Connected and Awake-- ready to blog.

Leaving Sarnia was the most traumatic part of the trip.  Service there was great; I recommend it to anyone going on a long-haul flight.  It takes about two minutes to check the bag, shake you down and pass you into the boarding area.  When you get to Toronto, you move through a secure area of the airport to your international flight and are never checked again, apart from a scan of your boarding pass.

The scariest thing about the trip was the plane from Sarnia to Toronto.  I think it is called a Beech Craft, and appears to be a tin can with lots of bolts. It seats about 24 in 12 rows, so one passenger per side. The aisle is about 14 inches wide.  The charming young steward doubled as the co-pilot or, I hope, the other way round. Because it is so small one can hear every groan and squeak, as well as the thuuuunk when the landing gear descends, generally a subtle comforting sound on a jumbo.

The flight was long and really uneventful.  After travelling with Air New Zealand for the last few long-haul flights, we had the opportunity to re-discover just how spectacularly bad Air Canada food can be.  The trip is only difficult in that one really needs to get at least 8 hours sleep in order to be relatively aware once reaching China. However the whole flight, by taking the day-time polar route, takes place in full sunlight.  All the blinds have to remain shut for anyone to get some sleep; but some folks just can’t resist opening them up to see the bank of clouds underneath the plane. Fortunately Mike and I had packed our sleeping masks in the carry on, so we were able to sleep relatively undisturbed by light pollution.  

Arrival was relatively easy.  We first had to stop to have our passport and visas checked then picked up our luggage, both taking a surprisingly short time. The plane had landed more than an hour early, so when we reached Shanghai Airport, there was no one there to meet us.  Fortunately, we spotted some other folks and upon hearing them speaking English we asked if they were from Lambton/Jiangnan and found they were.  One, a returning teacher, already had his cell phone operable, and called our liaison person in the office.  He had already sent the vehicle to pick us up so we just had to wait for it.

By the time we left the airport it was rush hour and the traffic jam was on, and it was long and hair raising trip.  People here honk horns constantly, but rarely in anger or annoyance.  The horn, as in Mexico, is used to let other people know there is someone going to move into the space beside them.  In China, one prays for good brakes, so that vehicles will be able to stop on a dime, as they have to.  Signals are sort of a joke, apart from buses which seem to have major attitude, bus drivers screaming at other traffic and passengers alike.

This is the North Gate of the University.  Not the best picture, but one can see the university library in the distance through the middle of the gate, and the Foreign teachers apartment just behind and left.

When we finally arrived at the Foreign Teacher’s residence at the university it was about seven thirty. We were shown to our apartment, put a few things away and immediately went out to get some water and milk.  We don’t drink the tap water, but there is water available in containers for the water cooler in each building.  However, it is not a cooler; the cool water comes out at room temperature and the hot water is piping hot, perfect for tea or coffee--or hot water to make morning porridge. The five gallon container costs 5 yuan. One yuan is between 6 and 7 cents, depending on the exchange.

The western style, fully appointed apartment was definitely misleading.  No dishes, pot or pans, utilities or tea towels.

First thing Saturday morning we headed off with some of the 'old Wuxi hands' from Lambton to go to the grocery store.It was a great experience.  Fortunately pictures are international, and there is some English in the aisles to identify product type.  Some products have English on them, generally grammatically correct if sketchy. Buses cost two quai. (about 13 cents) We took a black cab back, price negotiated before hand for 15 quai. (quai is a term that is generally interchangeable with yuan; I have yet to figure out why)

Had a brief nap before beginning to clean apartment.  It was more or less clean, but....

Sunday morning, we had a meeting at the International Studies building on campus.  We got our teachers books, schedules, met some of the Chinese Teachers--I had to get a food card for the  campus cafeterias. The card itself was 20 quai, and one deposits money onto the card at the main branch of the bank of China on site--there are several branches on campus.  The campus being roughly the size of Petrolia from Marthaville side road  to 21and Petrolia line, from Petrolia Line to at least the golf course.  Several canals run through it, with numerous bridges. The on site population is probably about 60 thousand, although only a small number are students of the Lambton Jiangnan program.

Bridge over main Canal at University.  I am standing on another bridge taking this picture--to right is base of Library Tower, and to the lower left is the international school building. 

I started work on Monday and worked through until Saturday so as to have all of this (national -- state holiday) week off.  The most fascinating things that we did that week were sleep work and eat.  I am up at six to leave for work just after seven.  Its about a five minute tram ride to the teaching building.  Class is from 8:45 -- I  generally walk home and then returned for the 1:30 - 3:00 class.