restless and spirited away

What a couple of days off I’ve had this week! Although our plan to leave the city limits was foiled by bad weather (Thurs) and then just plain laziness (today), I never felt as relaxed and alive as I have these past 2 days.

Michael has arrived, as of last night. Middleaged, lawyer by profession, burning out and needing to take a sabbatical for some self-care. Very interesting humour, loves to smoke pipes and drink Xinjiang red wine and beer. Haha, he’ll fit right in. We welcomed him into his flat with many toasts and some crazy stories which I’m sure he’s filed away for further reference. Perhaps we scared him too much on his first night?? In any case, it’s good to have a fellow Canadian here. He’s from Ottawa to boot!

He definitely doesn't travel lightly though, bringing the entire shoe and camping collection from MEC (has anyone ever used a "bladder bag"???) and he basically transplanted all sorts of medications and first aid stuff from SDM right to his kitchen table in his new home in Urumqi on Donghoujie Road, Flat 101. Im-pressive! How one manages to pack FIVE suitcases, take 3 separate planes and NOT have to pay for the extra weight is beyond me. I think he'll have no problems with the bargaining bit here.

After sleeping in this morning, Dora moved to a new flat just across the courtyard (her and Peta had a messy break up about a week ago .... i'll spare the details, but it involves a former EF teacher here - also an Auzzie who was sacked within her 3 month probation and left after a few days of my arrival - and a couple of drunken escapades of lust, lies, deception, denial and finally, hurtful truths.

It's a shame really, the two of them, Auzzies, had been in China for almost a year already teaching at another EF school and had just settled into Urumqi for 2 months when this happened).

Anyway, they are ok with hanging out still so the 3 of us spent the day with Michael, shopping for household goods that he needed. Are we all here on some sort of dysfunctional relationship getaway???? AHH

In any case, showing Michael around the city today made me see how easy it is to adapt and adjust to a place, it really takes no time and this city is rockin, I mean it really does have fantastic elements.

Jay walking has got to be a national sport here, or something. I nearly got sideswept yesterday by this rickety bus but you just gotta trust your instincts; that and the vehicle’s brakes.

It was so nice to be with someone who has not been to China before and to witness an awakening from within and just that innocent awe. Everything was new and interesting and exhiliterating: the hawkers, the chaotic traffic, the pointed buildings, that annoying and gross spitting sound that Chinese people tend to do every few metres, the fact that "this city is sooo alive", music blaring, horns honking, and the smells!!

I mean, the other foreign teachers here have already been travelling and/or working in China for a while, and so for them if something is weird or derranged or just plain frustrating, their attitude is "well, it's just communist china". It takes no time to become immune to it all i guess, and i'm lucky that at least for today, i received a refreshing reality kick.

Hailing a taxi from Carrefour (a pretty modernized grocery store in the Uyghur area that has Brie Cheese and coconut bread and guacamole spread, and... ) took a long time, the longest I’ve ever had to wait in China.

We predict there are several reasons for that, besides the fact that it was dark and we were probably close to invisible in our dark winter jackets. Some taxi drivers refuse to go to the Uyghur area of the city, and vice versa. Why? I think it has partly to do with major racism and partly to do with just plain fear. Some refuse to pick up foreigners after dark, and when they do, they insist that a Chinese person sit shotgun (enter Bonnie and her pitiful Mandarin skills).

In all honesty, I am set, I have all I need right now: a guitar purchased within 3 days of arriving, a laptop purchased with the bargaining skills of a friend of a friend of a friend of a …, free Chinese lessons from Teresa (EF local staff), good Uyghur yoghurt, imported German granola, cheap good dry red wine, smooth coffee albeit a bit pricey, a blender to make essential banana-kiwi milkshakes in the morning and an oven to bake none other than banana bread (still on the prowl for baking soda, the last breads turned out like flat frisbees).

In terms of the job, i'm getting the hang of teaching at EF, the expectations, the priorities, the extra curricular chores we are responsible for (social clubs, one on one advising), the impressions, and although the workload is never ending, I am slowly learning what needs to be done NOW and what can be left for “later”. Feet are firmly planted, and I’m starting to call this armpit of a city in the middle of nowhere “HOME”.

ps. Another CDN guy will be coming soon, from Hull! Bring on the entourage! And then 3 or 4 more teachers will be arriving shortly after… men I hear.. yeah, we gotta balance out the gender ratio.