OLD HOUSES, NEW BUILDINGS

Mood [Meh]
Currently Playing [DBSK - Keep Your Head Down]

Sorry that I’ve been MIA for the past few days. A lot of things happened this week and thus, I haven’t had the time to give to the blog. Well, the first thing is that JL has left Nanjing as of yesterday afternoon. It was a hassle finding him a taxi that would take him to the airport during lunchtime because there were so many people fighting for taxis around that time. Plus, we found out that some taxis cannot go to the airport because apparently their meter on the air doesn’t let them cross the different districts in Nanjing. (The airport was in another district from where I’m located) Thus, we waited for more than half an hour before we could find a taxi and we were really scared that he was going to miss his flight. But luckily he is now back in Hong Kong in one piece before he leaves for Toronto again in a week. I would be lying if I say that I don’t miss him already. It won’t be until September when I can see him again. It feels like forever right now.

Second thing is that I have officially started teaching English as of this past Monday! Woot! That means I am no longer stuck in the office doing office work and lesson planning anymore! I am teaching the Intensive Language Preparation Program (ILLP) for primary students who are going aboard. Most of my students are planning to go to Australia so equipping them with some basic English skills that they may need when they are in the new country. The students have been wonderful thus far and their English is very good considering that they are only 10 years old. Some of them are more eager to learn than others. But with a little encouragement and confidence, all of them will be able to speak fluent English in no time!


Lastly, for the past few days I couldn’t help but notice the major contrast in the cityscape of Nanjing. (Picture above) Just outside the window of my home, I can see some very, very old houses contrasted with some very new and modern buildings. It really demonstrates how quickly Nanjing is becoming a huge metropolitan. Maybe in a few more years the houses that I’m living in right now will be demolished and in turn, high skyscrapers will be built in its place. But right now, it is interesting to see how Nanjing limbos between the old and the new.

THE CONFUCIUS TEMPLE

Mood [Sad]
Currently Playing [None]




From Korea Chanel logo t-shirt, from Hong Kong star pants, from Nanjing purse & red frames, Puma shoes,
Confucius, China's legendary sage, has lost. The advocate of respect, restraint and order is now associated in Nanjingers' minds with one thing--shopping! Centered around the ancient Confucius Temple (南京夫子庙), this neighborhood in southern Nanjing is the place to be on weekends and holidays. Clothing shops and restaurants dominate the main streets (closed to vehicular traffic) while street stalls in the alleyways sell stuffed animals, plants, CDs and even more clothes. The daily night market brings these stalls out onto Gongyuan Lu, the main drag between the Confucius Temple and Pingjiang Fu Lu, a lively scene even if most of the goods on sale are simple household items. Tourists not interested in bringing a cactus and cheap hangers back home as reminders of their trip to Nanjing can load up on souvenirs at shops clustered closer to the Confucius Temple complex.

Not only does the Confucius Temple have great historical value, but the shopping there is aaaaaamazing! The best part is learning that I can bargain down to almost half of the original price for all the items. It's not wonder that it has became such a huge shopping area for the locals. It's great that JL is here with me because there's finally some body who can take photos with me in them! Haha! (My roommate doesn't know how to use my D90 and I really, really don't wanna carry my tripod around with me). Both my roommate and I have decided that we will be visiting this place more frequently. Sight-seeing and shopping all in one place? I couldn't ask for more! (^__^)






























Polka dot romper ¥35 RMB ($6 CAD), stripe top ¥30 RMB ($5 CAD), orange floral purse ¥79 RMB ($12 CAD), cute socks 5 for ¥10 RMB ($1.5 CAD), ninja sandals ¥80 RMB ($12 CAD)

credit: china.org.cn

CHINA AND ALL ITS GLORY

Mood [Sleepy]
Currently Playing [周杰倫 - 爸,我回來了]


The flag of China was officially adopted on October 1, 1949. The red of the Chinese flag symbolizes the communist revolution and it is also the traditional colour of the people. The large gold star represents communism, while the four smaller stars represent the social classes of the people. The five stars together reflect the importance placed on the number five in Chinese thought and history.

