Yuexiu update

Hi all

First time tonight I am actually on my own at home. Usually there are others around or my roommate. How will I amuse myself.

A good chance to update this blog site I think, then maybe go have some dinner. Strange I can add to this blog and see the preview before I post it but I cannot see the finished article. China blocks it here, big brother. That's China.

Anyway I am including a couple of pics for you all. One classic on the door of one of the offices here. an some other of the Shaoxing city area we go to.

Settled in to the classes now. Second week. The workload is not to taxing, I have 4 classes for 4 days (thats 3 hrs ea day) and 2 classes on THursday. So total 13.5 hrs week so far. I do have to do some prep as well. Altho I am doing my best not to give any homework cuz I will have to mark it. dont want that.

I did promise to tell the SIM card story. About 3rd day here. So me and 2 people who came over with me (1 been here before) bt speaks no Chinese at all. Decode to take the bus into Shaoxing and wander. I say I want to get a new chinese SIM for my mobile. We find a China Mbile store and go in. Wander round a bit (no English anywhere). So I ask and am sent upstairs. When I get upstairs I have to get a number. But they dont really know what I am asking. So I wait.... seems they are looking for an english speaker. When she comes to me I explain to her what I need. She says you have to go downstairs for. So we go downstairs. to a counter. I say I want to pay on my credit card, thats ok but have to go upstairs for that. We get upstairs and when they see the Wizard credit card... no no cannot use that card. so now we have to go back downstairs to get SIM and pay by cash. Then I am downstairs in the cue with a number. waiting waiting (1 hour). then I get to the counter and the guy speaks no english at all. We then try and discuss what plan I need with a lot of pointing and gesturing. Then the english speaker appears again ( i use that term loosely). Different plans are discussed. I select one and we do the transaction at length. I walk out and my phone is working. Yeah (not).

Seems the plan I have picked sucks. Credit does not last so long. So I top it up across the road 100 Yuan. Went well I am impressed. Shopgirl was very helpful. But next day, one short phone call to Australia by my roommate to his wife and ... guess what all the credit is gone( i think, phone is "barred" and wont work.

So then I have to get the students to check for me and yep ... outta credit. So I top up again with 100Yuan and get 76 Yuan? cuz I was 25v over apparently.

So now it is text messages only .. 1 Yuan each.

Wow sorry that was so long but you see the frustration of the simplist of tasks.

Anyway we will get better at all that stuff as time goes by. Have found some good shops and have directions to others. And soon wil lget to visit some other places around I hope.

zai jian for now

Mike T