Sunday 18th December

Today is my last day in China and I spent it doing what I do best, shopping! I went to the markets to get some last minute Christmas presents as I had packed earlier that morning and knew I had space. I found a stall that had some gorgeous handbags that were really cheap and went a bit nuts and bought 6! I also found a stall with some really lovely earrings and it was only when I got home and was packing that I realised that I had bought 13 pairs. They were so cheap, it was worth it. Although squishing everything into my suitcase turned out to be a lot harder than I had thought!

I then had to go to the phone company with the modem to get the internet disconnected, which took an hour as no one spoke English and my Chinese is nowhere near good enough to explain what I wanted, so it was through mime and Pictionary that I eventually got them to understand. I then went to the bank to see if I could get my money before I left, I managed it but again it was a really slow process and they were not happy that I was closing my account! By this point I was exhausted, it really takes it out of you trying to get things sorted at the phone company and the bank! I got home at 6pm and finished my packing and then had an earlyish night at 10pm as I have to be up and ready to leave for the airport at 3am!

Friday 16th December

Today is my last day at Beijing International Bilingual Academy. When I arrived at the school I had to get the children ready for the Christmas concert where they were performing in the auditorium for all of the parents. Then we all went down to the classroom to watch Mr Bean and have the class party with popcorn and snacks that the parents had bought in. By 11am children started to leave and by 11.30am everyone had gone. I received a few Christmas presents off the children which included 6 oranges, a toy squishy dog, a pashmina, a scarf, toiletry set and a box of chocolates. I was also offered the use of a few summer houses which was nice.

When all the children had left all of the staff met in the canteen for a speech from the principal and then our special Christmas lunch (which turned out to be dominoes pizza) and then by 12.30pm we were allowed to leave! Everyone went to get their things and I cleared my desk for the next intern, then we all went to the Swan for a few drinks to celebrate the start of the holidays.

Wednesday 14th december

Had to get up bright and early today as I had forgotten to buy the popcorn and prizes for the grade 2C last lesson party, so I was at the supermarket at 8am buying that. I then went straight to school and was covering the grade 1A lessons all day again today. I had English in the morning and realised that because I was covering lessons all day this actually clashed with my grade 2C lesson! Grade 1A were supposed to have a end of month party at the end of the day, so I switched those around so the grade 2C party was at the same time as the grade 1a party and had them all in the grade 1A classroom eating popcorn and watching Mr Bean. I then presented the prizes to the 3 students from grade 2C with the most green stars and gave everyone from 2C a lollipop as it was their last English lesson. The next lesson I had was with grade 1A teaching social studies and then I had a free period to catch up with all of my marking.

After school I went to China Unicom to try and cancel my internet but I have to come back on Sunday with my modem and a pile of paperwork the woman gave me. It was relatively stress free, which was surprising as I was expecting it to be as bad as the bank. I then got a taxi to Pinnacle Plaza to meet some of the teachers for dinner which was nice. After dinner I went to see the curriculum coordinator to discuss the job in more detail and it is starting to sound like a really good opportunity. It is still a really difficult decision to make though and I am still feeling really torn.

Tuesday 13th December

Got woken up this morning by another text asking me to cover today’s lessons for the grade 1 teacher as they were still off sick. I got to school and had English in the morning with grade 1A and then it was lunchtime. After lunch I took grade 1A up to their music lesson and I started on the display board for the classroom for the next lesson. During this time I found out that one of the children had banged his head on the climbing frame and had been taken to hospital for stitches! I was also given another unofficial job offer to stay on at the school, this time as a teaching assistant for the grade 4 teacher and office assistant with a pay offer of 10,000 RMB (£1000 p/m, double what I was offered before) and money towards my flights, as long as they can organise a visa for me.

At 1.30pm I had my English lesson with grade 2C to finish their “all about me” project, tomorrow is their last lesson with me so I want to make sure they have finished it so I can do something fun with them. There was one child who did barely anything in that lesson and was messing about the whole time I told him that if he was going to act like a 1^st grader then he was going to have to come and work with the first graders to finish his work after snack time. He had 3 worksheets to finish and after snack he came and sat in the “naughty corner” of the grade 1A classroom to finish his work, while my grade 1A class were working on their time lines (they were working really well and quietly, I was so proud of them showing the second grade child how to work). Funnily enough, with no distractions and being shown up by my first grade class, he finished all three worksheets in 1 lesson, why couldn’t he work that well during his own English class?!

