Having mulled over the summer holiday options for some time now, I'm leaning more towards 'show me the money'.
We have an arrangement in our contract, as do most schools in China, that teachers are reimbursed for a return economy class airfare ticket every year. It's quite a nice deal, and most teachers use that to travel back to their home countries every summer. For the most part I do this as well, but not necessarily every year. In other words, gasp, some years I don't go back during summer and stay in Asia.
This year looks to be one of those. Having made up my mind to re-sign another contract (not resign, haha) I've now been looking at past, present and future holidays offered by the school and it's not looking too encouraging.
The longest was a 3 week winter break, which was maximized to the hilt in Thailand, but still, it was too rush-rush. Any other stat holidays during the school year involved or will involve the dreaded and illogical 'weekend working make up days'. This is an annoyance that anyone who has worked in China is familiar with and simply puts up with. For example, the April holiday goes like this:
Mon-Fri March 26-30
Sat March 31. Work. Piss off.
Sun April 1. Work. Piss off.
3 days holiday April 2, 3, 4
You've got to love Chinese logic. The math actually gives NEGATIVE days off for this, given the 7-days of working in a row before that. On the other hand, the short "week" of April 5 and 6 of working, then the next weekend (Easter weekend) of Apr 7 and 8 would make for a nice excuse to take Apr 5 and 6 off and make an extended break out of this.
It would then make for a good window of opportunity to do a trip to Canada, and I asked the school if they'd be on board with this. But so far, no response.
However, I'm honestly drawing a blank as to what I would actually do in Canada as there is no pressing need for a trip back there. Of course it would be nice to see friends and family, but they can also come to Shanghai and see me -- which they don't.
Even if I could draw up some reason to go back for a week in April, besides cheap air tickets, it would involve a rush trip around the Easter weekend with jet lag that doesn't sound appealing. The next window of opportunity would be the May break, with a similar schedule as the above.
Given all these short holidays throughout the school year, then summer break is the only really long break for traveling. But that's not possible if the trip is used to go back to one's home country, as is the tradition among teachers.
Put all this together, then "show me the money" makes the most sense. The school would be on board if I present a win-win situation. They give me cash that would cost them slightly less money to purchase an airline ticket, and so they make a profit. Will need to get cracking on this asap and start planning my summer trip, as there are smokin' airfare deals in Asia if booked right now.
Meanwhile, I've got another plan in the works to take days off for Christmas 2012. That would be a lot better of a choice, seeing as I haven't done so for nearly 7 years now. This plan will unfold as the year goes on.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
February: Indoors Never Felt So Good
Today's weather: High = 7 Low = 2
Cloudy
We got hit with a triple-punch of unseasonably bad weather for the entire month, most of which we did not have the luxury of being away in Thailand for. Below average temperatures, below average sunshine, and above average rainfall. In a word, indoors. Even then, the buildings are not designed for prolonged cold spells and the usual things apply like cranking out the air conditioning, taking extended hot showers, and so forth. You never really warm up, but you approach it.
As for exercising, I was at the gym nearly every day this month. The weight has been kept down from the previous Thai cycling trip and still dropping. Some major health benefits have happened since 2012, including an energy boost, muscle development, and continued weight loss. A workout is better than coffee for giving the body energy. At first the body hates it, and needs to be tricked into going. But by mid-workout everything changes.
Also, a regular exercise program has made for a much improved heart condition. While I didn't exactly have heart troubles last year, I could easily sense my heart working harder last year due to the excess fat and the tendency I have to gorge myself on meals. My family also has a history of heart troubles, and for this reason I'm very careful to keep the weight down now and exercise more. The principle is rather simple. The heart is a muscle and the more efficient it can work, the better. This can be achieved by cardio training, and also burning off the fat.
A sedentary lifestyle is a terrible thing, and when combined with a penchant for eating and a high-pressure job, one is just asking for a heart attack. Regretably this is the norm for Shanghai culture in modern days. The newspapers did a survey to show a mere 8% of the sample of people actually exercised more than 3 times a week. The same percentage lost weight during the recent Spring Festival holiday.
Getting set up with internet and landline now at my place has made it so I often don't want to leave. The heat is working fine if I close doors and keep it confined to a small area. The same applies in my classroom and I often don't want to leave there either. But between these places of comfort I have to venture outside which is the the part that sucks. In this kind of weather, you simply don't want to.
Cloudy
We got hit with a triple-punch of unseasonably bad weather for the entire month, most of which we did not have the luxury of being away in Thailand for. Below average temperatures, below average sunshine, and above average rainfall. In a word, indoors. Even then, the buildings are not designed for prolonged cold spells and the usual things apply like cranking out the air conditioning, taking extended hot showers, and so forth. You never really warm up, but you approach it.
As for exercising, I was at the gym nearly every day this month. The weight has been kept down from the previous Thai cycling trip and still dropping. Some major health benefits have happened since 2012, including an energy boost, muscle development, and continued weight loss. A workout is better than coffee for giving the body energy. At first the body hates it, and needs to be tricked into going. But by mid-workout everything changes.
