Just Getting Started

This week I became a teacher.

It’s been quite an interesting couple of weeks here in China, with both good and bad experiences. I had my first visit to a Chinese hospital and my first trip out to the lake in the same week, but the big takeaway here is that this past Saturday I started taking over classes, which means that my teaching career has officially begun.

For those that don’t know, I’m teaching English in Jilin, China, at a training center called Kenneth’s English School. The “training center” part means that our students come to us after school hours to learn even more, hopefully putting them at an advantage within China’s competitive scholastic landscape. Kids here are under a lot of pressure; the norm is to be working constantly. Even after a full day of school, it seems most are on their way to other classes, whether it be learning an instrument or another language.  Even when I see children rollerblading, they aren’t just doing it for fun. They’re in Rollerblading Class, and that instructor is telling them to SLALOM THOSE CONES!

So far my classes are going really well. The kids are energetic and eager, and that enthusiasm fuels me and makes class much more enjoyable. The programs at Kenneth’s are high-energy and hands-on, and give me a lot of room to incorporate my own ideas. It’s more like camp than class in some ways, with lots of games and plenty of children yelling. Happy yelling. Happily yelling vocabulary.

I've picked up 3 classes so far, with more on the way. The kids are grouped according to their level of proficiency; my kids are at Level 1 and are around 6-9 years old. Also, they are at Stage 38 cuteness, which is quite high for their age bracket; I can’t even look at some of them without my heart quietly breaking inside. This school offers training up to IELTS classes, which prepares students to take an internationally-recognized English test, so I’ll have opportunities to teach English at all levels.

Photo by Greg W.

I’m looking forward to these challenges. Whether it’s becoming an efficient lesson planner, getting more comfortable in front of a classroom, or making sure the kids are learning a lot in an enjoyable environment, I have a lot to learn but I’m excited about the prospect of becoming an awesome teacher. 

See Spot Served in Soup.

This week I ate a dog.

Ok I don't think there was actually enough meat on the table to make up an entire dog, but this week my co-workers and I went out to sample the local dog offerings. I know some people are already white-knuckle-reading this tensely so I won't get too far into detail. There were three dishes: one big pot of soup that reminded me of chicken noodle soup, one small broiled dish with some fattier pieces and vegetables, and a salty, cold dish served with greens.

But don't worry! Overall it definitely was not my favourite meal or meat, and I won't be going around looking for it during my time here in China. It was sometimes salty, and usually stringy and chewy. With all the amazing food I've already had here, there's tons of animals I'd prefer to eat. I mean... I had silkworms on my first day, and I'd WAY rather go for those again. Dang those are tasty, crunchy little devils!

Goodbye Scout. Thanks for the dining experience, couldn't have done it without you. 

The 5 Biggest Things to Get Used to in Jilin

  I've officially been living in China for a week now, and I feel I'm more than qualified to hold a lengthy discussion about any aspect of Chinese history, culture, and the general nuances of being Chinese. The food is amazing, you can`t drink the water, the smoking is out of control, and I can't tell how old any of the women are, but all those don't compare with these: the 5 biggest things for me to get used to here. These are daily details that are at the very least interesting to experience, and can even be daunting at times. But don’t worry, I’ll guide you through- remember, I’m a Chinese expert.

1.   The Chinese Language

  Ok this one is sort of obvious, but seriously- EVERYTHING is in Chinese over here! The language barrier has been severe so far, leaving me pointing at restaurants and markets, ordering food like a spoiled monkey. The people are very kind about me butchering their language like a spicy duck neck, but getting around is difficult, and conversations are impossible. In addition to this, the written language is extremely hard to decipher and remember, which means I don’t know what any building is without actually going inside, and navigational landmarks are much harder to come by, as every sign just looks like colourful neon to me.

Here's where I live. Now try and find it in the dark, when these guys and their birdcages aren't there.

Just Joined Jiu Jitsu Jym

It's official. The free trial week is long over, and I've made the leap of commitment by signing up for a year of jiu jitsu classes at a real fighting gym.

I'm third from the left, back row.
Taken from http://canadianfightingcenter.com/

It's the Canadian Fighting Center here in Winnipeg, and they don't mess around. In addition to UFC fighter Joe Doerksen teaching here, they also have former K-1 and World Muay Thai Kickboxing Heavyweight Champion Giuseppe DeNatale (click his name to see a TKO victory of his). I'll be learning from Doerksen and others, but so far I've only had it severely handed to me from them.

One of my first three classes featured a lot of "rolling" (like sparring, but for grappling). The only catch was, it was all with instructors... or at least guys at a high level. When one was finished beating me up, there was another one anxiously waiting to take over. I got submitted in ways I never knew possible, with moves I had never seen before. In the end, it meant that the next day my throat hurt from being choked, my elbow hurt from being arm-barred, and my body hurt from doing that over and over.

