Super Woman Adventures

The First Week….technical difficulties!

I’m streaming live from Shanghai…well not really. I have to type this into a word document, email it to Mustang who then will post it on my blog. Apparently, the Giant China Firewall blocks most blog sites! That would have been good to know before I arrived!

So…the first week.

Sunday – Arrived in Shanghai at about 7am and was greeted with a little written sign saying “Superwoman”…hehe not really. But was taken directly to my apartment. I had completely forgot the ‘Asia’ smell, there’s something about it, I think it must be the humidity. I’m used to it now but it was an unfortunate surprise when I left the airport.

I was extremely tired from the worst flight on record…why does Nonna need to go to the toilet a million times a night? And why must she bump my chair each time she goes?

Anyway…left the airport tired but running on extreme adrenalin…thank goodness, what a full on day! I arrived at the apartment, had a little look around (hopefully people have taken a look at the FBook pics?). Then we went to grab a coffee and the fun began!

Spent 4 hours in Carrefour/Carreforre…hmm..not sure how to spell it. I got ironing boards, sheets, food, conditioner…blah blah…you name it…they have it! $400 later and I had an apartment full of stuff!

Then off to organize my Chinese mobile! Bought the mobile from one place, then had to travel to another place to activate my sim card! Very different way of doing things over here, lots of paperwork still, I can’t even access internet banking! Anyway, after the mobile was sorted out I went to open my bank account…who would have thought that would take the shortest amount of time?!

Finally arrived back at my apartment, only to find out the air conditioner wasn’t working and my internet had “issues”. Amazingly, these problems were sorted out within 24hours!

After all this it was time to sit down…wait no…4pm…buggar! Time to go out and do the meet and greet with the other staff…jump in the shower, pack the make-up on to hide the bags under my eyes and off to the Blue Frog! Had a few drinks and something to eat, said hello…I think…it was a bit of a blur, then home to bed.

Monday – Medical Examination! Oh my goodness, I’ve never experienced anything so odd. You get shunted into a small cubicle and told in broken English to take your clothes off and put on a robe…BUT…you need to keep your shoes on…reminds me of a song…oh hang on no that was a hat. Then there is a long hallway (like something out of a horror movie) with doors on each side. Each room was dedicated to a different ‘science experiment’. So I had the usual blood test…although when I walked in there was a man snoring on the bed! Apparently he had passed out! But that was okay. The eye test was fairly normal…although I think I am more blind than I had thought! The more interesting examinations came in the form of an xray…well a type of xray…dirty room, two wide eyed young men, one of whom was in charge of pushing me up against the xray machine! Not quite sure what they were looking for!

Then I had an ultrasound…not to check for babies as one teacher thought…but to check our rib cage! Quite odd I thought. Oh and a ‘chest’ examination. Thank goodness that was done by a female! Such an bizarre experience overall but one which I will never forget!

Other highlights from the first week.

- Watching the air conditioner being fixed. A man with a hard hat and a thin rope appears at the door. Next thing you know, he’s out the window sitting on this “rope” (I use the term broadly), with only the maintenance guy holding on to the other end!

- Walking past the massage parlour that provides ‘extra’ services…only to notice the large peeled banana emblazoned on the shop front window.

- Catching the big yellow school bus to work and having role call to see if everyone is on board!

- Arriving at work on the first day wondering who was building in the back paddock. Lots of scaffolding and green mesh and a large crane located very close to the school. ‘I wonder what the children will think when they return to school?’ I thought to myself. Then I am advised that the big concrete slab in the back paddock is my new classroom! I’m told we will be ready for a Sept 8 school start hmm…not sure about that!

- Meeting my wonderful Grade 4 team and getting along extremely well from the get go

- Having my first Chinese manicure…I now have little pink flowers painted on my nails!

- Finally meeting my namesake after months of emails and getting along like a house on fire! Lots of laughs already!

- Having a massage in the same room as three other mates. At one point I looked over and Steve had his ankles around his neck and Amy was being swung around like a helicopter! We all got the giggles and couldn’t stop laughing at all the strange reflexology massage moves! (insert childish jokes here…goodness knows we did!)

- Walking around and being stared at…constantly…and without subtlety! Now I just say “Ni Hao” or “Zaoshang Hao” just to freak them out!

- Travelling to IKEA and walking ‘against the flow’ on a Saturday afternoon….never again!

- Watching someone eat a barbequed budgie on a stick…poor Tweetie!

- Being shown through the local supermarket and going past the toad and eel section…they were still alive!

- Riding the lift from my apartment down to the ground floor one morning when all of a sudden it stopped in between two floors and the doors opened to a concrete wall! Very scary!

Visiting the Fabric Market…four floors of fabrics and tailors ready to make anything you could possibly imagine!

Whilst many of these may appear at first glance to be negative or scary…they make the best memories! Those events that push us outside our comfort zone, or challenge what we think we know to be true, can be deeply and significantly life-changing. After only one week I feel that I am viewing the world differently.

Take care, more updates soon!

I consider myself to be relatively organised…I keep a diary, I rarely forget things…but man…airports and flying are a nightmare!

I’m sitting in Bangkok airport as I type this, waiting at what I hope is the correct gate lounge (there’s lots of Chinese people around so I think I’m on the right track). It did however, take me a long time to be able to read through the millions of flights on the departures board to find my flight number. Then I had to trek from one end of the airport to the other…needless to say I was regretting the carry on luggage I had chosen to pack…my shoulder will never be the same!