Also, a regular exercise program has made for a much improved heart condition. While I didn't exactly have heart troubles last year, I could easily sense my heart working harder last year due to the excess fat and the tendency I have to gorge myself on meals. My family also has a history of heart troubles, and for this reason I'm very careful to keep the weight down now and exercise more. The principle is rather simple. The heart is a muscle and the more efficient it can work, the better. This can be achieved by cardio training, and also burning off the fat.
A sedentary lifestyle is a terrible thing, and when combined with a penchant for eating and a high-pressure job, one is just asking for a heart attack. Regretably this is the norm for Shanghai culture in modern days. The newspapers did a survey to show a mere 8% of the sample of people actually exercised more than 3 times a week. The same percentage lost weight during the recent Spring Festival holiday.
Getting set up with internet and landline now at my place has made it so I often don't want to leave. The heat is working fine if I close doors and keep it confined to a small area. The same applies in my classroom and I often don't want to leave there either. But between these places of comfort I have to venture outside which is the the part that sucks. In this kind of weather, you simply don't want to.
Saturday, 25 February 2012
No Motivation for Assignments
The online masters degree program from the university of Waterloo is going alright, but I seriously lack the motivation on weekends to do the course assignments. Apparently I'm not the only one. Colleagues from Sino Canada school are also working on this program (math masters for teachers) as well as from Dalian Maple Leaf. We've formed an ad-hoc collaboration group but none of us are enthusiastic about the ongoing bugaboo of written assignments. This latest course on calculus foundations is interesting, but we've been saddled with a proof-happy professor. It is bringing back nightmares from the last course on proofs, and making me loathe mathematical proofs even more than before I started this program.
No wonder students hate proofs, if the teachers feel the same way. That's why my plan is to get those courses over with first and leave more of the applied stuff towards the end of the program.
The simple fact of the matter is that we all have other things to do right now, and proving theorems is not one of them. Needless to say, the coursework has to be done. This weekend, I hate to say it, has been shot to hell. Things will get better in a week's time once it has been submitted. The last time this happened was during my Thailand cycling vacation when a previous written assignment had to get handed in.
No wonder students hate proofs, if the teachers feel the same way. That's why my plan is to get those courses over with first and leave more of the applied stuff towards the end of the program.
The simple fact of the matter is that we all have other things to do right now, and proving theorems is not one of them. Needless to say, the coursework has to be done. This weekend, I hate to say it, has been shot to hell. Things will get better in a week's time once it has been submitted. The last time this happened was during my Thailand cycling vacation when a previous written assignment had to get handed in.
Surprise! You've Been Here 10 Years
Today's weather: High = 6 Low = 3
Cloudy
Cloudy
Today was a surprise birthday party for an American friend from church group (originally from Boise Idaho) who's been here a few years. He met his fiance from Kenya and they've been in Shanghai for the interim. Soon they'll both go to the states once she gets the visa. Meanwhile a bunch of us made the trek to Songjiang on the subway where he currently lives. It was a familiar trek as I used to live out there 3 years ago. Coming back was a lot more pleasant as one of my friends has a private car and driver. Even so, I sure don't miss those days of trekking out to the suburbs!
The party itself was amazing! Imagine my surprise at the surprise party when I bumped into a Chinese and German couple I had originally met in 2002. At first I didn't recognize them but they instantly recognized me. Back then the wife was pregnant with a baby but now this "baby" was a full grown 9 year old son going to a snazzy top class international school and fluent in English, Mandarin, and German.
All of a sudden it hit me I've been here 10 years, or nearly so. Of course the time has just flown by like a rocket. Not all of this was spent in China. The first three years was in Shanghai from 2001-04 teaching English at various full time and part time gigs. Then I went back to Vancouver in 2005 to upgrade my education. It wasn't long before I was back on a plane to Asia and making the big bucks in the offshore school system. 2 years in Dalian, a year in Wuhan, and another 3 years in Shanghai .... but not necessarily in that order.
When I first met that Sino-German couple, we were all fresh off the plane as it were. But somehow we reconnected and are now one of the few "lifers" in this city that has remained, despite the revolving dhoor. They now live outside of the city in another province, but with a private car, this is hardly an issue. He's not te only one. I can name a half-dozen or so more friends who have private cars and drivers. As the poor teacher, I have to suffer on motorcycles in the freezing cold or else take the damn bus.
During the car ride we got chatting as to how to deal with the constant revolving door of foreigners who come into the city, stay for a year or two, then move on. We all agreed it is difficult to make and maintain friendships and relationships in this context, yet that is exactly what the "lifers" have done, otherwise they wouldn't stay here. Then someone else made a comment that was so obvious I can't believe I didn't pick up on this earlier. The "lifers" have established relationships with the Shanghainese. They have either local spouses or long-term partners, or somehow put down roots in such a way that packing up and leaving isn't an option. As mentioned in another post, the locals are considerably more stable than the revolving door crowd, and taking the time to establish relationships with the locals is one way to stick around. An obvious fact, but overlooked.
