Graduation and....t-shirts (Courtney)

Please note...mammoth post below. Might be time to grab a cuppa...

Yesterday was the graduation ceremony for the Senior 3 students. They finished their exams Monday at 5pm, moved out of the dorms that night, and graduated a couple of days later. On Monday we had lunch with Mr Shen, the principle and we were asking about the graduation. I indicated that I would like to see it, because it's an important part of the whole school process, and also because I thought it might be a great chance to see some school performances.

Well Thursday rolled around and at about 1:30 Raymen called, wanting to know if we were still interested in going. We quickly got ready and met him downstairs, not realising that the ceremony wasn't in the school. Turns out it was next door at a "theatre". We've been curious as hell wanting to know what goes on inside this place as it seems to be a strange combination of theatre, titty bar, gym and driving school. Yes, all rolled into one! Of course we were led to the front row, where else, and other teachers had to move to accomodate us. It was at this point that that sinking feeling started to creep in. Here we were thinking we could just duck in, see some of the ceremony and leave. However, once we were seated in the front row, next to the principle, it became all to obvious that not only were we here for the long haul, but it would only but be a matter of time before we found ourselves on stage!

We ended up staying for just over 3 hours, by which time we were both suffering from extreme headaches due to the noise, heat and lack of water. I can't describe to you the volume of everything, it was getting to that point where only dogs can hear the noise. But all up it was an interesting afternoon. I'm really glad we got to see the kids graduate. It's such an important time for them, and you could really sense the mixed emotions of the day and the bounds that have developed between students and their teachers. It reminded me of the bonds I had with a couple of my teachers. You can see the pride in the teachers, and it made us wish that it had have been our students graduating, we would like to see them reach that point (of course that would involved another 2 years and well, that just ain't gonna happen!) If nothing else, I think we scored some major brownie point from the principle, you could tell that he was stoked that we had chosen to come...and well, participate.

So, the first part of the ceremony was video footage of the kids and their three years at the school. It was actually pretty impressive, and amazing that they seem to have a truckload of footage of all of the kids. They had video of them moving into the dorms, doing their military training, performances, in class, exercise, you name it it had been recorded. Then all of the teachers were filmed saying their farewells...which frankly went forever! Then the performances began. Below are some pics of the kids singing and what not. They must have been so nervous getting up infront of their peers. Some of the performances were good, others were...comical. The best being three groups of students standing in a circle, who all crouched down and another student from the middle burst up and began singing. Fantastic. Like a flower blooming. There was lacklustre singing, out of time clapping, and one poor girl who tried with all her power to get her group waving their arms in the air, but it just didn't take off.

These girls played the traditional instrument to a Jay Chou (ridiculously popular singer here) song, it worked really well, until the girl on the right at the end got up and sang!

Random singing groups.

This is the winner of the school's singing competition. He had a really great voice and had all the moves (eg - he's spent a lot of time watching Jay Chou videos). He looked like a nice kid and we imagine he was popular with the girls at school.

In the middle is Mr Shen, the principle, who I don't think has featured in the blog yet. Note the height difference - the boy on the right isn't all that much taller than me! But what he lacks in height he makes up for in kindness - Mr Shen is a truly lovely, kind man. Did we tell you he bought us clothes during the week?!

So after a couple of performances, each of the classes started coming up to receive their graduating diploma. There is a LOT of kids, so this took quite some time. Whilst this was happening, Raymen lent over and said to me, "How about coming up on stage and giving the kids some words of encouragment?" To which I answered "No". This is what we are always asked - to give some words of encouragement! There have been times where there is literally no words to offer, but at least at a graduation ceremony we could have come up with something. But I begrudge the - oooh, let's get the westerners up on stage...even though we haven't had any interaction with these kids, and we weren't even supposed to be at the ceremony. So I just simply said it wasn't going to happen. So then he leans over and asks Marcus, but this time suggests we go and hand out some diplomas. So Marcus says, well I suppose we can do that, whilst I'm giving him death stare because I've just said no! Granted, I said no to something completely different, but then I felt like I couldn't turn around and say yes. So, off went Marcus and Raymen onto the stage whilst I kicked back and took some photos...

Again, note the height difference. For the most part Marcus and I wander around not feeling all that much different to anyone else. But every now and then you catch yourself against someone else and realise that yes, we are indeed different. And Marcus wonders why the boys behave for him...that's because he towers over them!