But let's pretend I'm learning, and maybe by posting it on here it'll keep me honest and committed. "But Andrew!" you say, "Having this blog doesn't even keep you committed to posting on it!" And to that I say hey watch what you say... in a year I might be able to fight you for that.

Taken from http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/1579505.page

Looking Back. And Forward. It's Tricky Simultaneously...

Today I finished CreComm.

Now I haven't graduated or anything official like that- let's face it I still have to pay that fine before they'll let me near a diploma. But today I handed in my very last assignment in Red River College's Creative Communications program. Now I figure that graduation time will call for a much more celebratory blog post, so what does that mean to you, dear reader, until then?

It means that I have time to fill you in on all the new things I've done in the past few months and missed writing about. I wanted to, I really did, I just didn't have enough time! That's all, nothing personal I promise, nothing is going on my babies! So over the next... while... I'll be posting some of the adventures I wished I had enough time to share earlier.

Some of the new things you can eagerly hope to hear about are: making a documentary, filming a lingerie fashion show, infiltrating Winnipeg's UFO community, and doing stand-up comedy. Stay tuned! Let's talk soon...

A Groovy Flea Market Find

This weekend I went to a flea market.

While we were at a family dinner, some of my family members started discussing plans to go for lunch the following day and then visit the Mulvey Flea Market. It sounded like such a lovely afternoon, and before I knew it I was filling with a longing to be invited to join them. Please family… please let me come along!

After sitting in silence, biting my lip apprehensively for several minutes, I got the invitation. So I decided I would put off all my homework and go along.

My uncle, dad, brother, and I grabbed lunch and headed to the Mulvey Flea Market, a stone’s throw beside the new rapid transit station on Osborne, in a huge, seemingly uninhabitable warehouse. Once you get through the service doors, you enter into a magical world of used and ancient unpredictability.

(Click on the pictures to see them bigger)

Through the piles of randomness, I hunted for great deals on original Nintendos and weird art. In the process, I discovered an amazing product that I didn’t even really know existed, and definitely didn’t think I was into.

Gorgeous craftsmanship, anyone?

 We noticed this little beauty right away, an unassuming cabinet, but upon further inspection it had a lot more going on. We opened one of the drawers, and there was a record player going! I was blown away.

Where's that music coming from? Oh, right here in this drawer!

This cabinet has a working record player in it, a not-working radio, and drawers packed with prehistoric records. When I confirmed that the $25 price tag was accurate, I said sold. I didn’t know who was getting it, who was paying for it, how we were getting it to their house, but someone I came with was taking this home. TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. You don’t walk away from that.

So after we checked out the rest of the market, it was time to load up. The cabinet was very heavy but thankfully most of the weight turned out to be the records inside, so it became light as a rare, finely carved, wooden feather. Our main man Morris, the 80-year old flea market kingpin, helped us put the cabinet in the back of the truck, and my brother and I rode along in the back with it down Osborne, which is always fun.

So the record cabinet ended up in my brother’s apartment, which means I am still in the market for a record player within a cabinet. Do you have one? Let me know. Very old? Great- I want to play jazz and big band to set the mood for standing around at home. One of those newer ones from the 70’s? That’s good too- I need to set the mood for a key party I’m throwing. Basically there’s a lot of mood setting going on. Sell me your record cabinet.

Anyways, what can you learn? The market is a pretty interesting way to spend an afternoon on the weekend- check it out! If you want to see what else is at the market in a long, poorly shot home video, click on the word here.

Education... Career!?

Today I got my first cheque for something I learned in school.

I'm still waiting on a cheque for writing an essay that examines a speech by Obama regarding global warming, and ANY money for ANYTHING to do with anthropology, but college on the other hand has just started paying off. Who would of thought it- my education actually leading to a job. A part-time job even!

For the past couple months I've been doing freelance work for Shaw TV, editing a show called Mike on Ice. The first one I worked on is right here... it should give you an idea of the down-home country charm of Mike and all the wonders of ice fishing. I've learned everything I know about ice fishing from working on this show, and I now recognize it as the most fun you can have gathered around a hole on a frozen lake in the dead of winter.

Now I share this video with you because there's a chance some of you may not have seen the show yet.  (I'm looking at you, everyone I know...) But if you're like me and have no idea what ice fishing is beyond its two main components (1. Fish and 2. Freezing your bait off), then watching Mike is a great way to gently guide you. When is it on? I have no idea. 

Anyways, I'd also like to take the opportunity to offer my services to others as a freelance editor. Oh and I do shooting too... although ideally not on or around frozen tundra. But get your offers in quick- my rates skyrocket as soon as I walk across a stage and accept a piece of paper. 

Gosh I hope that happens.