So on that note, it's high time I hooked up with a local and got married.
Thursday, 23 February 2012
Nearly 100% Turnover
Today's weather: High = 9 Low = 2
Cloudy
Everyone will be leaving this school at the end of the year except for myself, the principal, and potentially the vice principal. Main reason is they just want to go back to Canada. In a depressed economy and an even more depressing job market for teachers, it is hard to imagine why, but that's what they want to do.
Meanwhile, replacements have been easily found for teachers next year. Including one guy from Sino Canada school at present who rides his motorcycle to and from Shanghai all the time. Should be an interesting guy to talk to.
For better or for worse, I can already play the video tape in advance and anticipate the questions and reactions that the majority of new teachers will have. The reactions of westerners experiencing China are almost always predictable. It is more or less like playing a video tape over and over and over again. "Why do they always spit on the floor?" "Why do we have to work on weekends to make up holidays" "Why do they open the windows in the freezing cold?" "Why do they want us to pay up front?"
Why, why, why. Whine, whine, whine. Anyone will tell you that you're not supposed to ask why questions in China as it's a fruitless exercise.
Seeing as I'll be the obvious go-to guy for these kind of questions, I'm working on a project with the principal to put together a manual for new teachers. It will focus on the ins and outs of the school, as well as getting around Shanghai. The section on finding housing will be useful, and I hope to team up with our secretary to help the new teachers get the best deals possible. The manual can't explain everything, but I hope to rely on it for at least 80% of the most-often-asked questions by new teachers, and not have to keep answering them over and over again.
Cloudy
Everyone will be leaving this school at the end of the year except for myself, the principal, and potentially the vice principal. Main reason is they just want to go back to Canada. In a depressed economy and an even more depressing job market for teachers, it is hard to imagine why, but that's what they want to do.
Meanwhile, replacements have been easily found for teachers next year. Including one guy from Sino Canada school at present who rides his motorcycle to and from Shanghai all the time. Should be an interesting guy to talk to.
For better or for worse, I can already play the video tape in advance and anticipate the questions and reactions that the majority of new teachers will have. The reactions of westerners experiencing China are almost always predictable. It is more or less like playing a video tape over and over and over again. "Why do they always spit on the floor?" "Why do we have to work on weekends to make up holidays" "Why do they open the windows in the freezing cold?" "Why do they want us to pay up front?"
Why, why, why. Whine, whine, whine. Anyone will tell you that you're not supposed to ask why questions in China as it's a fruitless exercise.
Seeing as I'll be the obvious go-to guy for these kind of questions, I'm working on a project with the principal to put together a manual for new teachers. It will focus on the ins and outs of the school, as well as getting around Shanghai. The section on finding housing will be useful, and I hope to team up with our secretary to help the new teachers get the best deals possible. The manual can't explain everything, but I hope to rely on it for at least 80% of the most-often-asked questions by new teachers, and not have to keep answering them over and over again.
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
A Final Farewell: Jiaoji Lu Scooter Shop
Today's weather: High = 13 Low = 5
Rainy
Word on the text message grapevine told me that the main scooter shop in Shanghai would be closing down within a week. Sure enough, a trip down there yesterday confirmed this. The police are essentially closing the shop, as part of their persistent campaign to root out these unregistered scooters and motorbikes from the source.
As if cutting off our fuel supply wasn't bad enough, now they want to close down the supply lines and repair shops. Given this alarming information, I had to go there and get some repairs done on the bike and buy a gigantic sized fuel can. Turns out this was a good call, as I got the needed work done. But there were also a ton of 'hidden' problems that our good-natured mechanic, which I'll call Mr Weasel, pointed out to me.
He earned that nickname because he always overcharges myself and a friend who take our scooters and motorbikes to him on a regular basis. His usual trick is to do the work we ask him, then point out "other problems" on the bike and proceed to fix them. The total bill often comes out near 1000 RMB. He's not malicious or anything, just sneaky, and it's hard to say whether the extra work is necessary or not. But it doesn't hurt to get it done, and being a mechanical dimwit like myself, I say OK, he smiles, we laugh, he smokes his cigarette, works on the bike, and proceeds to rip me off. All the while he throws around tools and bolts and a bunch of other shit in a heaping disorganized pile on the ground. Gotta love Chinese bike repairs!
But whatever, the work always ends up being worth the money, and the repairs last for a long time.
This time, Mr Weasel gave me his business card for where the shops have all moved to in future.
All done, for the price of 900 RMB. What did this get me? Let's see
-- new alternator
-- new sparkplugs
-- new rear brakes
-- new mirrors
-- oil change
-- air filter change
-- new transmission 'balls'
-- replace the drive belt
Mr Weasel is actually a good-natured, smart, and humorous guy. We have become friends. He will remain, however, a sneaky character, and so the name sticks.
