. Sales is part of the national psyche and skill set, and I'm convinced that they probably teach it in schools.
To avoid a marathon I'll write more about my life here over the coming days. The most important thing's already been covered - the environment here is amazing, challenging and comforting at the same time. I'm already starting to feel sad about my imminent departure - despite practical challenges here I love the people and lifestyle and could easily see myself coming to live here again for a longer time.
Whilst I've definitely been having a lot of fun the answer was actually c. the Chinese media censors have taken exception to blogger, and blocked it. I haven't been able to access it in weeks. The 20th anniversary of Tiananmen was last Thursday, so it seems the censors did some pre-emptive blocking to stem the tide of posts on the subject. Blogger is actually still blocked, however I've just learned I can access it using a proxy server - exciting but unfortunately it means no photos for now!
So an update to now is in order - I arrived in Beijing at the end of April, as planned. It's a lot more Westernised than I ever expected, and I've grown to love it here very very quickly. I'm teaching English to mature learners which is less strenuous and less rewarding than teaching to children but also means that I get to have fascinating conversations with all kinds of people - my students range from married couples to cancer scientists, policemen to people with mafia links (!), make-up artists to housewives and I literally never know what conversations I'll have at work from one day to the next. What's even better is that my colleagues are young and great fun, and of course there are some AIESECers here to spend time with, so it's easy to spend time enjoying the cultural scene, nightlife and amazing restaurants here.
Beijing itself is extremely cosmopolitan, ever changing, and a veritable temple to commercialism. When I arrived in the airport two people offered to sell me sim cards before I'd even had my visa checked, and when that part arrived an electronic panel on the desk invited me to smily-face rate the service of the guard ( :) ? :/ ? :( ?). There seem to be malls and European brands everywhere, as well as markets and people on the street. I'm aware that this doesn't characterise the whole of China, or even of Beijing - I live and teach in a very prosperous area, however the entrepreneurial spirit seems to be consistent regardless of how modern an area you're in. Sales is part of the national psyche and skill set, and I'm convinced that they probably teach it in schools.
To avoid a marathon I'll write more about my life here over the coming days. The most important thing's already been covered - the environment here is amazing, challenging and comforting at the same time. I'm already starting to feel sad about my imminent departure - despite practical challenges here I love the people and lifestyle and could easily see myself coming to live here again for a longer time.
No comments:
Post a Comment