Exploring Chengdu

Well I have made it to Week #2 here in Chengdu. This time next week, I should be on a plane heading to Beijing for a weekend of fun! Next Friday will be the last official day of business here in China.

Last weekend I booked a tour guide to take me to all the cool places in and around Chengdu, and that he did! It was 14 hours on the Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday. I was beat! Our first destination was the Leshan Buddha, but since it was a 2-hour drive to get there, we stopped for a 'Pee and Tea' break at a tea factory where Max and I were treated to a tea service of green and jasmine teas.

Then it was off to see Big Buddha. You travel up the river by boat and there he is carved out of the mountain, all 233ft of him. He is a sitting buddha, a fairly content looking chap I would say. It took the carvers 90 years to finish him. And look at that - there's me and my new buddy Buddha

That evening I attended a cultural show at a tea house with traditional dancing, skits, shadow puppetry, music and the crazy face-changing, where in a split second their mask changes. It is magic or something, quite amazing to see.

Next morning it was off to see the pandas at the Chengdu Panda Research Base, about a 40 minute drive from my hotel. Pandas are revered here, so it is a very busy spot for locals and tourists, with tons of pandas on the move. They are cute but don't do much but eat and sleep - what a life.

We did some shopping and stopped in at the Wenshu Buddhist Temple, a nice quiet spot that is in the centre of downtown. Here they are burning incense and offering up some prayers.

Next we stopped in at People's Park. Think Point Pleasant Park, only smaller and 100,000 people there. It was insane - I had to get out of there. But I did have a chuckle of the day with the display of notices on the fence. I will call the picture 'Desperately Seeking Susan'! 

Desperate parents will do up a notice about their single son or daughter and post it on the fence in People's Park on Sundays. I guess they figure the kids are too lazy or they are getting old or something and they want to get them married off. I'm not joking - seriously!!! What a riot!!!

Of course the weekdays are consumed with school work. I am teaching most afternoons (except Fridays where I switch to mornings). My class room is on the top floor of the building below on the left. The big grey building is the Library. There is not much time to do anything else during the week as you have the lesson plan, quizzes, projects and homework assignments to check.

 Here is a panoramic from my school building - since the sun came out for only the second day since Oct 12th, I figured a picture to celebrate was in order. As you can see , the skyline is dotted with a high-rise or two.

My hotel is the tall building here on a busy corner right next to a a shopping mall and supermarket.    Pedestrians have no rights here so its a constant chicken or go with the cars, bicycles and scooters. Pedestrians are at the very bottom of the list. Crime is not an issue - getting mowed down is HAHA.

New City & New Class

I travelled to my second assignment on Wednesday,  a medium-sized city called Chengdu, with only a measly 10 million people. The vibe here is a little bit more relaxed and I like it. The distance between Chongqing and Chengdu is about 400kms I think but I took the bullet train that got me here in about an hour and forty minutes with speeds just under 300km/hr.

(pictures can be expanded by clicking on them)

Two really keen students from the International Studies program greeted me at the train station, hailed a cab and got me to the hotel. They were so helpful and kind.

Once I was checked in, we walked over to the campus for a little tour, as I had to start my first class the next day. Luckily, aside from a short detour due to new subway construction, it is about a 2km straight line from the hotel to campus. The sun was shining and the sky was blue - the first time I had seen that since I arrived 19 days earlier. It certainly brought a smile to my face!

My new class is about 40 students, up from 11 in the last port of call. Luckily their Computer Science teacher is in the class with me and he maintains a strict code of conduct. No sleeping from this class I tell you! I may not get a chance to know the students as well but that's OK too. I have met a few other students outside of class who chatted with me and want to go have coffee to practice their English. I have a busier social life here than I do at home HAHA

I am, teaching at Chengdu Technology University, which has a nice campus. The building with the gold clock is their library.  I am quickly becoming known as the "foreign teacher" - I am the sole representative from Holland College this semester so I sort of stick out. I'm getting used to being called a foreigner though LOL. My first day I was invited to attend English corner in the evening, where students are given a topic for discussion and they break up into groups to talk in English. It was a weird topic but I had a good time anyways.

 

 My new breakfast bar in is a cafe across the way from the hotel. It has a great selection, with fried eggs and toast/bread available. What a treat.

On my first day I realized they would make a cappuccino for you so I asked for one. Now , when I walk in , she automatically makes one for me. YUMMY

I have a busy weekend planned, booking a private tour guide named Max who speaks English and is going to take me to all the major sights in and around Chengdu Saturday and Sunday. He came highly recommended so why not!

Oh, and this street name just made we chuckle

Take care all!!