More on the scooter shop in general
http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/shop/hog-wild-shanghai%E2%80%99s-motorcycle-market-371876
Rainy
Word on the text message grapevine told me that the main scooter shop in Shanghai would be closing down within a week. Sure enough, a trip down there yesterday confirmed this. The police are essentially closing the shop, as part of their persistent campaign to root out these unregistered scooters and motorbikes from the source.
As if cutting off our fuel supply wasn't bad enough, now they want to close down the supply lines and repair shops. Given this alarming information, I had to go there and get some repairs done on the bike and buy a gigantic sized fuel can. Turns out this was a good call, as I got the needed work done. But there were also a ton of 'hidden' problems that our good-natured mechanic, which I'll call Mr Weasel, pointed out to me.
He earned that nickname because he always overcharges myself and a friend who take our scooters and motorbikes to him on a regular basis. His usual trick is to do the work we ask him, then point out "other problems" on the bike and proceed to fix them. The total bill often comes out near 1000 RMB. He's not malicious or anything, just sneaky, and it's hard to say whether the extra work is necessary or not. But it doesn't hurt to get it done, and being a mechanical dimwit like myself, I say OK, he smiles, we laugh, he smokes his cigarette, works on the bike, and proceeds to rip me off. All the while he throws around tools and bolts and a bunch of other shit in a heaping disorganized pile on the ground. Gotta love Chinese bike repairs!
But whatever, the work always ends up being worth the money, and the repairs last for a long time.
This time, Mr Weasel gave me his business card for where the shops have all moved to in future.
All done, for the price of 900 RMB. What did this get me? Let's see
-- new alternator
-- new sparkplugs
-- new rear brakes
-- new mirrors
-- oil change
-- air filter change
-- new transmission 'balls'
-- replace the drive belt
Mr Weasel is actually a good-natured, smart, and humorous guy. We have become friends. He will remain, however, a sneaky character, and so the name sticks.
More on the scooter shop in general
http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/shop/hog-wild-shanghai%E2%80%99s-motorcycle-market-371876
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Apartment and Office Views
Today's weather: High = 10 Low = 2
Sunny
In keeping with the Shanghai is home theme, I found two pictures came naturally, one from my 6th floor apartment window, the other from a financial office downtown I visit frequently.
This weekend was quite productive. Got all the marking done, cleaned house, finished a masters degree assignment, and went to a 'cell group' of which I have now become a leader for. Long story. Another post coming soon.
Managed a visit to the China Telecom office to have the internet installed, yet again, at my "new" apartment. 4 months later I finally got around to it. Amazingly, the the technician showed up a mere day later, on a Sunday no less. Exact same guy as at my previous apartment! Coudn't believe it. All was not successful, however, as there are software glitches. Oh well, some other time.
Earlier on Friday, a visit to the police station for successful registration of my address.
Then, getting gas in the scooter was quite the ordeal. Due to the ongoing bugaboo of gas stations that refuse fillups in these unregistered pests, I now have to scour the inner and outer suburbs to find stations that work. Unfortunately it's a case of 'who moved my cheese' and I have yet to find that wonderful 'Cheese Station N' or gas station N. Worse yet, I ran out of gas during the search. A local filled up a pop bottle with 10 RMB worth of stale gas from some motorcycle shop. This helped me keep searching for the next gas sation. Then finally, a station accepted me. This ould end up being real annoying if it happens every weekend. Time to get out those jerry cans and come up with a more creative solution.
Finally, made some inquiries about multi-currency banking. HSBC is the obvious choice for what I'm trying to do, as I basically want to set up a tri-currency bank account in US dollars, Chinese RMB, and Thai baht. With the routine business I do in all three of those currencies, it only makes sense to get an Asian-based account in those currencies. The only caveat with HSBC is the minimum balance requirement. Even so, we made an appointment.
As expected, there is a lot of 'ma fan' (trouble) with international money transactions in mainland China, so a trip to Hong Kong will be inevitable at some point to set up the type of account I want. Even so, the HSBC in Shanghai can at least get the ball rolling for now. Ironically, Shanghai has ambitious plans to be global financial center, but Hong Kong has them beat by leaps and bounds.
Meanwhile, a HK run would also be a great opportunity to get a new Montague folding mountain bike, an IPAD, and a notebook computer.
Sunny
In keeping with the Shanghai is home theme, I found two pictures came naturally, one from my 6th floor apartment window, the other from a financial office downtown I visit frequently.
This weekend was quite productive. Got all the marking done, cleaned house, finished a masters degree assignment, and went to a 'cell group' of which I have now become a leader for. Long story. Another post coming soon.
Managed a visit to the China Telecom office to have the internet installed, yet again, at my "new" apartment. 4 months later I finally got around to it. Amazingly, the the technician showed up a mere day later, on a Sunday no less. Exact same guy as at my previous apartment! Coudn't believe it. All was not successful, however, as there are software glitches. Oh well, some other time.
Earlier on Friday, a visit to the police station for successful registration of my address.