My next lesson was social studies which flew by and before I knew it, it was 4pm and time to send the kids home. I finished some laminating and decided that the marking can wait until tomorrow, then I went to meet Raena and Doreenda for dinner and to discuss the job offer I had had earlier as I feel really torn about it. We made a pros and cons list which didn’t really help my decision either, I really don’t know what I want to do. When I got home I had an email asking if I can cover the teachers classes again tomorrow and I skyped Matt to discuss the job offer. Looks like I have lot’s to think about over the next few days.

Monday 12th December

I got woken up by a text at 6.30am this morning asking if I can cover for one of the teachers that was off sick. I don’t usually get out of bed until 8am so it was a bit of a shock getting up at that time to be in work for 8am. It was the grade 1A teacher that was off so I already knew the kids which helped and I started off taking them to morning assembly and then teaching English. After lunch I had to take them to rehearse for the Christmas concert and get them used to walking onto the stage in the right order and actually getting them to stay still which is not easy with a class of 7 year olds! I then had my normal English lesson with grade 2C finishing their “all about me project” which most of them have very nearly finished, which is good as we only have another two lessons left to get it done. I then had a 10 minute break, just enough time to get my things together for the next lessons! I had maths with grade 1A where we were working on time and then the final lesson of the day was English writing where the children all made up a Christmas story about snowmen which was cute. By this point I was worn out, I had taught 6 lessons back to back and was ready for a sleep! I had a load of marking to do though and had about an hour to do it in as we had our staff xmas meal where we give our secret santa gifts and we were getting buses from the school at 5.20pm.

We got the buses to the restaurant that we were having our meal at and we all sat down to a big selection of Chinese dishes. The Chinese teachers were so excited and were going round to every table wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, apparently the restaurant we were at was quite expensive and one of the teachers said they look forward to the meal all year, which is paid for by the school. There were towers of mashed potatoes with whipped cream on top, chicken (plus chickens head), what looked like salami, snails, garlic vegetables, a weird meat that you put in tofu pancakes (I don’t think I want to know what that was), shrimp, pigs heart, chicken and peanuts, shredded lamb kebab, chicken curry, squid and king prawns, spicy minced meat rolls, green vegetables, fish soup (complete with fish tail), dumplings, mushroom and some sort of furry meat soup, rice and duck pancakes. After dinner (and endless speeches in Chinese then translated into English) we were each given a gift from the school, a scarf and pair of socks. Not just any scarf though, there were scarves with fur, lace, bows, netting, you name it, we had it! We each got photos with our scarves, I think I can safely say that most of them will not be worn in public. We then swapped our secret santa gifts and I was given chocolate and a moisturiser set by one of the Chinese teachers. We then had to all go into the room next door where there was a stage to have a staff photo (there were 75 of us, it took a while!) then at 8pm, straight after the photo, everyone left. Nothing like any staff meal I have ever been to, usually we all stay and dance to cheesy music! Quite an interesting day and it was nice to have a staff meal together and I got a pair of socks out of it!

See all pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69851917@N06/sets/72157628401498071/

Sunday 11th December

I realised this morning that I must have left my purse in the taxi last night as I couldn’t find it anywhere and that was the last place that I had it. This is even worse because I had my English bank card and Chinese bank card in there and about 500 RMB (£50).

