Beijing

Wow so much has happened in the last few weeks but I'll try n tell all the important stuff. Wanzhou is becoming colder and rainier now and things are slowly changing. My chinese has improved a lot although it's still very tough to communicate. The problem is that most people here speak Wanzhouhua (Wanzhou dialect) rather than Putonghua (Mandarin) so there's many words, phrases and expressions that are different, as well as the pronounciation. Speaking to people in Beijing was so much easier than here
I performed at the old people's University (?) a few weeks ago, and played elvis' version of "that's alright mama" (which was apparently shown on tv!) . It was so random that I performed there (Julia got me the gig somehow) as the rest of the show was 50+ people dancing, singing, and making music. Most of the performances were very traditional and expected, then at one point some pumpin house came on and these 60 year old women had a fashion show! They were lovin it and taking themselves very seriously. It was pretty hilarious, I have a video of it and can send it to anyone who is curious!
A week later we headed to Chongqing to a big Banquet/Meal. It was a huge deal, with a mini-orchestra playing outside as we walked up, and the pimpest meal ever in a massive room. Not sure how we ended up there, it was supposed to be a meal for the foreigners, but there were only a handful there. Bo Xilai, CPC Secretary for Chongqing was there, he delivered a speech then went round and gam-beyed (cheers) with us, crackin a lil joke at the same time (it was kinda funny). TV were there filming and It was all really nice and I felt very VIP, although I had done absolutely nothing to get there.
I then left for Beijing on a 25 hour train ride, which ended up taking 28, to meet up with some British Council friends. Met some cool folks on the train and we had a few jokes. Tried to teach them poker but after one hand, they said "I think your game is boring" and "I do not find this game interesting". Ok.... so we played snap!
Beijing is a cool city, not too huge but there's so much to do, and in a week I probably only saw half of the tourist sites. Because of National Day and China's 60 year anniversary, there was a huge parade and celebration in the city especially around Tiananmen, so security was at its strongest, and we were'nt really able to go anywhere that night, though we did find a spot to watch the fireworks. There was quite a lot of tension everywhere in Beijing during my stay there, and everyone was being very paranoid. As you entered the tube, you had to scan your bags (My mate was'nt allowed in cos he had deodorant!) and the military were seriously everywhere. We found out there was a music festival that week (one of only two in Beijing, the other one is a Heavy Metal festival) with a few semi-big foreign bands on the line-up (British Sea Power, Futureheads). At the last minute, all international acts were cancelled due to "complications" although it was blatantly censorship, but we decided to go anyway, we were all quite curious to hear what's big in the Chinese music scene. All the bands were from Beijing (Look up Queen Sea Big Shark, and Hedgehog, as well as Super VC and Zhaoze) and they were all quite hip, playing catchy indie pop tunes. The festival was pretty tame though. At one point I thought I saw a moshpit forming and got excited, but it sooned turned into everyone holding hands and running round in a circle, ring o roses styles. The wildest moment came when Super VC were performing, got their tops off (Whaaa!) and the guitarist poured a bottle of milk over himself (?)
We made it to the Great Wall on the 3rd or 4th day which was unreal. The wall separates two provinces and you can see for miles as it stretches and winds away across the mountains. At one point I ended up lagging behind with a mate who then left, so I was on my own on the Great Wall, with no one in front or behind me! Took me about 10 minutes to catch up with the others and it was pretty incredible, really a must-do. We payed quite a lot so went to a part of the wall where there is hardly anyone, got lots of photos of that too (damn blog wont let me put em up here)
Obviously we had to check out Tiananmen Square, which was cool but really there were too many people, so you could'nt grasp how huge it is. The forbidden city was also massive and amazing. On the last day we saw the olympic park which was cool
The trip back was pretty memorable. Not enough beds in the train or money in my pocket so I had to get the 'hard seat' option, meaning i was sitting down for 23 hours on the train from Beijing to Dazhou. I was lucky to get a seat though, many people had only standing tickets, and at night everyone crouches in the middle to try n get some sleep, its a pretty crazy sight. So it was'nt too comfortable but some nice views and made a few more friends (didnt try poker). At Dazhou we had to wait 5 hours, then take another 3 hour train to Wanzhou, arriving at 11pm!. Next day had 6 classes to teach from 8 onwards pfffff wo hen lei (i'm very tired)
So now we've settled back in and I was all prepared for 3 months of solid work, but was told today we have thursday friday off, because the students are taking a test! good news, maybe I will go see the three gorges dam
So China has been pretty nonstop since I arrived, apologies if i'm slow at replying to emails. I now teach every day, have private lessons mondays, have chinese lessons tuesdays, erhu and pingpong wednesdays, more chinese lessons thursdays, teach all of friday, then football saturday, and sunday i can chiiill
There's a fair review of what I've been up to, hopefully next time I won't have so much to tell, and can write more about the culture/people
Hello to everyone! hope all is well. send me news even if i take long, makes me happy to read
PEACE
jono

Ca fait assez longtemps donc j'ai beaucoup de choses a raconter! Il pleut beaucoup ici et il fait froid en ce moment, donc beaucoup de choses changent. Mon chinois s'ameliore meme si c'est toujours tres dur de communiquer. Les gens ici parlent Wanzhouhua, un dialect local, plutot que Putonghua, le mandarin. Il y a beaucoup de differences de prononciation et aussi de vocabulaire, donc c'est souvent pas facile a comprendre! C'etait beaucoup plus simple de comprendre et de se faire comrendre a Beijing
Il y a quelques semaines j'ai joue une chanson ('that's allright mama' de elvis) a l'Universite pour les personnes agees (je sais pas trop pourquoi) qui apparement a ete televisee! C'etait un spectacle que les etudiants (tous plus de 50 ans) ont presente. Ca a debute avec des danses et chants traditionnels, puis tout d'un coup on entend de la house music, et les dames font un defile de mode! Elles se prenaient trop au serieux c'etait trop marrant, j'ai meme filme une video si vous etes curieux!