Then, getting gas in the scooter was quite the ordeal. Due to the ongoing bugaboo of gas stations that refuse fillups in these unregistered pests, I now have to scour the inner and outer suburbs to find stations that work. Unfortunately it's a case of 'who moved my cheese' and I have yet to find that wonderful 'Cheese Station N' or gas station N. Worse yet, I ran out of gas during the search. A local filled up a pop bottle with 10 RMB worth of stale gas from some motorcycle shop. This helped me keep searching for the next gas sation. Then finally, a station accepted me. This ould end up being real annoying if it happens every weekend. Time to get out those jerry cans and come up with a more creative solution.
Finally, made some inquiries about multi-currency banking. HSBC is the obvious choice for what I'm trying to do, as I basically want to set up a tri-currency bank account in US dollars, Chinese RMB, and Thai baht. With the routine business I do in all three of those currencies, it only makes sense to get an Asian-based account in those currencies. The only caveat with HSBC is the minimum balance requirement. Even so, we made an appointment.
As expected, there is a lot of 'ma fan' (trouble) with international money transactions in mainland China, so a trip to Hong Kong will be inevitable at some point to set up the type of account I want. Even so, the HSBC in Shanghai can at least get the ball rolling for now. Ironically, Shanghai has ambitious plans to be global financial center, but Hong Kong has them beat by leaps and bounds.
Meanwhile, a HK run would also be a great opportunity to get a new Montague folding mountain bike, an IPAD, and a notebook computer.
Friday, 17 February 2012
Introducing Guanxi Text Service
Actually this has been around for ages but it really came in handy when trying to locate a Thai restaurant tonight. The way the service works, you text the name of the business to a number and it tells you the address in both English and Chinese
Obviously you then show that to a taxi driver, or find it yourself with a scooter and GPS maps on the Ipad. When we got lost tonight trying to find it, a quick text saved the evening.
The number to text is 106695882929
Thai Kitchen ChiangMai
1019 KangdingLu,near YanpingLu,SH,Tel: 52281588
Reply G to Check-in,C for Chinese
Might as well call this city home
Today's weather: High = 5 Low = -1
Sunny
Sunny
If I've got this right it looks like I've been in this city for about 5 years now, over two distinct time periods. This is excluding vacations, etc. It's enough to say this city feels like home and I'm certainly comfortable here.
The difficulty in making such a claim lies in the transient nature of expat life and the extremely rapid turnover of people coming in and out of the city. The revolving door is a simply a reality to live with that has both pluses and minuses.
From a psychological point of view, the revolving door makes it tempting to regard Shanghai as a place where nobody really stays put and to adopt a similar mentality. But it isn't quite like that. Even in my home country it is common to move to a city, stay there for a few years, and move on. So I figure if it's for one year, 5 or 10, might as well take the view that this place is home for however long I'm here.
Locals actually don't like the expat revolving door reality and would prefer foreigners to be more stable in the city. As they say, there is more to life than showing up in the city, making some money, and then taking off.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Massive Turnover
Today's weather: High = 6 Low = 0
Cloudy
Cloudy
The boss gave us staff until today to make a final decision if we're staying on to work next school year or not. I had my decision pegged during the vacation, after some wavering and checking other gigs that didn't match up to this gig. But I was astonished to learn today that many teachers have decided they are NOT coming back next year and have finalized it. The reasons why? Who the heck knows.
The facts are about an upcoming 75% staff turnover which is the first time in the history of this school and the highest relative turnover rate in my 6 years of offshore experience. Other schools such as Maple Leaf had a high absolute turnover each year but relatively, it tended to hover around 50%.
What this means is after a mere two years working here I'm now going to be the "old guy". Such is how it works in China and I had rapidly achieved this "old timer" status in Maple Leaf earlier in 2008 before throwing in the towel on that gig.
The good news is that I'll likely have my pick of courses next year and can mix in both math and physics like I was doing previously. Some years it is all math, other years it is all physics, but I prefer a mix of both. The bad news is the loss of friends and colleagues I get along with currently and a whole new set of dynamics and relationships next year.
Even so the life in Shanghai is so much better overall as this is a first tier city. As such we attract a more positive breed of teachers than those who work in 2nd tier cities like Dalian, and/or in isolated suburban outposts.
Which begs the question as to why so many are leaving Shanghai. Like I said I don't know. But they are. It won't be hard to find replacements that is for sure. As the old guy now I may as well claim this is my city.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Temperamental Scooter
Today’s weather: High = 6 Low = 1
Rainy, overcast, and crap
The scooter viciously protested against me taking it out of hibernation early. It was a big mistake to ride it in this crap weather to begin with. But it’s awfully tempting when it can reduce a commute to 15 minutes, as opposed to 45 minutes each way on the subway -- most of the time spent walking to and from stations.
And who can argue against the convenience of taking a scooter into town for the evenings, and coming back later at night when the subways stop running. That was the idea anyway. I filled up the scooter with fresh gas in the suburbs, but it sputtered out and failed halfway to People’s Square. A superb annoyance, as I had to leave it parked on the side of the road and catch a taxi the rest of the way otherwise I’d be even more late for a date.