The first thing that I did was to call Ashley, one of the teachers that speaks a bit of Chinese and has been here a while so sort of knows how the banks work. We got a taxi to Euro plaza and to the bank with my bank details from when I opened my account and my passport. It took us 3 attempts with different people to explain that I had lost my bank card and that I wanted a replacement card and to withdraw my money that was in there. After the bank manager and two cashiers had had a lengthy discussion they turned to me and said “no”. That was it, just no. When I asked “no what?” I was told that I couldn’t withdraw my money, but could order a new card. Ok, let’s start there then, I thought and we were taken to yet another cashier (who could speak quite good English, I don’t understand why we weren’t taken to him first). I started my story again for the fourth time, that I had lost my bank card and that I wanted a new bank card and to withdraw my money. I was told that yes they could give me a new bank card but it would take 7 days for my new card to arrive, but I wouldn’t be able to withdraw any money until then (7 days would be Sunday and I leave for England at 3am Monday so it was cutting it fine). I explained again that I had absolutely no money and needed the 75 RMB (£7.50) that was in my account, which the cashier openly laughed at me saying that it was only 75 RMB. Yes I know this, but I have NO MONEY and need anything I can get! Even the bank manager was looking at me in amazement and they kept saying that there was only 75 RMB in my account. We were then told that the new bank card would be available to be picked up on Monday 19^th December (which is no good as I would have left China by then) and when I explained this I was told that I could return to China to pick up my new bank card and withdraw my 75 RMB then. There is no way that I am coming back to China to claim my £7.50! I was getting really frustrated by this point so I said what if I just close my account, can I have my 75 RMB? Again I was told no, I needed my bank card to be able to withdraw my money or I could close my account and come back a week on Monday when the account will be closed to claim my money. I got really angry at this point and said “so you are holding my money hostage?” I decided to go ahead and close the account, which I had to tell the cashier numerous times “yes I want to close the account” and the cashier would say OK and sit there looking at me “so you need to close my account now” and then the cashier said “but why?” it was so frustrating! I told the cashier I was never banking with their bank again because they wouldn’t give me my money and to close the account. I then sat there for a while waiting for the cashier to fill in a load of forms when the cashier then told me that it would cost 20 RMB to close my account!! I said to take the 20 RMB out of the 75 RMB in my account and was told that he couldn’t because that wasn’t the procedure and at that point it really was either laugh or cry. Where do you expect me to get the 20RMB from when I don’t have any money or cards and the only money I do have, you won’t give me?! I demanded. The whole situation really was unbelievable and we had been at the bank arguing my case for an hour by now and still hadn’t come to a solution. In the end the cashier must have felt sorry for me because he paid the 20 RMB out of his own pocket, as long as I paid him back when I came for my 75 RMB a week on Monday. Which I won’t be doing as I will be on a flight back to the UK by then. The final outcome was that I closed my account so that my wages won’t go in there on Thursday (because if they do there would be no way to get it out before I flew home) and I need to return to the bank a week on Monday to claim my 75 RMB (55 RMB now that I owe the cashier 20 RMB!) which I can’t do as I will have already left the country and no one else can do it as it has to be me and my passport ID. This whole thing took 90 minutes and I am never using that bank ever again!

We then went to the supermarket for Ashley to do her grocery shopping and met Doreenda there as they were treating me to lunch afterwards as I had no money. I borrowed a bit from Doreenda to buy my present for my secret santa for tomorrow and then we went to “the Swan with two necks” which was only next door. By this point it was almost 4pm so we got a taxi home and I caught up with a few people on skype. Overall a very frustrating day and I still need to sort out where to send my wages on Thursday. Not how I was expecting to spend my Sunday!

Saturday 10th December

I had a nice lie in this morning and then met up with Ashley, Doreenda and Amanda (who were a bit hung-over) at 2pm to get a taxi into the city to do some shopping. We went to the bank first so that they could transfer money home which took forever, I think we were there for about 90 minutes! We then went to a shopping mall that I hadn’t been to before but walked past lot’s of times, but never realised what it was. We went to H&M for Doreenda and Ashley to get outfits for tonight and by this point it was about 5.45pm so we walked to Shanna and Kristen’s apartment to drop off our shopping as we had reservations at an Italian restaurant “The Tree” at 6.30pm. We got a taxi to the restaurant and met Raena, Anna and Geoff there and had a really nice meal, all wearing our santa hats that we bought earlier that day at the Ya Show market. We went on a bit of a pub crawl and I had a really good night out with some great friends that I had made. I am really going to miss everyone when I leave!