China

Plan

The Program

We have been accepted by the Global Volunteer Network for a placement on their China program for three months. We will be going to the city of Yantai in the Shandong province on the east coast of China in March, 2007. There, we will teach English to children, either primary and secondary. There is no way of estimating how much of a challenge this will be, with language barriers, odd cuisine and classroom's packed full of staring children. Although daunting, confusing, and even mystifying, this is a challenge we are willing to take on and will enjoy every minute of it. The children will be teaching us as much as we are teaching them!
For more info visit www.volunteer.org.nz/china

Why China?

China is a fascinating country, just beginning to really change with projects such as the Three Gorges Dam somewhat driving urbanisation. China is indeed building up, in many senses, but there are still plenty of beautiful reminders of ancient China, such as the Great Wall, the Terracota Warriors and the Forbidden City. Then there is the people, and although we have yet to arrive, we have heard that they are charming, polite and always interested in a Westerners life. The children seem so keen and appreciative of education, something in Britain you rarely encounter. Although the classrooms we will visit will be packed full of children - from 30 to even an astonishing 60 - hopefully there will be 60 smiling, happy faces.

Before we get there

Before we arrive, we need to get saving! The program fee covers everything except flights, visas, jabs and insurance, all of which we will need to hunt down and buy. We hope to reach our target with a little help from sponsors, family, friends and fundraising. Here are some things we need to purchase:

• A good pair of hardy walking shoes
• A backpack
• A little first aid kit containing essentials such as painkillers, insect repellent and plasters
• One of those wallets that you can keep on your personage at all times
• New, suitable, hard-wearing clothes
• Flights, including a flight to Yantai from either Beijing or Shanghai
• Visas, which costs £30 for China
• Various immunisations including Hepatitus B
• Travel insurance
• Discount cards that may get money off our flights amongst other things

There is more to the list, but if anyone has any suggestions of unusual things we may not have considered, do not hesitate to contact us.

When we get there

We will arrive in Beijing off of the Trans Manchurian Express, and stay there for a few days before getting another train down to Yantai. In Yantai, we will be taken to our school, and from there... who knows?!! Ideally, we would like to construct a scrapbook to show the children, with lots of pictures and words of British and Scottish things, such as the kilt or haggis. We may even take a small piece of Scottish memorabilia to give them, such as a little kilted teddy you find in endless touristy shops. If anyone has ever taught English as we will, any hints and tips would be appreciated!
Once our three month placement has finished, we are now heading to Tai-shan, the most climbed mountain in thw world. Then we will get the train to Xi'an in the middle of China, then get ANOTHER train to Shanghai, and yes, you guessed it, another train to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong we are flying to Osaka.

Hopes and fears

Like anyone entering into an unfamiliar environment, we have our hopes and fears. Of course, we hope that the children are welcoming and patient, and that we can make an impact, even if it is the tiniest of impacts, on their lives. Fears include the scary threat of Bird Flu - we sincerely hope that this will not cause us to cancel our plans. More perhaps realistic fears are of the huge culture shock and the differences in language. Our biggest hope is to overcome these fears!