Fortunately the breakdown happened in Xu Jia Hui near my work. Due to time constraints and no subway, I had to take a taxi home and leave the scooter parked overnight on a busy road. Then the next day I went to retrieve the scooter during my spare teaching blocks. Fully expecting the bike to have been stolen (despite the fact it was locked) I was astonished to see it still there in one piece. What’s more, it re-started when I put the key in the ignition. Totally amazing!
A friend figured that the carberator was dirty and/or water got into the fuel line. Most likely both. Let’s face it, scooters were designed for Thailand weather, not this cold and miserable rain crap.
At first I wanted to put it back into hibernation and wait until March to ride again. But the convenience won out.
After a maintenance job I've now been going back and forth from work on this bike in the freezing cold, not to mention various parties.
The good news -- the weather in Shanghai warms up quickly in March. Then it’s at least 9 months of the year of good riding. I’m going to upgrade this May and go for a new Yamaha YBR250 motorcycle. If the scooter survives until then, will keep it for zipping around downtown and the motorcycle for the suburbs. An added advantage is that the motorcycle acts as a mobile fuel storage tank and can siphon into the scooter when needed.
The scooter tank doesn’t hold much fuel, maybe 200km worth or less. So every week it needs a fill-up. If you’ve read the book, “Who moved my cheese”, then this concept applies LITERALLY when it comes to gas stations in Shanghai. Let’s just say someone moved my gas station when I was getting too comfortable.
Rainy, overcast, and crap
The scooter viciously protested against me taking it out of hibernation early. It was a big mistake to ride it in this crap weather to begin with. But it’s awfully tempting when it can reduce a commute to 15 minutes, as opposed to 45 minutes each way on the subway -- most of the time spent walking to and from stations.
And who can argue against the convenience of taking a scooter into town for the evenings, and coming back later at night when the subways stop running. That was the idea anyway. I filled up the scooter with fresh gas in the suburbs, but it sputtered out and failed halfway to People’s Square. A superb annoyance, as I had to leave it parked on the side of the road and catch a taxi the rest of the way otherwise I’d be even more late for a date.
Fortunately the breakdown happened in Xu Jia Hui near my work. Due to time constraints and no subway, I had to take a taxi home and leave the scooter parked overnight on a busy road. Then the next day I went to retrieve the scooter during my spare teaching blocks. Fully expecting the bike to have been stolen (despite the fact it was locked) I was astonished to see it still there in one piece. What’s more, it re-started when I put the key in the ignition. Totally amazing!
A friend figured that the carberator was dirty and/or water got into the fuel line. Most likely both. Let’s face it, scooters were designed for Thailand weather, not this cold and miserable rain crap.
At first I wanted to put it back into hibernation and wait until March to ride again. But the convenience won out.
After a maintenance job I've now been going back and forth from work on this bike in the freezing cold, not to mention various parties.
The good news -- the weather in Shanghai warms up quickly in March. Then it’s at least 9 months of the year of good riding. I’m going to upgrade this May and go for a new Yamaha YBR250 motorcycle. If the scooter survives until then, will keep it for zipping around downtown and the motorcycle for the suburbs. An added advantage is that the motorcycle acts as a mobile fuel storage tank and can siphon into the scooter when needed.
The scooter tank doesn’t hold much fuel, maybe 200km worth or less. So every week it needs a fill-up. If you’ve read the book, “Who moved my cheese”, then this concept applies LITERALLY when it comes to gas stations in Shanghai. Let’s just say someone moved my gas station when I was getting too comfortable.
Friday, 10 February 2012
Signed Another Year Contract
The decision was fairly obvious ... coming back to work another year at our school, Nanyang Model High School in Shanghai. This will now begin a 3rd year starting in September.
I was wavering on this one back in December, not surprisingly, and the winter holiday time helped straighten out the decision making process. After looking at what other nearby schools have to offer, ours is really a better gig.
In all likelihood I'll be signing a 4th year contract for the following year. Financially, it is becoming necessary as I'm on a rather serious investment track these days, and the masters degree has been re-evaluated to take 4 years to complete, from the previous 2 or 3.
A huge discussion ensued at the restaurant yesterday on the whole issue of Canadians paying taxes overseas and the non-resident issue. Not surprisingly, nobody had any solid factual evidence or conclusions on what needs to be done. Everyone had a different opinion or experience, and the conversation got very heated. This was exactly what happened last summer when I had conversations about the whole tax issue overseas and it's not a pleasant topic. Very controversial.
That being said, I'm going to at least try and get some information from the source, namely the Canadian Consulate here in Shanghai and see if perhaps there is a form to fill out or some other way to establish the non-residency.
Interestingly enough, why is it that people from North America living in Asia are considered "expats" or "non-residents" whereas people from Asia going to North America are considered "immigrants"? Practically speaking there is no difference from what long-term "expats" are in Asia, except for the name given to their status, and the fact that the "expats" can't actually get a passport from their adopted country.
