On the Move

I decided it was high time to revive this blog. A lot has changed since you all last read my Spinster English Teacher book reviews.

But no worries, I’m still a Spinster.

First and foremost I moved to China. Which has been a whirlwind to say the least. I’ve already been here for 8 months and it seems more like 8 weeks. I’ve made some great friends, had great adventures and of course teach the very best students I could ask for.

We aren't very good at making funny faces. 

So, to set the stage for future blogs I thought I would share some notes from the China experience.

7 of them of course, because I like things in 7s.

1. Face. Face is something I may not ever fully understand. It is pride and honor and family and a bunch of other stuff rolled into one. What I do know is that students are worried about it and I have none.
2. Taking care of my own face. Before I left I went product crazy (and have done it since in China) for face stuff. With the pollution here it’s important to have a good face regimen so the moneymaker is always pretty. And definitely sign up for the Sephora China card. Here’s a pic of my arsenal.

   

   We have, Vaseline Coconut body lotion, Origins Clear Improvement Face Mask, Clinique BB Cream, Dramatically Different Face Stuff, City Block Sheer w/ SPF, Eye Wrinkle Stuff, Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Face Wash, Some Vitamin E lotion, and that little jar is some free Sephora same I dunno what it is. I like Clinique a lot, clearly, because it is very plain. It has fairly simple ingredients and doesn't smell like anything. 

3. The Language. I’m in Shanghai so the language barrier is so-so. There are a lot of places that have Chinese and English on the menus. There is Chinese and English on the street signs and on the Metro. It’s easy to get around for the most part. However, also important to learn key phrases. Ones my friends and I refer to as “beginner restaurant and intermediate cab.” And be prepared to explain to people why you aren’t learning the language.
4. Your Realtor is your Friend. My roommate and I get along really well with the company that set us up in our apartment. This is wonderful. They helped us with Internet, bills, and making sure our expat status is registered with the police department. They are awesome.
5. This is all true.
6. Home. I love my SH apartment. I like coming here after a long day and cuddling up in my Ikea bed with my Ikea blankets and my Ikea pillows. But Home Home is important too. I always take time to Skype or Facetime with the parents, the bro, and my 2 bffls from home. My friends here are amazeballs but there is nothing like talking to someone who knows you better than you know yourself sometimes. 
7. Being a Spinster English Teacher. This is the nitty-gritty folks. First, it’s uncommon for a woman of a certain age to be single.  Students ask about it more often than I like, and their wish for me on my birthday was “find a boyfriend.” English teacher gets the eye from everyone else. It’s no secret there are many traveling expats who end up teaching English at foreign schools. They give us real English teachers a bad name. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to get the “And what do you do? Teach English?” *eye roll* “and what was your degree in sweetie?” Yes. I teach English. I teach English to kids who speak English at an international school. I teach the exact same English class I would teach in the Good Ol’ U.S. of A. And I don’t need your eye roll, didn’t your mother ever tell you your face will get stuck like that?

And there you have it (for now). Some important highlights of my move to China. There are more but I don’t want to bore you with my life, you’re here for the books right?

Come back soon for updates to the books blog. Where are we going next? The Giver and Teaching Dystopia in the PRC. Ah, it's good to be back. 

It's been so long!!!