Une semaine plus tard nous sommes alle a Chongqing pour un enorme repas, avec un orchestre pour nous aceuillir et la tele et pleins de gens tres important a l'interieur. Le secretaire du CPC pour Chongqing, Bo Xilai, etait present, et on a meme fait un gambey (sante) avec lui! C'etait assez ouf et je sais pas trop pourqoi j'etai invite mais bon, c'etait sympa!
Le lendemain je suis parti pour Beijing abord d'un train de 28 heures, pour voir quelques amis du British Council. J'ai rencontre quelques jeunes sur le train et j'ai tente de leur apprendre le poker mais ils ont dit "je pense que ton jeu ets tres ennuyant" et "ce jeu n'est pas interessant" bon....
Beijing est une ville tres sympa, pas enorme comme Shanghai mais il y a beaucoup a faire, et en une semaine j'ai a peine fait la moitie des sites touristiques. A cause de la journee nationale et des 60 ans de la Chine, il y avait des celebrations et une parade enorme autour de la place Tiananmen, mais c'etait impossible de s'y approcher. Les militaires et la police etaient partout, et il y avait beaucoup de tension dans la ville. Juste pour aller dans le metro fallait paser son sac dans un scanner comme quand on prend l'avion (mon pote pouvait pas passer avec son deo!). Arrive a Beijing on a appris qu'il y avait un festival de musique dans la capitale, et que des groupes de l'Ouest assez connus (British Sea Power, Futureheads) allaient jouer. A la derniere minute tous les groupes etrangers se sont fait annules (surement a cause de censure) mais on a quand meme decide de y aller, car on voulait entendre de la zike chinoise. Tous les groupes jouaient du indie pop/rock et venaient de Pekin (recherchez Queen Sea Big Shark, Hedgehod, Super VC, et Zhaoze) et ils etaient tous assez cool. Mais c'etait les militaires qui assuraient la securite, et le festival, comme la ville etait tres docile. A un moment j'etait tout content car je croyais qu'un mosh-pit se formait au centre, mais tous les jeunes se sont tenus les mains et on couru en cercle, super. Moment le plus fou de la soiree: un des guitaristes du groupe super vc (qui s'etait mis torse nu attention) a lentement verse une bouteille de lait sur son corps, whaaa!
Le 3eme ou 4eme jour nous avons visite la muraille de Chine, qui etait incroyable. Le mur separe deux provinces, et sillone les montagnes a perte de vue. A un moment je trainait derriere le groupe avec un pote qui finalement en pouvait plus et a du rentrer avec le guide, donc j'etait tout seul, personne devant ni derriere, su la muraille. Pendant a peu pres dix minutes j'ai marche un peu paume, mais c'etait un buzz trop bien et je recommande vraiment a tout le monde de visiter.
Bien sur on est alle voir la place Tiananmen qui etait sympa mais y'avait trop de monde, et on avait pas vraiment une impression de sa grandeur. La cite interdite par contre etait tres belle. Le dernier jour on a vu le parc Olympique, aussi tres sympa!
Le retour etait assez memorable. Pas assez de lits dans le train ni de fric dans ma poche donc j'etait oblige de faire le voyage assis (dans une 'hard seat') pendant 23 heures. J'avais quand meme de la chace d'avoir une place assise, car beaucoup de gens passent le voyage debout, et le soir se mettent accroupis pour dormir, c'est assez fou a voir. donc c'etait pas super comfortable mais je me suis fait quelques potes et la vue etait sympa donc ca allait. Ensuite 5 heures d'attente a Dazhou, un autre voyage de 3 heures pour Wanzhou, arrive a 23hrs pour enseinger le lendemain a 8 heures (6 cours d'affile!). Donc voila, wo hen lei (je suis tres fatigue)
Donc nous voila de retour a Wanzhou, et je me preparais pour 3 mois de boulot mais apparament on ne bosse pas jeudi vendredi (les eleves ont un examen) donc je vais peut etre me faire un ptit voyage au barrage des trois gorges
Donc la Chine a ete assez non-stop depuis que je suis arrive (desole si je prend du temps pour repondre aux emails, mais ca me fait plaisir a lire donc continuez a envoyer!). Voici mon emploi du temps: J'enseigne tous les jours, des cours privees en plus le lundi aprem, cours de chinois mardi jeudi, erhu et pingpong mercredi, et foot samedi!
Bon la prochaine fois que j'ecri j'essaierai d'inclure plus sur la culture/les gens.
Bonjour a tout le monde, et j'espere que tout va bien!
ciao!
jono