I was wavering on this one back in December, not surprisingly, and the winter holiday time helped straighten out the decision making process. After looking at what other nearby schools have to offer, ours is really a better gig.
In all likelihood I'll be signing a 4th year contract for the following year. Financially, it is becoming necessary as I'm on a rather serious investment track these days, and the masters degree has been re-evaluated to take 4 years to complete, from the previous 2 or 3.
A huge discussion ensued at the restaurant yesterday on the whole issue of Canadians paying taxes overseas and the non-resident issue. Not surprisingly, nobody had any solid factual evidence or conclusions on what needs to be done. Everyone had a different opinion or experience, and the conversation got very heated. This was exactly what happened last summer when I had conversations about the whole tax issue overseas and it's not a pleasant topic. Very controversial.
That being said, I'm going to at least try and get some information from the source, namely the Canadian Consulate here in Shanghai and see if perhaps there is a form to fill out or some other way to establish the non-residency.
Interestingly enough, why is it that people from North America living in Asia are considered "expats" or "non-residents" whereas people from Asia going to North America are considered "immigrants"? Practically speaking there is no difference from what long-term "expats" are in Asia, except for the name given to their status, and the fact that the "expats" can't actually get a passport from their adopted country.
First Week Back to Work OK
It was somewhat disorienting to be back in the classroom teaching after this holiday, and the cold weather shock (no heat in classrooms) was the biggest adjustment. Since I was already in 'math mode' from doing all those masters degree assignments over the winter holiday the teaching was easy to get back into. But certainly not for the students, who are taking some time to warm up and get their brains back into math solving mode again.
On that note, we have two major math contests (Fermat and Cayley) coming up in a few weeks. These almost got lost in the mail due to poor delivery timing and arrival when the school was closed for the holiday. But they arrived OK finally.
The next big thing is to apply for a license that students can write the AP Calculus test in May directly at our school. This should go OK, in that Collegeboard approved my course syllabus (required audit) and it's now a matter of using that approval to apply for a license to get the tests delivered on campus.
Otherwise, the students have to cross the city and write the test at some obscure location.
Summer holidays will be here before I know it. I'm already getting some ideas. Yes, Thailand, again, to do it properly during the monsoon and not in the peak season madness that I just went through. 3 weeks is not long enough for a winter holiday, but we do make up for it with a FULL two months summer break, whereas other international schools only have perhaps 6 weeks in July and August.
That being said, to take full advantage of that, I would not go to Canada during such a time. So it's a matter of either going during the May holiday break, or not going at all and asking the school to give cash in lieu of an airplane ticket. Still debating this one.
On that note, we have two major math contests (Fermat and Cayley) coming up in a few weeks. These almost got lost in the mail due to poor delivery timing and arrival when the school was closed for the holiday. But they arrived OK finally.
The next big thing is to apply for a license that students can write the AP Calculus test in May directly at our school. This should go OK, in that Collegeboard approved my course syllabus (required audit) and it's now a matter of using that approval to apply for a license to get the tests delivered on campus.
Otherwise, the students have to cross the city and write the test at some obscure location.
Summer holidays will be here before I know it. I'm already getting some ideas. Yes, Thailand, again, to do it properly during the monsoon and not in the peak season madness that I just went through. 3 weeks is not long enough for a winter holiday, but we do make up for it with a FULL two months summer break, whereas other international schools only have perhaps 6 weeks in July and August.
That being said, to take full advantage of that, I would not go to Canada during such a time. So it's a matter of either going during the May holiday break, or not going at all and asking the school to give cash in lieu of an airplane ticket. Still debating this one.
Metro Failures ... It Never Ends
Today's weather: High = 8 Low = 3
Overcast
Not much choice this week but to ride the subway to/from work. Fortunately it's working out OK, and not stuck in these kind of jams as below. Too cold right now for bicycles and motorcycles until a few weeks from now when I'll start riding again.
TENS of thousands of Metro passengers were delayed yesterday when services on several lines were halted by signal failure.
The 90-minute disruption began around noon, following a signal breakdown on Metro Line 3 at downtown Zhongshan Park Station, said management.
Some passengers delayed on Line 3 complained that "the trains are slower than bikes."
The 90-minute disruption began around noon, following a signal breakdown on Metro Line 3 at downtown Zhongshan Park Station, said management.
Some passengers delayed on Line 3 complained that "the trains are slower than bikes."
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
The Flight Back to Reality
Today's weather: High = 3 Low = -5
Nasty
Nasty
All in all, it's great to be back home in Shanghai. The weather is chilly to be sure, but it's to be expected for this time of year. Things are slowly getting back into a routine again at work/school, and the recent holiday did everybody good.
The recent bicycle trip in Thailand was top notch, and details can be found here on my trip journal
http://www.crazyguyonabike.dom/doc/smiles
Cycle touring is becoming one mad hobby, as I am pursuing this relentlessly year after year, holiday after holiday. Next on the agenda will be to turn this hobby from amateur to professional, with the purchase of a new Montague folding mountain bike, better gear, and meeting with other cycle tourists to get some kind of club going.
