Dang it! I forgot to end the last post with some randomness, here it goes:
- A man took his babies hand and touched me while walking down the street and said, "hello".
- I must spit at least 100 times in the shower because I do not want to get diarrhea.
- A cab driver made me remove my seat belt once we got in the cab, I don't know why!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
First Week at Disney!
So I successfully completed my first week of teaching English classes for Disney English. I am so much more comfortable with the kiddos then I was when I was practicing with my coworkers and giving presentations. I would have to agree with Meghan in that we are super prepared for this job, and working with such young children! They are so much fun and very eager to learn which makes the 3 hour classes go by a lot faster than I expected. I have one class a day for four days of the week with a planning day on Wednesday. All the staff at Sky Mall are awesome and super friendly, the worst part of the day is the 1 1/2 hour commute to and from the center, it's super exhausting more so then the three hour classes. Next week, Disney is taking us to Oriental Village which is a small little type of amusement park where we will be competing in dragon boat races. I volunteered as one of the female rowers for my centers team so hopefully we win (if you know me I'm super competitive!). After the events at the park we have an opportunity to go explore a nearby water village which should be really cool. The weather has been exceptionally hot, but super sunny which is a nice change from the constant rain we have been having. Not sure how long it will last because there is a typhoon out there which we might get some weather from! So here we are more than half way through the second week of classes!
Today, we had to go to the Visa center for our paperwork (which we really did NOT need six passport photos for!). I was a little nervous handing my passport over last week for the meeting and was hoping to get it back today but no dice. If you know me as a traveler, its probably better that the Chinese Government has it than myself. Less chance of it getting lost that way! We explored yet another fake market today, which also had a fabric market! I hope I do not get myself in too much trouble once we get our first paycheck. So currently, our funds are all a little limited so we have been trying to get by on cheap meals and free drink specials. We checked out an awesome new club that one of our coworkers figured out a connection and had a great time! We enjoyed free drinks for a couple hours and danced our asses off! Good music, strong (Free) drinks, good company, and cheap cabs made for a great night out! Thanks Jenny! So at this time I am enjoying Shanghai on a tight budget. Once we get our first paycheck, Meg and I hope to book a trip to Beijing for August, and we will also be taking in the World Expo in August. Still missing everyone at home and cannot wait to see you all hopefully shortly after I get back! Lots of Love!!!!
Today, we had to go to the Visa center for our paperwork (which we really did NOT need six passport photos for!). I was a little nervous handing my passport over last week for the meeting and was hoping to get it back today but no dice. If you know me as a traveler, its probably better that the Chinese Government has it than myself. Less chance of it getting lost that way! We explored yet another fake market today, which also had a fabric market! I hope I do not get myself in too much trouble once we get our first paycheck. So currently, our funds are all a little limited so we have been trying to get by on cheap meals and free drink specials. We checked out an awesome new club that one of our coworkers figured out a connection and had a great time! We enjoyed free drinks for a couple hours and danced our asses off! Good music, strong (Free) drinks, good company, and cheap cabs made for a great night out! Thanks Jenny! So at this time I am enjoying Shanghai on a tight budget. Once we get our first paycheck, Meg and I hope to book a trip to Beijing for August, and we will also be taking in the World Expo in August. Still missing everyone at home and cannot wait to see you all hopefully shortly after I get back! Lots of Love!!!!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Another one!
Okay so to quickly update from the previous post…we finished our Disney training and received a Mickey diploma. We were paired in teams throughout the training and earned points for contributing to the training and such. My teams name was Takin the Mickey and by the end of training we received the most points which earned us some Disney swag and candy! I picked out as much Cinderella paraphernalia and a snickers bar from the bag of loot. Training was very exhausting and overwhelming and by the end we still didn’t know what to expect. The summer camp program seems a little disorganized, and I will only be teaching one class per day which is not too bad (they seem to have projected a higher number than what actually sold). If anything I will have gained the great opportunity to live abroad for a couple months and see some great sights! Unfortunately, I am NOT considered a Disney employee therefore I do not receive any Disney perks.
We have gotten really good at acting as if we are staying at the Westin which is about a block from our hotel and have crashed the indoor pool and gym on a couple occasions. I feel like I eat noodles or rice at every meal so I have to keep up with the exercise. How are these people so skinny?