Wait a sec! Didn't I say I was kicking back taking photos? Not for long, soon enough I was up their too. I think this is where we would have earnt browning points as Mr Shen was absolutley BEAMING when he saw me up there. Strangely, neither of us feel any fear or nervousness in doing these things. Once upon a time getting up in front of a couple of thousand people would have sent me into a spin, but no longer.

So whilst the kids were being presented with their diplomas, we had a lot of time to check out some of the fashions going on. This is where my post becomes somewhat...shameless shall we say! Look...we had front row seats and we've been wanting to capture some of the t-shirts we see around here, so what better opportunity? Christ only knows what the people sitting behind me thought as I snapped off shot after shot of up close chest shots. So here below, please find a smorgasboard of wonderful fashion...there wont be a lot of captions, the pictures really speak for themselves...

Our favourite t-shirts to be found - the "boyfriend/girlfriend" t-shirts. We see some many youngsters wearing these. And yes, the boy and girl will walk on the correct side so the arrows point to each other. Oh so cute. All whilst the boys carry the girls handbags. His shirt reads "Falling in Love, She is My Girlfriend." I so want Marcus and I to get some of these shirts and wear them just for the reaction!

Check it out! This whole class had sub groups in matching t-shirts. We saw these girls earlier in the day, who would have known that I would be the lucky one to give them their diplomas?!

Marcus has dubbed this girl Chinese Courtney. Hmm...

Yup, stocking socks with sandles. All the rage round these parts. God they look so ridiculous but all the girls wear them, of all ages. I've no idea why. And yes, I know what you are thinking - hey, it could be socks! Well don't worry, they wear them with their sandles too!

This is Emma, my stalker. Well, she's not really a stalker, she's a nice girl just very very enthusiastic. She chased after me when she saw us leaving. I have to remember to email this photo to her, don't want to crush her spirit!

But the absolute piece de resistance is below. The photo doesn't quite do justice to the SILVER PVC pants this guy was wearing. They and him were just spectacular. Check out the pose, does he think he's it and a bit or what?!

So all in all, just another day at the office! I'll get Marcus to hit you up with a couple of the videos we took of the performances. I would, but trying to upload them makes me want to throw the computer out the window.

This n That (Marcus)

We've had a pretty busy week really. It feels like it anyway. I think the muggy weather is largely responsible for how tired we feel - oh and the fact that last night we both had an absolutely shocking nights sleep.

Why?

Oh only because there were 6 or so mosquitoes in our bed net. Yes, SIX!! How they are getting in there god literally only knows. Courtney and I have been debating it. I think that where the 3 zippers intersect, the mozzies are getting in via the very small hole between them. If you zip them up very very carefully, the hole is absolutely tiny - too small for them to get through(I think). If you zip them up and don't double/triple check it, it leaves a very small hole, but I think still big enough for them to get in. It really is annoying having to be so paranoid - but man the pain outweighs the fun of having them biting you ceaselessly in the dark.

Courtney thinks that when we're entering/exiting the net(again via the zip holes), the mosquitoes are making a break for it and coming in with us. I don't know if they're that smart..or rather, that opportunistic. She however feels the hole is too small - or more accurately - how would they even find it?

I have read up on them(looking for a way to bring in mosquito genocide) and I know they have super good senses - comparable to a jet fighter plane(no shit!). I don't know how well they can see in the dark, nor do they seem to crawl all over the place exploring. They seem to just land on the wall and observe. I think they are more than aware of the hole being there and make good use of it.

If it's not one of the above two reasons - well like I said, god only knows how they're getting in there. It hasn't been every night, but there's been a few nights now.

At 1am I had had enough. My right hand was so itchy in multiple places that I couldn't possibly ignore it. I got my mobile phone out and used it's light function(it has a really strong lamp on the back of it) to search around the inside of the net - unfortunately waking Courtney. It wasn't for nothing however as I killed two mozzies. A third was already dead- probably inadvertently squashed by my flailing about.

Aftermath of the battle.

Come 2am I am still itching and in more places so I figure there are more there. I didn't want to turn on the mobile light again, as I hate waking Courtney, but worse, I just can't deal with being freely bitten like that. Moreso when it's warm in the room and I am not sleeping under the covers - aka I am a human smorgasboard. So I turn on the light and voila, at least another 3 die to the racket of death. I managed to sleep for the rest of the night, but still feel overtired. Courtney didn't fare so well unfortunately - though it seems that I was the main mozzie target anyway.

