*MIGRATED FROM ANDY VS CHINA ARCHIVES*
Hello everyone,
Today is my 365th day in China. So it means I have spent exactly one year away from my old life. I thought today would be a good day to reminisce about everything that has happened during 2004/5.
I have faced a lot of new challenges this year. Living on my own, doing a job that actually requires thought and being in a country that is so different from the one I grew up in. I have made many new friends and I don't even think there are any enemies, just people that irritated me and there were a few of those.
It is always hard to try something new and to be away from everything that you love. But, sitting here today I realise that being where I am and doing what I do is exactly where I should be right now in my life. Though I would love to find some reason just to stay at home, I would also love to find more reasons to stay here. It will always be a hard decision, but that's life.
I hope the rest of you have had as much of a fulfilling year as I have had. I would like to hear about it. Just remember not to be afraid to try new things, don't let fear or anxiety get in the way of doing what you really want to be doing.
Ok, I think I'm getting a bit too sentimental now. Tomorrow I will be on the plane to Australia, provided everything goes smoothly at the airports. Though I'm sure there will be some issue that comes up.
I hope over the next few weeks I get an opportunity to see you guys as much as I possibly can. But, if you don't get that chance often it is probably because I have some business related things I have to do as well. Hopefully which will not eat too much into our time.
Ok then, I'd better head off and enjoy my last day here and I will see you in person as of Tuesday.
Lots of love,
Andy Scott
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Saturday, January 15, 2005
AVC: January, The Month, The Legend.
*MIGRATED FROM ANDY VS CHINA ARCHIVES*
Hey everyone, it's hit the halfway mark of January and I felt as if it was time to message again, hopefully more responsive then having a conversation with a wall.
The dramas of December and earlier this year are over. I still don't have my money, but I know it will come. I've been concocting several ideas of smuggling it ourside of the country. Some more comfortable than others. I will also be staying in this small town for one more year. All the issues have been ironed over carefully and we have to come to a special agreement. One which clearly outlines both of our boundaries.
January started with New years as is the common practice. We had a small...really small party here and we drank, sang, I pretended I could play guitar on a real guitar and to cap it all off we launched some fireworks at midnight. Something I don't recommend doing whilst under the influence of happy ale.
We had also been in the midst of a New Years performance set for the 5th of January. By "we" I mean myself, Sarika and 10 other Chinese-English teachers. Our dance was called Yan Ga, I don't know if that is the correct spelling, but it will do. Had to dress up in traditional Chinese folk clothes, which is unlike anything I've ever worn before. Bright yellow top and pants, outlined in red. Then a 3 metre long red ribbon to go around my waste that would be twirled around in the air during performance. I did film this, but someone bumped my camera before the dance started so I didn't get the whole thing. It did film who bumped the camera so I will plan revenge on them at some later date. Rest assured the audience were in stitches throughout the performance, which was a shock because the dance was meant to be serious. I mean why try?
It turned out not to be my only performance during January. Which brings me to this morning. Earlier in the week Sarika received a phone call from one of the kindergartens she had taught with previously in the area, they said their students are putting on a performance and would she like to sing a song there. She said allright and asked if I could come too. So this morning we left here around 8:30 to head to the town. When we got to the kindergarten it was freezing and they asked us to sit at the gate of the school. Which we realized was for advertising purposes. Like carefully arranging a centerpiece to a coffee table, everyone would be able to see it and us. So outside we waited and then a bus showed up. We had thought the performance was at the school obviously not.
On the bus we were surrounded my 50 very small children from kindergarten as we headed towards our mystery destination. Then we saw it, outside on the street they had erected a small stage. Our fears were confirmed when we stopped in front of it. It appears that the school didn't tell us the whole story from the beginning. "We want you to sing a song...*cough* on a stage in front of a lot of people*cough*. We had chosen a song that most students in China know and we had become sick of hearing. But you got to give them what they want. The song is "Yesterday Once More - by the Carpenters" Any English teacher will wince and the mention of its name. So we waited for our turn as the children started doing their carefully coreographed dance explosions. Which included jumping around on stage waving their arms...but theatrically of course. Sarika and I jumped the stage and starting belting into the song, of course no one in the audience has any idea what we are saying, but they appreciated the effort. When the song was over the headmaster said "ok, its time to go" and motioned towards the idle bus.
We were thinking though unexpected it was a pretty fun way to spend the morning and looked forward to heading back here to talk about it with others. BUT, instead of going to the bus stationas we had assumed we were confronted with an even LARGER stage built on another street in the city. Once of the bus they shoved a microphone in my hand and asked me to sing the song again. Confused I made my way through as people looked on at me. When I finished singing they said "could you do it one more time." (No question mark, because it was more of a 'DANCE PUPPET! kind of command) Not understanding why the crowd would want ot hear it twice I started singing the song in a different voice trying to make it different from before. I was clapped of stage and felt like I had just finished a pretty interesting morning. But, as it turned out they just used me to attract more people to come to stage so the could hear the highly anticipated fourth and final version of Yesterday Once More of the morning.