Speaking of packing…Did anyone know that Mustang is a pro? Long story short, I packed and repacked 3 times then cracked and Mustang came to the rescue…now I know what true organisation looks like! He’s got all the tricks of the trade!

The airport day was a bit yuck…too many tears and then…organised Superwoman forgot to put her liquids and gels in a clear bag! Lucky my medication bag was clear… a quick swap and I was good to go…possibly didn’t need the drama though!

On another random note, isn’t it amazing none of us realise how much we’re loved until we have to leave? Everyone has been so beautiful over the past few weeks…it is so overwhelming to think that people genuinely care for you as much as you do them?

Oh and for the record…thanks very much airport lady for putting me on the aisle right next to the toilet! If I wasn’t hearing the flush every two seconds I was being nudged by a nonna or I’d open my eyes to see a crotch in my face! Not conducive for sleeping!

Ah well, enough randomness for now, please excuse the drivel, it’s 3.25am Melbourne time and I haven’t slept!

xx

Noone told me the last week was going to be so difficult!

I had a wonderful birthday, spent the whole weekend going from lunches to dinners to dancing with SIR House, Nabadene and the fabulous Fifi.

Then the going away drinks…what a wonderful send off…so many people came to say cheerio and have a drink with me.

And now…with 2 sleeps to go…I’m champing at the bit to leave…but hesitant to go at the same time. I’m terrible at goodbyes…really terrible. I’m also really bad at new situations…the unknown is a scary place to be!

Then this afternoon my beautiful neighbour came over and dropped of a book for me to read…the title “Recognising the fear but going through with it anyway”…That’s exactly how I feel…I’m scared as all hell but I don’t care. I’m throwing myself in the deep end just to see what will happen!

I’ve set up this blog to let people know of my overseas travels…ladies and gentlemen…the party is about to begin!

xx

There’s 30 days left before I leave. What should a girl be doing with 30 days left in Melbourne? Catching up with friends? Going out partying?

No I tell you! I am stuck in front of the computer most of the day making phone calls, waiting ‘on hold’ for what seems like hours, and paying out money to all sorts of organisations for god only knows what!!! Who would have thought that a person would have so much insurance and so many memberships that need form upon form to suspend?

I HATE HATE HATE filling out forms! ESPECIALLY bloody etax….I know I’m not stupid, I have degrees and a VCE certificate to vouch for me…but the language on that stupid online supposedly ‘easy’ online tax form is ridiculous!

That’s enough ranting, glad I got that off my chest. Mustang has booked us in for a romantic lil dinner next week and I’m very excited. A beautiful French restaurant that I’ve never been to! I know….quel surprise! haha Let it be put on record however…I shall NOT be eating oysters or those garden slugs they pass off as delicacies…seriously, they can’t be that short of meat in France can they?

Ciao muchachos xxx

So I have a few weeks of school left before I finish…Why don’t I feel sad that I’m leaving? Am I really that cold? I just feel like it’s the right time to leave.

We’ve had a massive review this week. Very long working days going over our processes and school culture. It came out that staff morale is low…it’s so sad that we were ranked so low compared to other schools. With that same sentiment in mind…it’s almost a relief to be moving away from that environment. I know Shanghai will pose a whole new set of challenges but please god let me end up in a school with a positive vibe!

The other theory is that I’m in denial about leaving. It really doesn’t feel real yet. I wonder when the reality will hit me…will I be prepared for that?

I don’t understand the necessity for the number of meetings we have at work. Are people needing more work to do? I don’t think so!

I would love to have a meeting free month. Imagine the work that would get done!? I might actually be able to come home and relax in front of the TV (not that I watch it). Instead, I am stuck in a meeting until 5pm, come home to scoff down dinner and start work again! This is no life for a young teacher I tell you!

The Government have very kindly given us a wonderful pay rise…apparently making us the highest paid teachers in the country…so shut up and go to the meetings I hear you all cry. What they haven’t advertised is that that pay rise will go to graduate teachers (first year out) and those with 12 or more years experience (the oldies). As a specification of this pay rise, we need to forfeit our pupil free days that we use for professional development and come in on our holidays to receive that PD. So in summary…the bulk of teachers (between 2 and 12 years experience) have to work more for no more pay….what the hell??????

Ah Governments…don’t you love ‘em?

Vote 1 for no meetings! Isn’t that what emails are for?

xx

Why is it that when we are sick we go into catastrophe mode? Is it because we lie in bed without anything to do but plan our own funeral?

Perhaps it’s just me, I’m lying in bed really thinking that I might die. I have never felt so sick in my life…well at least not that I can remember. I was thinking about who might come to my funeral, where it would be held and what people might say about me (I didn’t dwell too long on that…too scary!).

The strange thing is…none of those thoughts really disturbed me (until now!). I seemed resigned to the fact that my life would be over. Then my thoughts would turn to the mundane…’when the bloody hell did I take that last Panadeine?’.

So Your Honour, I plead insanity…at least for the days of sickness endured. No comments and/or thoughts made during those days should be taken into evidence against me.

xxx

Ok so I’m stuck in bed with the worst flu of my life…so what do I do? Start up my own blog! I’m not sure about the whole thing yet. Friends have asked me to create this so that they can keep up with my adventures overseas. Seems a little self-indulgent..perhaps it is…that might be a good thing!