Photo Shanghai Exhibit

This weekend Shanghai enjoyed a photo exhibit like none they have had before.  Galleries from all over the world featured the work of photographers and had some of their best work on display.  There were a few famous photos such as the Afghan girl who was on the cover of National Geographic, and two of David Bowie.  This was incredibly well attended, at times you had no choice but to move with the crowd.

I tried to be careful when taking pictures, ensuring that if I was getting a close shot, something would block part of it.  Not so for most of the visitors.  People were snapping shots up close with both cell phones and cameras.

The exhibit hall, I understand built during the Soviet era, was amazing in and of itself.  It had an ornate foyer with stained glass and gild decorating it.

Hongqiao Bird and Flower Market

Our school librarian, Barbara, arranged a little foray into the Hongqiao Bird and Flower Market.  About 20 of us went to this market which does indeed sell flowers and plants (in amazing varieties) and birds (as well as turtles, squirrels, rabbits, and fish).  I was looking for home decor, however.

I found an amazing dining room table, and was hoping for a real steal...  It seats 8, is intricately carved, and has a built-in lazy Susan.  Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed as the asking price is the equivalent of $28,000.  Maybe I can have a reproduction made!

The market has just about anything you can imagine.  I ended up with a table and chair set for my front balcony and a painting for my bedroom.  Since my bedroom walls are made of concrete, I need to wait for maintenance to come hang it for me.

We left the market to go to a street lined with restaurants and bars a few blocks away.  As it happens, this street is next to the pearl and silk markets.  I guess that will be another weekend.  Anyway, we found a Persian restaurant with seating on the street.  I had a lamb stew, and we also nibbled on bread, yogurt with cucumbers, hummus, and a chicken salad.

 

 I ended my day with a trip to the Bamboo Spa where I had a great manicure and pedicure.  My feet haven't looked this good for quite some time.  The entire procedure, which took about 90 minutes, cost half of what it would have in the states.

SOAM Day

Friday was School On A Mission (SOAM) Day, when the Shanghai American School brings together faculty and all staff from both campuses for collaboration and professional development.  We were all sent to the high school gym where we were each given a number to a corresponding table.  Five people were assigned to each table.  We watched a brief clip from Give a Hand, an organization that provides prosthetic hands to people who have lost their own to land mines or birth defects.  We were then instructed to open a packet on our table.  It contained the parts and tools necessary to make a prosthetic hand.  Each table group was tasked with working together to assemble a hand.  Our school's mission is to inspire in all students: a lifelong passion for learning, a commitment to act with integrity and compassion, and the courage to live their dreams.  Additionally, collaboration is a major focus of the school this year.  This activity tied directly into these objectives, demonstrating how important similar opportunities are to student learning.  All together SAS constructed 130 prosthetic hands.

Pearl Tower

There was an amazing view from the Korean barbecue restaurant, and we decided to cut short our shopping and go to the Pearl Tower, parts of which we could glimpse behind a nearby building.  Below are some shots from the restaurant and then of the Pearl Tower once we got closer to it.  It is actually a television station tower, and I believe there is a restaurant in the second from the highest ball.  We stood no chance of getting into the building.  The lines were incredible.

Super Brand Mall II

We decided to seek out some sustenance after all that shopping and discovered a Korean barbecue.  Because Alysia taught in Korea last year, she was able to help me and Kelly order and explain how to eat.  She also explained to us that the Koreans use metal chopsticks (which we were given) because at one point in their history, during a war, there were attempts to poison the ruling family.  The poison reacted with the metal, alerting the would-be victim.  The waiter brought us a large container of coals with a  grate.  We cooked the meat and mushrooms we ordered on the grate ourselves.

Super Brand Mall

I used some of my driver hours today to go to the Super Brand Mall with two other teachers from SAS, Kelly and Alysia.  The Super Brand Mall has 10 floors with stores from all over the world, restaurants, and even an IMAX theater.

I purchased a few blouses from a Korean chain, and found some awesome shoes.  If you can't find the  sole under the arch, it's because it's not there!