We took in a Chinese Acrobatic Show last night and let’s just say it was very cheesy! It was mildly entertaining, but I was in the company of most of my coworkers so that made it more enjoyable. I stiffed my first cab driver because he completely took us out of the way and to the wrong location even when we provided the Chinese directions! The total was 27RMB so we gave him 15 and made a mad dash. I was too scared to look back but I heard him yelling at us a lot!
Meghan and I went on a mission to find the fake market on West Nanjing Rd today...and were very successful in finding it and the art of haggling. I got a couple things as presents and some other necessities! They have basically anything you can think of, Meghan freaked me out and went into a back room for some sunglasses (I had a bad experience with back rooms in NYC), but she made an offer and got what she wanted so I was happy for her! We will definitely be venturing back once we get our first paycheck from Disney!
I’ll end this post with some of the random things I have learned or encountered in Shanghai:
-I’m famous in China (lots of people ask to pose for pictures with me!)
-It is perfectly acceptable to walk around in your PJs while drinking a beer!
-It costs $30,000 to have a second child in China.
-We have a mother who hangs out with her naked baby right outside our hotel, and a woman with a pet duck.
-Do Not Disturb signs to not work in the hotel…they clean your room while you are still sleeping.
-Apparently, you can eat jellyfish!
-I’ve only seen one squatty potty! (Thank goodness for western toilets!).
Lots of Love to everyone and I will try and post more frequently and add some pics!
We have gotten really good at acting as if we are staying at the Westin which is about a block from our hotel and have crashed the indoor pool and gym on a couple occasions. I feel like I eat noodles or rice at every meal so I have to keep up with the exercise. How are these people so skinny?
We took in a Chinese Acrobatic Show last night and let’s just say it was very cheesy! It was mildly entertaining, but I was in the company of most of my coworkers so that made it more enjoyable. I stiffed my first cab driver because he completely took us out of the way and to the wrong location even when we provided the Chinese directions! The total was 27RMB so we gave him 15 and made a mad dash. I was too scared to look back but I heard him yelling at us a lot!
Meghan and I went on a mission to find the fake market on West Nanjing Rd today...and were very successful in finding it and the art of haggling. I got a couple things as presents and some other necessities! They have basically anything you can think of, Meghan freaked me out and went into a back room for some sunglasses (I had a bad experience with back rooms in NYC), but she made an offer and got what she wanted so I was happy for her! We will definitely be venturing back once we get our first paycheck from Disney!
I’ll end this post with some of the random things I have learned or encountered in Shanghai:
-I’m famous in China (lots of people ask to pose for pictures with me!)
-It is perfectly acceptable to walk around in your PJs while drinking a beer!
-It costs $30,000 to have a second child in China.
-We have a mother who hangs out with her naked baby right outside our hotel, and a woman with a pet duck.
-Do Not Disturb signs to not work in the hotel…they clean your room while you are still sleeping.
-Apparently, you can eat jellyfish!
-I’ve only seen one squatty potty! (Thank goodness for western toilets!).
Lots of Love to everyone and I will try and post more frequently and add some pics!
Better late than never!
So I’m about as bad as I thought I would be at updating my blog! Sorry to keep you anxiously waiting for more more more (haha). I really appreciate anyone who stops by to read my ramblings! So here it goes, the homesickness is starting to subside after spending a week in Shanghai, no more sleepless nights even though I still miss my family and friends back home wish you were here to see this City. I 'm actually really loving the City more and more everyday!
So up until Tuesday it had been raining constantly every day, we came out of the center after our second day of training to find bits of blue sky and the sun (I didn’t think it existed over hear). It was at that moment I knew I had to grab Mom’s awesome camera she so graciously lent to me for my trip! So some of the other teachers and I headed down to the Bund and along the Huangpu River to get some awesome shots (and indeed we did)! It was tough to get in some good picture taking considering the paparazzi were after us. We get asked to pose for lots of pictures simply for being Westerners and having blonde hair and blue eyes! We also find ourselves being filmed and secretly pictured when they think we are not paying attention.
Then, we headed to Old Shanghai to wander around and let me tell you it was like walking into Disney World the way the buildings were constructed. It was so awesome and we ended our trip there at one of China’s fine dining experiences, Pizza Hut! By the time we were finished with dinner the sun has gone down and we thought it would be even more beautiful to experience the Bund in the evening all lit up…so we walked along the river and occasionally posed for photos.
