The craziness that is the first week of moving to another country!

So it’s been a crazy, crazy, crazy, CRAZY, hectic, CRAZY couple of days since I arrived to Shanghai on Saturday. It’s kind of a thrilling crazy - getting off the flight and landing back into this adventure! I feel so independent, I guess I am, and also self-dependent since moving to China. I not only have to do everything myself, but I am also required to do this all whilst tackling cultural differences, such as the big communication barrier (which I am working on by the way).

It is still so surreal to me that I am in my second year of teaching English in China. Anyway, as I’ve emphasised, returning or moving to a country to live requires a lot of sorting out. Over the past few days, Sunaina and I, (poor her running around with me), have been crazy busy apartment hunting, registering with the police, sorting out travels, moving into the new apartment, unpacking, buying stuff for the new apartment and not to mention the 1049484 more things I need to do (including lesson planning for next week).

BUT, it’s a good hectic. It’s the kind of busy that keeps me sane, excited, productive, happy and ecstatic for my upcoming year in China.

To begin with, we arrived at the Airbnb we had booked. To put it simply, the pictures MUST have been photo-shopped. But no worries, this only drove our determination to find me the perfect apartment even more quickly and efficiently. After arriving into Shanghai on Saturday evening, dropping our bags, grabbing some food from my old local hand-pulled noodle place in Zhongshan Park, we passed out, and were up early with lots of apartment viewings booked and ready to see.

It was a crazy day in which I saw several apartments mainly in the Zhongshan Park and Jing’an Temple area. The stress for me was deciding on which area to live, distance to the metro and the style of apartment - all in relation to my commute to work. However, by the end of that Sunday I’d found an amazing apartment in Zhongshan Park (where I lived last year) which was close to the metro station for 3150rmb. I also found another equally lovely apartment which was a 5minute walk to the metro in Jing’an Temple for 2800rmb. After much consideration, I decided to sign for the Jing’an Temple apartment the next day!

It felt amazing the next day, to be packing our things to be moving out of the not so amazing Airbnb room. It was such a refreshing feeling! First of all, I had to sign the contract with the agent landlord. However, before this that morning, I received some stressful news from my coordinator that my two wonderful primary schools that I’d been working for last year were no longer both available for me to teach at. This was because their schedules no longer fitted conveniently well together. This made me feel sad, frustrated and stressed.

Nevertheless, I stayed strong, positive and optimistic. Whilst signing for my new apartment, I dealt with conversations with my coordinator and boss about the new changes. My Chinese coordinator (who is my first port of contact If I need anything whilst teaching out here for the year) culminated a great looking schedule in which I still keep my Friday’s off work. The location of the school however was further away (much further) than my old second school, which raised a problem of my commute. In my determination to remain positive, I decided to hope that the metro/bus journey would not equal to too much.

Meanwhile, I happily moved in and began to settle into my new apartment! I’m on a rolling contract living with all Chinese people, who are ever so friendly and nice. My friend Naveen had wanted me to live with him and his friend, but it just didn’t work out because he’d arrived a lot later than me. Fortunately, however, he is now my neighbour! The next evening Sunaina and I had a wonderful meal at a Yunnan restaurant called Lotus Eatery on Dingxi Road with my lovely Chinese friends, Layla and Grace. 

The next day, whilst Sunaina solo-explored Shanghai, me and my amazing friend Furkan (who is Turkish but speaks fluent Chinese) decided to trial out the bus route to my new school, as my coordinator, Frank, was quite busy. This was a STRESSFUL day because it turned out the bus route had changed, so after a long time we finally arrived at the school. I miss my old school and the bus back to the metro took us almost an hour! This stressed me out so I immediately contacted my coordinator. He is looking to show me a better route on my first day at the new school next Wednesday. After heading to my work’s office, having a good old cry with my boss, I felt much better as he said for me to try these two schools out over the next couple of months and then next semester he should be able to move me to downtown Shanghai to work. At the end of the day I felt better and relaxed.

That evening, Sunaina and I joined my wonderful friend from work and TEIC (Teach English in China), Edward Shambrook, and his beautiful girlfriend for dinner at our favourite Sichuanese Restaurant close to East Nanjing Road. We had an amazing spicy meal of frog, fish, vegetables and chicken, and a good old catch-up!