These are some photos taken from the outside of my office and a glimpse of the inside. Since we are located in a 26 storey building, we get the privilege of overlooking all of Nanjing. The view is quite breathtaking on a clear and sunny day. The skyscrapers and tall buildings in Nanjing are endless. When the weather is good and the windows are open，you can even feel a cool breeze that comes through the window. But if you are scared of heights, then don't stick your head out the windows! Haha!








PS, don't forget to enter my Dolly Winkgiveaway which ends August 27. Follow the link on the side bar!

VERSACE X H&M

Mood [Excited]
Currently Playing [None]



O.M.G!

SOME NEW THINGS

Mood [Hot]
Currently Playing [Kelly Clarkson - Because of You]






1) Only Overalls (I still want a pair of Cocolulu!)
2) H&M Divided Black rainbow t-shirt
3) Zara orange clutch (I had to get it because it was sold out in Canada/HK of this colour!)
4) Black flats and black heels for only ¥30 RMB, which is less than $5 CAD!
5) W♥C look-a-like red frames and random earrings for only ¥10 RMB ($1.5 CAD)
6) Green & Blue TOMS
7) Oversize bow sandals ¥50 RMB
8) Blinged up moccasin for only ¥30 RMB

A LESSON LEARNED

Mood [Mellow]
Currently Playing [None]


These photos were taken with Thalia's camera and thus, I do not own any of these images.

“Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get”– Forrest Gump

Last Thursday, one of the most unexpected thing happened. Given only a 5 hours notice, my roommate and I were informed that we would be heading to a small town that was 3 hours away from Nanjing to teach English to a local elementary school. We received the news literally at 11am and we would be leaving for the town at 4pm on that same day. (We would also not be returning to Nanjing until the next day, which means we would be packing for a one-day trip) Since the school was in a rural area, the students had never encountered any foreign teachers before. The people in the office told us that we would be staying in the best hotel that was in the town but of course, we should not expect too much because the town is rather poor. And to think that I had just started to settle into the Nanjing environment, thus you could probably imagine my expression when I received this news. With only a backpack, my stuffed toys and a few lesson notes, I left for the town of Si Hong on Thursday evening.

To be frank, I was more scared than anything as the van started to drive off. I hate not knowing what to expect. However when we arrived, the local teachers warmly welcomed us with a very grand dinner. The food was fantastic and the conversations between the local teachers and us were endless. After the dinner, we went back to our hotel to prepare for the lessons for tomorrow. It was such a relief to find out that we would only be doing three 40mins lessons, which is not bad at all. And the local teachers told us that they had only wanted us to make the lesson more fun and enjoyable for the students so that they would have an interest in learning English.

That night in the hotel was probably one of the longest nights of my life. The mosquitoes in our room were not only aggressive, but they were numerous! I literally had to hide inside my blanket for the entire night just to not get bitten! I tried to stay up for as long as I could in order to fight off the bugs. And I still woke up the next morning with a swollen eye and face because one of them had actually bit my eyelid and my cheeks! It was truly a long and unforgettable night!

But guess what? Even with one of the worst night of my life, the kids in the school made it all worthwhile! The school wasn’t big in size, but it had over 2,400 students! They had recently closed down a few schools around the area because of funding and therefore, this school became the only remaining school in the surrounding areas. The students were not only eager to learn English from me but they were eager to be my friend. Though they were shy at the beginning, by the end they would run up to talk to me or to jump into a photo with me. After my quick lesson, they would hug me or grab to my arms to beg me not to leave. That honestly almost brought me to tears. I was shown hospitality from 12-year-old children that I had never experienced before. I am reminded once again of how gratifying it can be to be a teacher. Life can sometime throw you a curve ball and put you in situations that are least expected. But it is also these moments that are the most rewarding.