So enough of mosquitoes for now. I hate the little pricks and they are getting far too much blog attention! Unfortunately they are on my mind most of the time though :(

So in a recent post I spoke about tiled/bricked roads and how poor quality they were - as they were always broken. Well take a look at this lovely stretch of path outside our old favourite restaurant(the one that has since disappeared)



This is not an uncommon site either! I did crack up in the city the other day. I have written previously about stepping on bricks and having water come out from under them and swamp my foot - when I looked down, the water was gone, my foot soaked and I had no idea what caused it - remember? Well in Wuxi CBD the other day we were walking along, and I watched the exact same thing happen to this guy - BUT - it wasn't water - it was jet black liquid - like oil. He stepped on the brick, SWOOSH out comes the wave of black shit, soaked his shoe then away it went back into it's brick hiding place. He walked on none the wiser. Ahh, it amused me.

And completely unrelated - I suspect that as the newer generations of Chinese grow up; thanks to western cultural influence(ie: Starbucks..Pizza Hut), I think the population is slowly going to become fatter and fatter. As a whole the Chinese are a very, I guess you would say thin race. Certainly compared to your average Australian, American or English citizen they are. Many are stick thin in fact and they just have typically smaller frames than most westerners.

Well with the advent of fatter more western foods, I can see that changing. The Chinese seem to have an absolute love of ice-cream and cream. Now this I don't think is western influence as there are ice cream fridges in practically EVERY store everywhere. You name it, it has an ice-cream fridge. Clothes store? check. Mechanic? check. I even saw one as a stand-alone unit combined with a trailer out in one of the food streets opposite a factory. Check out the two photos below:

Here we have two women drinking frappucinos in Starbucks. Now i happen to absolutely LOVE mocca frappucino's(and I feel like a dick saying that out loud as it sounds so oooh coffee try-hard!), but if you haven't had one before, they're basically a big tasty ice-coffee and absolutely laden with fat. The two girls above were onto their second. They always order the largest size and often drink multiples.

Again here are another pair of girls whoofing down their frappucinos. *Note - when I order these, i ask for it without the cream on top - I just don't need that extra fatty goodness in my diet. 'Mid-frappa' one of the women ducked out, then returned with a tub of ice-cream(seen in centre).

We have only been to Starbucks a few times - not because we are fans of Starbucks, Courtney in fact hates them, and I well, like i said, I have a weakness for frappucinos(they're so awesome!) - however, it's also one of the only places in China you can get a proper coffee. It's 50/50 in most other coffee houses - I've had some good, some bad. The one across the road from our campus for example makes a cappucino with a huge clump of this disgusting sweet cream(which is kinda hard on the edges) and a piece of shaved orange peel in the middle. Mmm mmmh. So anyway, we have been to Starbuck's several times, and each time marvelled at these people who seem to just sit there all afternoon and drink these huge fatty drinks one after one.

The Chinese are also mad about KFC, and it's rare to see Pizza Hut without a queue waiting outside its door for people to leave(such as the one we got stuck in for an hour one time). I don't think I have seen a KFC here that is quiet - and Wuxi must have around 6-7 at least. KFC, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, McDonalds - they're always packed with people.

How will this effect their future generations? The younger people now 1. love junk food, and 2. love the internet - sitting in net cafe's or their homes playing games for as much free time as they have(which if they are a student, is bugger all).

Time will tell!

Just the three of us (Marcus)

So yesterday we were told by Mr Pan that the junior students at the other campus have finished up - or rather, have stopped regular classes and entered into their exam phase. To us, this means we only have to work 3 days a week until the major holiday, woohoo! With Monday and Thursday off now, we have a long weekend and a mid-week rest, aaaah.

This morning we went to the medical centre around the corner from the school and had some vaccination shots for a virus that is passed around by mosquitoes. Apparently it's pretty necessary in China - I can't remember it's name, Japanese something or other. The doctor said because the vaccination is made from the virus itself it can have mild symptoms such as feeling a little feverish, or where it went into our arms feeling a little itchy etc.

Strangely enough we both feel very very tired tonight, not to mention we have headaches. I have had one all afternoon - so it's very possible(and i suspect) the vaccination is the reason.

HOWEVER! It may also be due to the fact that this afternoon we attended the.....

....drum roll....senior 3 students graduation. What we expected to go for around an hour - if that, went for almost 2 and a half. For the entire duration the music and microphone sounds were typical of China, aka EXTREMELY BLOODY LOUD!!!!!!!!!

So yeah, we either have headaches from that, or the vaccination - who knows. All I know is both Courtney and I feel tired as hell tonight so I'm leavin' it at that.

We will post seperately on the graduation as it was quite the spectacle in itself ;) Did I mention we were up on stage handing out diplomas? Colour us surprised? NO!