School Building and Renovation

There has been a huge amount of construction and renovation going on this summer, and it continues.  If we are lucky our art teachers should be able to move into their new art spaces on Monday.  That is only two days before students arrive!  However, the spaces are going to be great, with lots of light and space.  The Chinese have a wonderful approach to building and maintenance: rather than having a lot of equipment and machinery, they hire people.  There are easily 20 men working on those three rooms, possibly more.  They are on ladders painting (one man can "walk" his ladder from the top), and pushing wheelbarrows full of cement.  The floors were laid by hand.  Here are some photos of the partially completed rooms.

Our gym is also very large, and well maintained.  The teachers have a large office next to it, and there is also a studio area for activities like dance or aerobics.  The program is less skill-based and more focused upon fitness.  Students wear heart monitors that record their heart rates.  They are expected to maintain a particular rate for 30 minutes each (PE) class period in order to meet the standard (we use standards-based reporting).

There are fitness offerings after school for staff, too.  I plan to pick up Monday kickboxing!

Teachers Are Here!

After spending a week and a half with other "new hires", we were joined by returning staff on Wednesday.  Those who are experienced with international schools and living abroad have been incredibly generous with their advice and welcome.  On Wednesday we had a staff breakfast, followed by all of the new hires standing on the stairway/mezzanine overlooking the cafeteria.  From there we introduced ourselves and spoke briefly about our background.

The middle school met in the library (containing the largest collection of English language books in China) for our first faculty meeting.  We have 55 teachers, including:  3 art teachers, 1 orchestra teacher, 1 band teacher, 1 chorus teacher, 1 drama teacher, 4 PE teachers and 2 health teachers.  We also have 3 Chinese teachers, 1 Spanish teacher and 1 French teacher.  Imagine the opportunities and choices our students have!  We did a few ice-breakers, and it became evident that this is a group of people who truly enjoy each other.  I am looking forward to working with this group!

Kieran is coming to school tomorrow for his math testing, and his orientation is on Monday.  The official school year begins on Wednesday.

I received some of my travel reimbursement monies today, and so decided it was time to pick up a few treats for myself.  I went to a shop two blocks away from my apartment that sells "antiques and decorating accessories".  I found a lovely ceramic jar and a painted box that take up some of the empty space in the apartment.  I plan to decorate slowly, so things may look bare for awhile.  Below are my purchases...

Nanjing Road

After People's Park, we decided to go down Nanjing Road to the Bund.  This is a major pedestrian road that attracts a lot of tourists as well as local families enjoying some time together.  As we left the People's Number 1 Department Store, we came upon this display.  It was mechanized, which may not be obvious from the picture.

A short distance further down, we discovered M&M World.  The number of people, of all ages, spoke to the popularity of the candy and of the animated characters the company uses in its ads.

Visiting People's Park

Kieran, Richard and I were driven to People's Park Saturday morning.  It was incredibly crowded with family groups wandering the grounds, playing cards or chess at tables, or taking advantage of the amusement rides.  The lotus were in bloom and were attracting a ton of attention.  I had no idea they were so huge!

A pond with lotus blooming at People's Park

We came upon rows of tents with signs (some handmade and others professionally done) hanging on the walls behind and tables set up with books and more paperwork.  This is the "marriage market" where those seeking partners can look for a suitable match.  Actually, not terribly different than Match.com.  Richard did note that most of the people there were older, and presumably were working on the behalf of their children.

As you can see, many of the postings were left on umbrellas.

Part 2

The elementary school has a science garden with a lovely fountain/pool in the middle.  The plants in the garden will have electronic tags that kids can scan with iPhones and get information about each plant with.  The three new middle school art rooms' floors were poured yesterday.  These are large spaces that will have plenty of light.  Also in the middle school, the science labs were altered to accommodate clamps and other equipment required for science teachers to integrate STEM standards.  Each science room now also has a separate walk-in supply closet.  New electronic keys were added to every classroom so we will no longer need traditional keys.  One shocker was the scaffolding workers are using as they work around the outside of the building (cleaning windows?).  It was made of bamboo and you couldn't have paid me enough to get on it, although it certainly held for the workers.

Scaffolding on the front of the school.

Today we are going to People's Square to do some site-seeing in the downtown area.