To make matters more interesting the sponsors of the stage performance wanted Sarika and I to walk around the front of the stage displaying their newest mobile phones. I figured "why the hell not!" So when they were discribing the phone in Chinese to the crowd I was up there waving it around showing them how sexy it could make them look if they had one too. By this staged I was all buzzed up I guess you could say. When it came our singing of the song again I belted it out, a mixture of Luciano Pavarotti and Bon Scott (AC/DC for those not in the know). The crowd was spellbound or dumbstruck, couldn't tell by their expressions. I was too busy throwing my hands in the air seeing how long a could sing a note into the mic. What a morning. They also decided that they would employ the jail system of payment by rewarding us each with a carton of cigarettes.
So, that is some of the things that have happened in January so far and we're only half way. Annnnyways...so I will return to Australian soil in a little over two weeks on the 1st of January sometime around 9:30am. I look foward to hearing your stories of 2004 and crashing for a few weeks of non teaching related activities.
See you soon guys,
Andy Scott
Hey everyone, it's hit the halfway mark of January and I felt as if it was time to message again, hopefully more responsive then having a conversation with a wall.
The dramas of December and earlier this year are over. I still don't have my money, but I know it will come. I've been concocting several ideas of smuggling it ourside of the country. Some more comfortable than others. I will also be staying in this small town for one more year. All the issues have been ironed over carefully and we have to come to a special agreement. One which clearly outlines both of our boundaries.
January started with New years as is the common practice. We had a small...really small party here and we drank, sang, I pretended I could play guitar on a real guitar and to cap it all off we launched some fireworks at midnight. Something I don't recommend doing whilst under the influence of happy ale.
We had also been in the midst of a New Years performance set for the 5th of January. By "we" I mean myself, Sarika and 10 other Chinese-English teachers. Our dance was called Yan Ga, I don't know if that is the correct spelling, but it will do. Had to dress up in traditional Chinese folk clothes, which is unlike anything I've ever worn before. Bright yellow top and pants, outlined in red. Then a 3 metre long red ribbon to go around my waste that would be twirled around in the air during performance. I did film this, but someone bumped my camera before the dance started so I didn't get the whole thing. It did film who bumped the camera so I will plan revenge on them at some later date. Rest assured the audience were in stitches throughout the performance, which was a shock because the dance was meant to be serious. I mean why try?
It turned out not to be my only performance during January. Which brings me to this morning. Earlier in the week Sarika received a phone call from one of the kindergartens she had taught with previously in the area, they said their students are putting on a performance and would she like to sing a song there. She said allright and asked if I could come too. So this morning we left here around 8:30 to head to the town. When we got to the kindergarten it was freezing and they asked us to sit at the gate of the school. Which we realized was for advertising purposes. Like carefully arranging a centerpiece to a coffee table, everyone would be able to see it and us. So outside we waited and then a bus showed up. We had thought the performance was at the school obviously not.
On the bus we were surrounded my 50 very small children from kindergarten as we headed towards our mystery destination. Then we saw it, outside on the street they had erected a small stage. Our fears were confirmed when we stopped in front of it. It appears that the school didn't tell us the whole story from the beginning. "We want you to sing a song...*cough* on a stage in front of a lot of people*cough*. We had chosen a song that most students in China know and we had become sick of hearing. But you got to give them what they want. The song is "Yesterday Once More - by the Carpenters" Any English teacher will wince and the mention of its name. So we waited for our turn as the children started doing their carefully coreographed dance explosions. Which included jumping around on stage waving their arms...but theatrically of course. Sarika and I jumped the stage and starting belting into the song, of course no one in the audience has any idea what we are saying, but they appreciated the effort. When the song was over the headmaster said "ok, its time to go" and motioned towards the idle bus.
We were thinking though unexpected it was a pretty fun way to spend the morning and looked forward to heading back here to talk about it with others. BUT, instead of going to the bus stationas we had assumed we were confronted with an even LARGER stage built on another street in the city. Once of the bus they shoved a microphone in my hand and asked me to sing the song again. Confused I made my way through as people looked on at me. When I finished singing they said "could you do it one more time." (No question mark, because it was more of a 'DANCE PUPPET! kind of command) Not understanding why the crowd would want ot hear it twice I started singing the song in a different voice trying to make it different from before. I was clapped of stage and felt like I had just finished a pretty interesting morning. But, as it turned out they just used me to attract more people to come to stage so the could hear the highly anticipated fourth and final version of Yesterday Once More of the morning.
To make matters more interesting the sponsors of the stage performance wanted Sarika and I to walk around the front of the stage displaying their newest mobile phones. I figured "why the hell not!" So when they were discribing the phone in Chinese to the crowd I was up there waving it around showing them how sexy it could make them look if they had one too. By this staged I was all buzzed up I guess you could say. When it came our singing of the song again I belted it out, a mixture of Luciano Pavarotti and Bon Scott (AC/DC for those not in the know). The crowd was spellbound or dumbstruck, couldn't tell by their expressions. I was too busy throwing my hands in the air seeing how long a could sing a note into the mic. What a morning. They also decided that they would employ the jail system of payment by rewarding us each with a carton of cigarettes.
So, that is some of the things that have happened in January so far and we're only half way. Annnnyways...so I will return to Australian soil in a little over two weeks on the 1st of January sometime around 9:30am. I look foward to hearing your stories of 2004 and crashing for a few weeks of non teaching related activities.
See you soon guys,
Andy Scott
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