All told, I took 7 flights during this recent trip, and they all went without a hitch or delay, including the stowing of the folding bike each time. It is really the way to travel, except for one problem. The typical folding bikes have very small wheels. The Montague bike aims to solve this problem, combining the durability of what you expect with a solid mountain bike, and the ease of folding it to take planes, trains, and buses when needed. The alternative of packing around a traditional mountain bike is just madness. I met a bike traveler at the Bangkok airport who was carting around two large bike boxes to Burma, and not surprisingly, was being docked an arm and a leg by the airline.
Unless you're planning to ride the bike from start to finish and back again, which few people are, then at some point it will need to be carted around at airports. The idea is to make this process as painless as possible.
As far as flights went, here is the detailed rundown of how I got back from Bangkok. It was the cheapest series I've done yet, at just over $100, and didn't take as long as expected. However, there were a zillion "check points" or stations I had to go through. Now that I guard the passport with my life, it wasn't lost. But there were untold number of times it could have been lost given the sheer frequency with which I had to take it out, show it, and put it back.
6:15am A waiting pre-booked taxi picks me up from the guesthouse and speeds off to the airport in a mere 15 minutes. He runs off and picks up a luggage trolley as we get there and hands it to me. For all that service he easily gets a 100 baht tip and the driver is thrilled. He deserves it. It astonishes me how fast the Thai taxi drivers move. This got me earlier to the airport than planned, which turned out to save the day.
6:30am. Shrink wrap the bike. Not necessary, but worth it. When the carrying bag is too small and ripped to pieces from over-use, why not.
6:35am. Check in for my first flight.
6:40am Pay a sports equipment fee. Typical Air Asia
6:50am Enter passport control. At this point I thought I was doomed. The peak season plague in Thailand would continue right until the bitter end. It is due to masses of Chinese people traveling during their break, the Thais themselves celebrating Lunar New Year, and the usual foreign tourists. Fittingly, everyone was leaving the country today. The lineups were astonishing, and would take well over two hours to clear, thus causing me to miss the flight. Fortunately I found another exit on the far side that was less crowded, got through in an hour, and barely got on board the flight. Now I understand why they insist you arrive 3 hours before an international flight. I truly hate this.
7:50am Squeaked on board the flight, 10 minutes before departure time. Air Asia may be stingy, but to their credit, they have an excellent punctuality record and their flights are rarely delayed.
10:30am Arrived in Macau, noting the change in weather. This would get worse later, but I would continue in shorts and a T-shirt. Entered the immigration line-up and waited.
11:00am Picked up luggage, then went upstairs and checked into my next flight. Spring Airlines. A painless process. Figuring there was time (there was not) I went to grab lunch and a coffee, in order to get rid of those annoying Macau dollars. Nobody else would exchange them in other countries.
11:30am Went back through immigration and security, and it was crowded. Nearly missed my next flight, but what was I going to do, skip lunch? I already skipped breakfast and it's not like they feed you on these cheap airlines.
12:00pm Got on board the next flight 15 minutes before departure.
2:45pm Arrived in Shanghai into a pelting rainstorm and fierce winds. Brutal. I was lucky in that my plane actually landed whereas many others were canceled or delayed due to the weather.
3:00pm Easily and quickly cleared immigration as the Pudong airport is known for being efficient. It helps to be a foreigner as that line is nearly empty. Some guys next to me were given lengthy questions as they had entered China previously and only stayed one day. Obvious suspicion. I have a good track record with China immigration and following the laws of this country -- and want to keep it that way. Case in point, I didn't shave my beard yet so it would still look like the passport photo. No questions were asked. Got the baggage and lunged for a taxi
3:15pm Taxi got me home in 45 minutes. Worth the higher price. Wearing shorts and a T-shirt, I simply wasn't up for the slog of taking buses, waiting in the cold, etc.
4:00pm Turned on the heat, promptly fall asleep, then was rudely awakened by a fireworks binge I had wanted to avoid by going to Thailand. Welcome back.
A side note about Macau, it is one of the most unusual places on the planet. Remarkably I've gone through there nearly 15 times now, and haven't stayed a single night in Macau. It functions as a transit hub to go to and from China and SE Asia using the cheap airlines. A major annoyance is that all those entries and exits from Macau clutter up my passport with stamps and take up limited page space. If only there was a way to get some kind of transit pass or other document without having to use the passport. Plus there is the ongoing bugaboo of what to put for the "address in Macau" when filling out those forms. It's a nuisance.
A helpful travel tip: bring along a pen for these flights. They pass out immigration forms on the flight and expect you to fill them out on board. There are stations on arrival, but the whole thing is a mess. Forms are often missing and the pens seldom work. Plus whatever time you spend filling in forms causes you to lose the advantage you had by sitting near the front of the airplane. In that case, it's better to bug a passenger or an attendant for a pen and save yourself 30 minutes or more on arrival. If you're sitting near the back of the plane, it doesn't matter what you do, the battle is already lost.
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