On Wednesday, we headed to the International Traveler Health Center to complete our medical checks. Let me just say it was sufficiently violating yet very efficient. We checked in and got to wear some awesome blue booties and dingy white robes, it was a series of six rooms with different medical procedures. I started with my vision test (I was most worried about this bit) and passed, then onto the blood sample (super uncomfortable) but one of my fellow teachers provided me with some comic relief and it was over in no time. Then I headed to the EKG room where they put a bunch of suction cups on my bare chest and clamp my ankle and wrists (I have never had one of these in the states but it seemed a little antiquated), then I had my blood pressure taken along with a breast exam (would they deport me if I had a lump?). Then it was time to check my stomach out for parasites in the ultrasound, but I really think they were just checking for two good kidneys and a liver (I’m kind of scared they have our address now), and then finally a chest x-ray. I am assuming since I wasn’t immediately placed in quarantine that everything checked out okay and I’m aloud to stay!
This week kicked off our training at Disney English and it really seems like a magical program. The days have been long but tomorrow we get to do hands on training with the interactive white board and develop lessons to deliver. It’s a little overwhelming and we all seem a little unsure of what to expect…but the senior staff seem to be pretty supportive. Our experience so far has piqued my interest in looking for part-time work with the Walt Disney World Company when I get back to Orlando.
I’ll try to stay on top of this but I wanted to wish you all a Happy Fourth of July…and wish I could be spending it with you guys. Some of us are hopefully attending an Ex-Pat BBQ in the French Concession. I plan to either wear my map of the USA, or I heart USA shirts. I have some awesome pictures of one of the local gardens we checked out and will be updating this soon! Lots of Love to you all!
So up until Tuesday it had been raining constantly every day, we came out of the center after our second day of training to find bits of blue sky and the sun (I didn’t think it existed over hear). It was at that moment I knew I had to grab Mom’s awesome camera she so graciously lent to me for my trip! So some of the other teachers and I headed down to the Bund and along the Huangpu River to get some awesome shots (and indeed we did)! It was tough to get in some good picture taking considering the paparazzi were after us. We get asked to pose for lots of pictures simply for being Westerners and having blonde hair and blue eyes! We also find ourselves being filmed and secretly pictured when they think we are not paying attention.
Then, we headed to Old Shanghai to wander around and let me tell you it was like walking into Disney World the way the buildings were constructed. It was so awesome and we ended our trip there at one of China’s fine dining experiences, Pizza Hut! By the time we were finished with dinner the sun has gone down and we thought it would be even more beautiful to experience the Bund in the evening all lit up…so we walked along the river and occasionally posed for photos.
On Wednesday, we headed to the International Traveler Health Center to complete our medical checks. Let me just say it was sufficiently violating yet very efficient. We checked in and got to wear some awesome blue booties and dingy white robes, it was a series of six rooms with different medical procedures. I started with my vision test (I was most worried about this bit) and passed, then onto the blood sample (super uncomfortable) but one of my fellow teachers provided me with some comic relief and it was over in no time. Then I headed to the EKG room where they put a bunch of suction cups on my bare chest and clamp my ankle and wrists (I have never had one of these in the states but it seemed a little antiquated), then I had my blood pressure taken along with a breast exam (would they deport me if I had a lump?). Then it was time to check my stomach out for parasites in the ultrasound, but I really think they were just checking for two good kidneys and a liver (I’m kind of scared they have our address now), and then finally a chest x-ray. I am assuming since I wasn’t immediately placed in quarantine that everything checked out okay and I’m aloud to stay!
This week kicked off our training at Disney English and it really seems like a magical program. The days have been long but tomorrow we get to do hands on training with the interactive white board and develop lessons to deliver. It’s a little overwhelming and we all seem a little unsure of what to expect…but the senior staff seem to be pretty supportive. Our experience so far has piqued my interest in looking for part-time work with the Walt Disney World Company when I get back to Orlando.
I’ll try to stay on top of this but I wanted to wish you all a Happy Fourth of July…and wish I could be spending it with you guys. Some of us are hopefully attending an Ex-Pat BBQ in the French Concession. I plan to either wear my map of the USA, or I heart USA shirts. I have some awesome pictures of one of the local gardens we checked out and will be updating this soon! Lots of Love to you all!
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