Roxyhughes's travel blogs:
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Miserable China
Entry 13 of 32 | show all | print this entry |
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Three weeks into China and I'm hardly enamoured with the place, it has simply been one diaster after another since we arrived and the school were expecting a middle aged married couple! You can imagine their surprise when we showed up in the morning, having had no sleep for days (got here just after new year)smelling like we'd been travelling for three months, Dom in Fubu trousers and Converse army boots and me with "beach" hair and still wearing a bikini under my clothes...
Hmmm we drove into Shenzhen - Grey, Concrete city, endless rows of factories on the approach, replaced by tower blocks from an arthouse film about communist Russia. Our flat is one of these, part of a block of 5 identical blue and white, reminescent of a swimming pool changing room decor. On the 18th floor, we have a grill across the door and bolts across the windows.
We've named it Bleak House. The kitchen is a box, with one gas ring, and no light, that hasn't been cleaned since it was built. Oh, and last night we had a cockroach infestation. For no reason, we came home after going out for a lovely chinese meal and were greeted by a scuttling creature in the hallway. Just one maybe? we hadn't seen a single roach since arriving (the weather's been fairly cool) but something happened yesterday to wake them up...we sprayed the bug killer, and suddenly roaches were everywhere, it was like a scene from Arachnaphobia only with these insects instead. I was cleaning my teeth when Domi said "don't move..." and hit me on the leg... in every room there were creatures lying on their backs dying..
Disgusting! Who knows where they came from, and why they decided to come out that night... Our drains been blocked in the main bathroom for a while, and yesterday someone cam e to clear it, so i can't help thinking he woke up a whole cockroach family who've been sleeeping peacefully through the winter only to be rudely awakened. So basically, here we are living in this ugly grey city, in an ugly grey building. The weather's not warm like we hoped, it's miserable and right now drizzling and cold. The flat is just a temporary measure, but to move out, we need to get paid, to find a chinese agent and a translator to go flat hunting with us, not an easy task - everything takes about a month from start to finish, but i did get my chinese bank account today...
The job is ok, not exactly what i'd hoped for- we've been thrown in at the deep end by starting when the kids are on New Year Holiday, so I'm teaching 7-12 year olds all day everyday and i don't have the stamina, patience or inclination to teach kids! Once this is over it's easier money, i'm on a salary but the teaching hours should be less stressful so more time to chill out and keep writing installments about this crazy land. I'm off now to a school party - it's so sad we have to resort to work functions to try to make friends, i've literally never felt so alone as in this place - totally imersed in a culture where NOONE understands you, and I don't understand anything, can't read signs or take buses or tell taxi drivers where to go, its all totally foreign,
definitely a case of lost in translation...
Latest Comments (4)
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poor old bleak house (reply)
Jan 20, 2006 06:33 EST by craigie
i'm sorry to laugh at your obvious trials but that entry is the funniest thing i've read yet, i was pissing myself when i read how Domi (can just imagine the way you're pronouncing that, like he's a little pet) how you were cleaning your teeth and Domi said 'don't move' and hit you on the leg!!! brilliant. but poor old Bleak House, it was probably perfectly happy being a dirty cockroach motel befo... show all
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Run for the hills (reply)
Jan 20, 2006 06:27 EST by danautomatic
Thank you for putting me on your list. You do know you dont have to put with that! They are crying out for teachers all over China in places that are very nice in very nice accomodation. Shanghai (Big cosmopolitan city), Yangshuo (small traveller/tourist town)or maybe even Guangzhou (not that I have been there). How much are you getting paid? You can get 9,000 a month in Shanghai, 3,000 a month in... show all
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exeter calling (reply)
Jan 20, 2006 06:12 EST by jaymejellyfish
so things might seem difficult at the moment but this is an amazing time in your life. just think of the memories you'll bring home with you!
and don't forget all the people at home who care so much about you.
god i sound like a gay!
love to you both, loving the travel blog, can't find photos though, damn technology!
keep smiling
i'm off to read wet jungle fun, sounds kinky.show all
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all for the best (reply)
Jan 20, 2006 06:09 EST by alanhughes
Hello Roxy,
Your Chinese experience makes interesting reading. A little suffering is good for the soul, don't you think? Probably not at this moment, but in a few months or years you will look back and laugh.
Looking forward to more episodes.....dad xx
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