Sir, do you know how fast you were going? (Courtney)

On the bus the other day, when I noticed the below...Marcus quickly snapped it with the camera. I've seen this a lot in taxis, but hadn't expect to see it in a bus!!

Yes, that's right folks...whilst we are hurtling along the speedo sits on a comfortable zero!

Pig Baby @( ^^O (Marcus)

I love you pig baby.

Teeheeheehee but why!! but why!!!

You save me from snorkel fang fish!!!

And and snails!! and snails too!!

That's why I love you!!!
The clouds are always pinker when we're together.

Perspective (Marcus)

Practically all Chinese building complexes have guard stations located at their front and rear entrances. You will find almost identical looking stations at places such as schools, housing communities, factories etc. They always consist of a small square building, a retractable boom gate, and an electric(and what we assumee to be 'ram proof') gate grill.

The above photo is the front entrance to our school. On the left is the guard unit, a small stand with umbrella for guards to stand on in case a formal greeting or somesuch is required, and to the right the retractable fence. Across the road in the background is a housing complex called the Yin Yue Yuan, and it has a guard station there also.

I don't exactly know why so many buildings have these, nor what motivated them, but they are everywhere.

As we returned from dinner; from one of our regular haunts out the back door of the school, the window to the back of the guard station was open and three of the guards were in there talking with each other. We have seen in there before, but tonight if got Courtney and I talking about how they live compared to us; they being the Chinese, and in this particular instance, specifically the guards.

We really like the guards. Since day 1 they have always been super friendly to us and every time we pass in or out of the school they make absolutely sure they call out a hello, give us huge smiles and waves. They are really really nice guys. One day when we were up at the local market, we brought them some sweetened rolls and things back, but it was a bit awkward then as we didn't know them very well. They are slowly advancing into 'Good afternoon!' the like.

It's funny, we have more interaction with these 'lowly' security guards than any of our so-called co-workers(ie the other teachers).

So anyway the light was dimming as it was heading into night and the light was on, making all in their little room clearly visible. These guys live in there. There are approximately 4 bunk beds, two of which I could see had mosquito nets around them. They basically spend their entire lives in this little room - or the front room watching the gate. There is no leisure time, there is clock on, clock off. The time they do have off from working, they are usually just hanging around the guard box anyway, as there's not really anything else for them to do.

Their families likely live in another province entirely. They would send a large percentage of their wages(which would be comparable to peanuts) back to their families to help support them. In the front entrance there are actually two guard stations - the one that is actively used, and another one. In the other one we think the families of some of the older guards live.

As we walked across the deserted basketball courts to our own home, we discussed how we returned to a spacious two bedroom apartment, yet here these guys live in a room roughly the size of our bedroom where there is at least 4 per room, possibly more. I don't know, it just gave us some more perspective on the whole difference in cultures.

If here in China we were suddenly thrown into a room like that to live - and only one room, we would feel terribly hard done by, as culturally we have grown up in complete comfort, yet here they know no different. What would they think of us, knowing the size of the room we live in? Hell our little building is not even joined onto the main teacher dorms - it's a seperate little entity, like a super sized townhouse. What would they think as they constantly see us with our hands absolutely full of shopping bags - another large haul of western comforts coming our way from Metro.

Honestly I think these guys - the guards, would think absolutely nothing of it. Outwardly they don't appear judgmental like any westerner in that particular role likely would. They seem like genuinely lovely, yet simple people, content with their lot in life. Or are they? Here are the barriers of cultural difference that I really don't think we'll ever understand - at least, not anytime soon.

From a job point of view, i would not be surprised if our fellow teachers thought differently. I would have no doubt they are more than aware of the size of our paychecks compared to them - the favour shone on us compared to them - ie the large apartment and particular attention from the principal. In a lot of ways we're made to feel above them - as honored guests and the like. Every now and then we'll be reminded of the class layers that exist here - such as when we're invited to banquets, the wedding etc - however we as ourselves just feel like us.

Ramble ramble. I'd like to get to know the guards better - it's people like them that make me wish I could speak at least intermediate chinese to really have a basic conversation with them. Who knows, maybe one day.

Bang! (Marcus)

So tonight we're feeling kind of ultra bored after a day around the apartment having had the day off. We went across to the coffee house for a meal as we really didn't feel in the mood for the starefest or Chinese language session that was every other restaurant around here. As soon as we entered the upstairs area of course there were a group of men at a table who called out the inevitable - hellllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Anyhow we sat down and ordered. I've taken to a particular type of steak called their Onion Beefsteak. I don't know what it is as it's more the colour of chicken or pork but it comes out on a sizzling plate, is covered in pepper sauce and has an assortment of random vegetables, onions, pasta...and an egg. All in all I find this damned delicious. By home standards the steak is pretty average, but it's about as you get around here - other than maybe a TGI Friday's steak which we suspect would be just like home.