It has taken longer than I anticipated to write my first entry since being in town.  This is due to the restrictions on the Internet and that Facebook has been banned here.  Although Google has not been completely banned they are not in good standing, so logging on is impossibly slow, and you generally time out before actually getting on.  I've solved the problem with a VPN, which basically acts as though your computer were in another country.  In my case, Denver, CO, USA!  It was easy to download the program for doing this, once I knew which one to use.

We arrived an hour earlier than expected on Monday, and were surprised at how empty this major airport was.  As it turned out many flights had been cancelled over the weekend to accommodate military exercises.  However, I haven't heard of anyone having any difficulty getting in or out.  We were met by the school's HR staff and they quickly got us and our many bags into a car.

When we got to our apartment we were handed keys and found the refrigerator stocked, and sheets and blankets on the bed.  Rather than head directly to be, we tried to stay up until our usual bedtime.  This meant Kieran went more than 24 hours without sleep!  It took two nights of no more than 2 hours of sleep before our internal clocks were able to adjust.

We were picked up by a driver first thing Tuesday morning to be taken for our medical exam (required for my work visa and Kieran's visa as a dependent).  Once there, we were given locker keys, white robes and blue, plastic slippers to place over our shoes.  Once suitably attired, we were whizzed from one room to the next for:  blood pressure reading and listening to heart and lungs, EKG, X-Ray (of the torso), a sonogram, blood work, and an eye exam.  I'm not sure how or even whether I will learn the results.

Our Ayi (literally means "auntie"), Xiao Wan started work Tuesday afternoon.  She is absolutely amazing!  Not only does she do all of our cleaning and laundry, she handles workmen (we had a leak), runs errands like buying the correct sim card for Kieran's phone, and gets fapios for us.  A fapio is an official receipt for purchases.  Although you may have a receipt with the name of the store printed on it, like in the states, it doesn't count for reimbursements.  For that you need a "fapio".  This requires that you go to a separate counter and get a separate piece of paper with the total price and a red stamp.

Xiao Wan also cooks, although we haven't had a chance to sample her cooking yet.  I've asked her to plan to cook Chinese when she does cook as we want to learn about the food here.  Frankly, eating local foods will also be less expensive as Western items are imported and much more pricey.  A box of cereal costs about $10.00.

We have done a lot of eating out, both alone and with other SAS staff members who have been very welcoming.  There are many restaurants within walking distance including Chinese (of course!), Indian, Thai, American, Japanese and Mexican cuisine.  There are also a number of grocery stores, a few that specialize in Western foods.  Carrefour is much like a Walmart or K-mart, and you can buy quite a bit there at the most reasonable prices.  It is a huge store and can be a bit overwhelming on your first visit.

Xiao Wan took us to Ikea on Wednesday.  These are very popular in China and and are expanding in this country.  Many people go there to get a meal in the restaurant and spend the afternoon browsing.  There were people sleeping in chairs, and just hanging out on living room displays as a family group. I had never been to one before and was grateful for a guide.  The store is set up like a maze and it is easy to get lost amongst the displays.  Then if you buy large items that need to be delivered, you need to get the fapio I mentioned earlier and go to a separate counter to arrange for delivery.

Wednesday afternoon we went to the "Fake Market" next to the Science and Technology Museum.  This is underground and connected to a subway stop, and it is a virtual rabbits warren of clothing tailors, watch sellers (let me show you whats in here...), silk, shoes, technology, etc.  I picked up a huge painting (maybe 3x3 ft) that fits wonderfully in my dining room for about $90.

I finally went into school on Thursday and Friday to get my office set up and to begin getting ready for teachers.  The school is busy over the summer with millions of dollars in renovations going on.

First Post

On July 21st, Kieran and I will land at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai.  Kieran's father, Richard, will accompany us to help with the transition and will stay with us for our first two weeks.

I have a new position as the Middle School Principal on the Pudong campus of the Shanghai American School (SAS).  Kieran will finish high school at SAS.  We will be living in the expat community, Jinqiao.

I've started this blog so that those interested in our adventures will have an easy way to check in.  I'm new at blogging, so please forgive any mistakes I make as I begin!  If you'd like to contact me directly, my e-mail is below.  Kieran tends to not check his e-mail, but can be found on facebook.

beckyread66@gmail.com