Shanghai has begun.

I can already tell you that Shanghai is much different then Seoul. I think in good ways, but I can see how a lot of people would not like it as much as Seoul. Its really hard to explain, but I will try. These of course are only observations from an extremely brief time here, so it may change… but here it goes. Shanghai is more like NYC. I miss NYC, not the prices, but the city. Shanghai reminds me a lot of it. While it is in China and filled with Chinese… it is diverse. There are over 50 recognized Chinese ethnic groups while Korea is pretty much one (historically there are a few different groups that made up Koreans, but they have been largely considered one for over 1000 years). So while they speak some form of Chinese, they are different groups. Also the number of foreigners in Shanghai is impressive. There are tons of people of all different races from different nations, and unlike Korea, they are more than just students, military, and ESL teachers… okay, so diversity is one thing. Another is grittiness. If you have walked along the streets on NY you know grittiness. Shanghai has it. Its not just the look and feel but the attitude. That’s what I get here, and I like it. Also there are multicultural and ethnic restaurants all over the place. Not as much as in NYC, but much more than Seoul.

I used to say that Korea was like high school. The fashion, the trends, the cliques…. Just the demeanor. Already being here, I can see that there is no set trend among the people. People here seem more individualistic (weird being communist and all).

Also, I know this will change the longer I am here and see more… but the driving. It may be worse in ways, but it seems like an organized chaos. The motorbikes seem to stay in the bike lane and do not ride on the sidewalk as much or as often as they did in Korea. Also, motorbikes do not have airhorns. Korean ones did, and dang… they used them all of the time. Even the cars here do not have them. When people honk, it is because they are warning a person they are coming, or warning they are there. They also do not just hold down the button for minutes on end… just a quick little honk. They know how to use horns for the most part.

Anyway…

I have been busy. I got here Friday night. Saturday I met with Joy (person from School) then went exploring, Sunday I observed the school where I will be working. After work I went out and found an apartment (more on that later). Monday-training. Tuesday-training and after training going out for St. Pats. Wednesday-training and after went out for Korean BBQ with people I was training with, then bowling, then to a bar with cheap wings.  Thursday I worked. Friday I had off so I walked around and explored. Saturday I observed class and taught my own class. Saturday night I went out with Tim for some beer and food and met his GF. Sunday I worked and taught my own classes. Monday I worked. I covered another teachers classes as did all week. I am busy, but the schedule is pretty chill… at least right now. Tuesday I played basketball with some co-workers and their friends, and wouldn’t you know I rolled my ankle. I am not lucky with ankles. It hurt, but I kept playing. I went to work after ball. Wednesday I worked with a hurt ankle, as I did Thursday also. Its still a little swollen. I looked at the market by me for an ace bandage, but did not find one. I may go to walmart on Friday (yes, there is a walmart in Shanghai) and I bet they will have one. I’m sure the market by me did as well, but I could not find it easily. I think a store like walmart will be a little easier to shop at… but who knows.

Saturdays and Sundays are the only full days of work. 9-5. In that time though, at least right now I only teach 3 or 4 classes. The rest is office hours. Once I am done with probation (trial period) I do not have to stay all day, just teach my classes. Weekdays I work from 2-8. Only teaching at most 2 classes. Once probation is over, it goes down to 4-8. Classes though can either be 45 minutes or 1.5 hours. The 1.5 hour classes are the little kids (kindy age) and the 45 minute classes are elementary/middle school age.

It is a lot different then ECC. ECC was super focused on book work and writing. Here, not so much. Kindy classes, we are supposed to listen to songs, dance, sing, and play tons of games. They have books, but do not use them in the classroom. Each class has a projector and computer, with a smart board. We project all of the materials (books etc.) onto the smart board, and it is interactive. So it reads the stories, plays music, has games, and we can write on it digitally. Its great for the young kids, and is super helpful for the older kids too. The teachers room is small and crappy… but the technology makes teaching so much easier and efficient. Also, we have the local teachers in the classroom at all times too, which is great for instant translation and just as an extra helper to do stuff. Also it keeps things much more organized… I mean still chaotic, but there is some flow that works really well.

Anyway, I am learning a bit about the phrase “TIC” or This is China. The initial cost of moving here are much higher than initially thought. China is a reimbursement culture. Which means, I have to pay it all up front, and the I will get paid back later.  When is later? After my probation period. I wish I would have known… but oh well. One good thing is the extremely low cost of living. There of course will be much more about this topic later, but for example, I was happy paying 6 dollars for a full meal in Korea. Here, 4 gets me just as much or more. Beer is 2 bucks for what was 6 in Korea. Groceries are also cheap, but I have not bought any yet. Taking the subway is only about 80 cents (trains are pretty darn nice too). Also, anyone reading up on China hears about corruption or cheating the system or something… For my apartment, I am supposed to get a paper that says my apartment is 5000 Yuan a month. No more, no less. This cuts down my tax by nearly 1000 Yuan. But to get the form, I will have to pay the landlord 250 Yuan (just to fill it out). Sound scammy? Yup. But that’s they way business is done here.

Apartment. I found an apartment and put down a deposit on it. Fingers crossed it all works out. It is a little more than I wanted to spend… but sometimes its necessary to get something that you want. I am not going to post about its details, so I don’t jinx it. I am supposed to sign a lease on Saturday

My biggest problem right now is my computer. It started acting funky before I left the USA and it has continued to get funkier.  I either am not lucky with laptops… or I do too much with them (treating it more like a desktop then laptop). I am pretty sure that this one actually just has a loose wire (USB problems) something wrong with my wireless adapter (software or hardware?), and just a few other little things (windows firewall not working even through admin run). If I had reliable internet connectivity, I might be able to diagnose. But my hotel does not have reliable internet connectivity… and I’m in China so I am behind the Great Firewall (China blocks a lot of stuff). Things that I could probably easily fix in the US. But living overseas adds a layer of difficulty. Once I get to my new apt… I think I will create a restore disc, wipe the hdd, and reinstall everything.

But yup… that’s life right now. I’m pretty stoked to get settled into an apartment. I really haven’t had the drive to do too much being stuck in a hotel room. Without access to laundry, I don’t want to get my clothes dirty. With no refrigerator, microwave, or oven, I am limited on food to eat (no leftovers or takeaway). If it was only vacation, that would be different… but I am living out of my hotel room.

Okay, that’s it for now…  I'll try to do a once a week, if not more.