The next day, which is actually right now (as I am sat here writing this blog after a great day!) I woke up early to do some lesson planning (as I start work on Monday) and then Sunaina and I had scrambled eggs with China’s infamous sweet bread (which Sunaina loved) and watched a good old episode of Eastender’s. We then headed out for the day!

Sunaina required a quick trip to the ICBC bank ATM to withdraw some money and was probably five seconds too late in taking her card… leading to the machine swallowing her card. But, not to worry, China is very secure and within ten minutes her card was returned to her. It’s always good to keep your passport on you in China at all times, as you’ll find in China everything requires the passport!

Anyway, we then headed towards the metro to head to the new Central Perk from Friend’s Café that I’d heard about close to Hailun Road Station! It was so cute and fun! By this point we were hungry so we had a mouth-watering friend’s burger and I had a fruit tea. After a lovely mooch round there we decided to be more cultured and head to the Confucius Temple, which dates back to 1855. It was so amazing to be so central (one stop away from East Nanjing Road at Laoximen) close to the modern skyscrapers of Shanghai, and then step into such an authentic Chinese, old town area. The temple itself was beautiful and calming. We explored, appreciated and loved the layout, the beautiful water area, the pagoda and the Chinese style architecture.

We quickly discovered the Confucius Teahouse in which I quickly recommended that Sunaina and I should experience a tea ceremony (I’ve done it before in Xi’an and loved it). It was wonderful to hear all about the teas, their health benefits, where they come from and how to make them. For instance, black tea should be only remade 4-5 times and other teas 6-8 times. What has stuck with me the most is one tea we tried, particularly made for those with diabetes, that contains no sugar at all, thus is completely natural in its ingredients, but tastes ever so sweet and lovely! I feel like it would be amazing for those diabetics with a sweet tooth back in England!

After a lovely tea ceremony, me being me, I was easily persuaded into spending 320rmb on some special Confucius tea and a cup for making it! As you continue to read my blog you will find out pretty soon how this managed to turn out for me! After the teahouse we explored the beautiful, cute, small teapot museum which had so many amazing, intricate and large, quirky, hand-made teapots!  The temple was wonderful and it was such a spiritual experience!

To wrap up the day before our evening plans, we headed towards home, but passed the West Nanjing Fake Market first… which is where my day turned good and bad! I needed some trainers, sunglasses and a bag! I managed to get bargain trainers (new balances for 90rmb and sunglasses for 25rmb) but then me being typical me, I always get tempted when it comes to bargain shopping! I saw lovely Chinese chopsticks sets and an authentic fan. I bought these amongst a wonderful Chinese style outfit for just 20rmb!!!! Without even thinking for more than a minute…I bought it (I always get sucked in).

We continued exploring the lengthy market and to my surprise passed a tea place!!! All the teas I’d found earlier in the Confucius Temple were here AT A FRACTION OF THE PRICE! I was distraught! I’d paid 120rmb just for the cup to make the tea, THE EXACT SAME BUT ACTUALLY BETTER LOOKING one was there for just 25rmb. I bought the 25rmb mug and turned to Sunaina in sadness and frustration and said… “we’re going home”. All in all, today I’ve had an amazing day but learnt not to rush into buying things, not to get too excited and always barter! It’s safe to say, I won’t be making these mistakes again.

It’s funny because on the way home we realised that Sunaina, who is on holiday here visiting had one bag and had spent just 50rmb shopping, in contrast ME who has lived here for a year and will be here another year had 6 bags on each hand and spent 700rmb!!! I am such a bad person when it comes to shopping but it made us laugh! The worst thing is I haven’t been paid yet and this is a skint month for me!

We finally arrived home and excitedly looked through all our buys. The final bad thing of the day was typical me rushing into buying things, I tried the Chinese outfit on to find the zip immediately break and the dress unable to get past my bum properly (embarrassingly)! Luckily, I know my gran will be able to fix my beautiful outfit in a year’s time!

Anyway, it’s been a crazy, hectic, rollercoaster of a week but also so amazing! I missed Shanghai a lot and it’s definitely good to be back. Through all my tears, stress and panic this week, I am now feeling content, settled and excited for my upcoming year! Tomorrow Sunaina and I will make a daytrip to the beautiful close-by city, Suzhou, known as the Venice of the East. I’ll be in touch!

Sabrina xxx