The steaks are an interesting deal at this place. There's actually a LOT of restaurants around the cities that are 'Beefsteak Restaurants.' I don't know if this is an american thing or what, as we don't call them beefsteaks in Australia - even though they are essentially a 'beef steak'. Anyhow ordering these steaks is an experience in itself. Firstly they come out with a paper placemat that has a photograph of a steak meal on it. You also then get a bowl of pumpkin soup, a sweet roll(50% of the time it's warm, the other 50% it's still half frozen - come with a weird fairy floss type stuff inside it - Courtney reckon's it's pork fairy floss - i hope she's joking), a plate of watermelon chunks and sometimes, depending on the price of the steak you've ordered, a glass of this weird watered down red wine - sometimes it tastes like a very weak red lemonade, sometimes like weak red wine - either way, it's weird. Oh only steaks come with a proper napkin also; it's a prestige thing.

When the steak itself comes out, on a sizzling plate with a silver dome, the dome is lifted, they ceremoniously dump the napkin on your lap then pour the pepper sauce over the steak and voila, you're set. I think the pasta bows on the dish are the chinese attempt at chips. I suspect in these local places they have no idea what chips actually are, and obviously from the picture on the paper placemate, the chips I suppose in a way could look like pasta...i suppose, if you were partially drunk. You get a piece of....actually I don't know what it is, it's green and it's vegetable - but it's in a stick and it's cerrated - actually it looks like a green vegetably chip. So yeah, you don't order a steak at this joint, you live the beefsteak experience. Now that I've found a reliable one to order, I am pretty satisfied - i find the whole weird mix a tasty treat.

Tonight the restaurant next door to the coffee house had opened its doors. We have been watching this place undergo some kind of rennovation with an eagles eyes. This place was formerly our favourite local restaurant - Korean BBQ. But it went, and we have been mildly depressed since, as the meat there was just SO DAMNED GOOD! So tonight it opened, and we had hoped it would be the return of old favourite, but no, it's gone for good :( (or perhaps just around the corner - we are oblivious to most goings on around here.)

So of course there were the bunches of red flowers to bring prosperity knockin' but much to our delight they started setting up fireworks out on the footpath. Now this rocked because we have seen fireworks set off literally every night we've been in China(over 4 months now), yet never actually seen how they set them off.

I'll let the pictures tell what turned into a highly amusing evening.

Here we have a couple of excited staff members from the new restaurant setting up what turned into a double row of little red cannisters. These turned out to be the fireworks that popped, launched the cannister into the air then popped again, shooting the cannister into a random direction.

Out also came these mystery boxes. Note how the fireworks are on the scooter path - a sectioned off part of the road right beside the main road where scooters drive. Note also the proximity to the main road - ie RIGHT on the road.

Before the red cannisters could be lit and launched, they set off a massive cluster of crackers. These covered the entire area(and road) in smoke, explosions, paper, plastic and cardboard rubblish; ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE!!

We watched them set off what must have been around 40 or so off the red cannisters. It was highly amusing as a portion of them didn't explode in the air - one landing on the road right in front of a minivan and exploding. Chunks of shit was going everywhere - large amounts on the road where there was quite a lot of traffic. There is absolutely _no_ concern for safety. The other funny thing was that hardly anyone actually even acknowledged what was going on. Oh, some dudes letting off fireworks on the roadside, oh look, is that a cat over there in the bushes?

Then they came out, positioned these two red boxes and lit them. These turned out to be your all-in-one fireworks box, launching around 20 of the BIG fireworks each. Really cool actually. Note the car alarm going off botttom left - the added sound only increased the amount of prosperity being harvested.

So that was it, the show was done. The footpath was covered with about 2 bajillion pieces of paper rubble. The restaurant staff returned inside and all was again quiet. At least 45 seconds later, two old fellas turned up, grabbed the red boxes(which of course had been left on the footpath to rot) and walked. Anything that can be salvaged will be scavenged, don't you worry about that. I later saw the guy in the bike laying down in his bike, shoes off, feet resting on the box. I don't know if he took it to salvage the materials or for a foot rest.

The brightly lit site of our former favourite restuarant, boo hoo :(

I pity the migrant worker cleaner who stumbles upon this - otherwise it sure as hell aint going anywhere unless a cyclone rocks up or something.