From rural Yorkshire to the mega metropolis of Shenzhen. Follow our adventures as we embark on a new life in China.
On journeys like this I wonder if it’s preferable to be alert and conscious when I die, or fast asleep. ‘It’s better not to look.’ Sound words of advice from my husband who has a fixed stare out the front window. Better not to look indeed. Although the aquaplaning and curtains of water make for … Continue reading Journey Through Torrential Hell
After two years in Shenzhen, China, it’s time to move on. So, Thailand here we come. Or at least Thailand here we come as soon as we have visas in the passports (three different varieties for our family), Covid tests (multiple), Certificates of Entry, Fit to Fly Certificates, and once there, government quarantine where we … Continue reading Time to move on
Getting off the plane was a relief; we had been blessed with sitting in front of a massive plonker whilst in the air. The man behind my husband insisted on sticking his big fat clown feet all the way under the chair as far as they could possibly go, so that when my husband peered … Continue reading The Journey Back to China
After nearly 6 weeks of relative freedom, we were called back. School was gearing up to restarting on… Well we’re still not sure on what date. But sometime soon… maybe? What we do know was that we need to be in a position to be fit and well and able to teach back in the … Continue reading Time to go home…
After an evening imposing on my brother in law, and a morning spent making sure that lessons were all up and running online, it was time to head to Hong Kong Airport. An hour in an Uber (hour one in a face-mask) just under 2 hours at the airport (now 3 hours in a face-mask) … Continue reading Cambodia? Man, you kidding me
Remember we said that it was nice and calm and relaxing here in China? Well scratch that! Or maybe not scratch it completely. It is calm, it is quiet, in fact it is eerily calm and eerily quiet. On Tuesday night, the UK Foreign Office put out a statement urging British Nationals to leave China, … Continue reading Scratch that!
Enter the weekend. Not tied to the laptop, and school by the pool today, so we headed off to Angkor Wat. Monuments of historical significance, centuries old dilapidated beauty and Tomb Raider territory. Lara Croft eat your heart out! The days adventures began with a somewhat bumpy journey over dirt tracks, which in some … Continue reading Angkor Wat?
Spring break and we chose Sanya Bay - the southernmost point of China for a holiday. A beach resort with golden sands and nine days of relaxation by the pool or the sea, or maybe the pool in the morning and the sea in the afternoon, or perhaps all day by the pool, or all … Continue reading Sanya…
That everlasting joy of a school trip to a theme park. I remember the days of sitting on a school bus to Alton Towers or some such place and singing along to classics such as: “Found a peanut..." or the more violent (and hilarious) lyrics of the song that begins: “I found an old stocking, … Continue reading Boarding Day Out – OCT East Theme Park
(This blog post was written months ago- my bad for not posting sooner - sorry!) We made the decision to become resident tutors and live at school a short while back, and moved into boarding at the beginning of December. Even after such a short time of being in China, it was still a task … Continue reading Living in a Bubble
Back to China and the weather has taken a turn for the worse- we are actually in jumpers! The cupboards are bare (except for Christmas goodies) leading to a foray to the local shopping area, for real food, before we consume our body weight in chocolate. We moved into an apartment atop one of the … Continue reading That ‘no-mans-land’ between Christmas and New Year!
Well, Christmas Day in Hong Kong is all but over! We’ve left the family behind at the end of the day, to come back to a lovely bijou apartment in the center of WanChai- big thanks to little sister’s friends for giving us use of their beautiful place. All that’s left, is to reflect on … Continue reading Christmas Day in Hong Kong
Even the most mundane of activities, out here in China, can be filled with a sense of wonder. Sometimes you just need to look for the positives, and take a moment to appreciate the environment and everything good in your life, instead of dwelling on the things you can’t change. People that know me, know … Continue reading A Time to Think
Continuing Professional Development in the People's Republic of ChinaInto month three of being at an international school, and it is evident that the focus is on quality teaching and learning, with staff actively encouraged to attend training events (wherever they may be) and engage in meaningful professional development to better support students. So, along with … Continue reading CPD in the PRC
After the excitement and chaos of the Dongmen Road, a more sedate way to spend a weekend was in order. Following a Saturday spent watching dancing aunts and kites at Lizhi Park (see Paul’s blog from September- to get an idea of park life in the city) we decided to take a walk along the … Continue reading Water, water, everywhere!