So...I'm staying in Shanghai until 2017
Working for an International School in Shanghai has really payed off for me so far. I have finally been able to make some serious progress on my student loans and my travel opportunities have been amazing in Asia. Because I would like to be debt free by the time I'm 30 and I still have quite a few places to tick off my bucket list on this side of the globe, I have decided to stay for at least another two years in Shanghai.
I'm really comfortable with this decision and it is the first time I have felt so confident since I began teaching abroad in 2010. I've been really lucky to make some amazing friends in China, save money, travel and grow professionally. Why would I want to leave?
Traveling to Xi'An--Capital City of 13 Dynasties in China
Every year my school does a week of EOTC--Education Out of the Classroom. We take all of our students from 6th-11th grade on a weeklong trip somewhere in China or to Thailand (those lucky 16 year olds!)
Last year I spent the week with the 9th graders in Guizhou, a beautiful province in southwest China. I spent time hiking and staying in a Miao village. While it was tough, it was very memorable and an experience I am so thankful to have had.
This year I was selected to go on the 6th grade trip to Xi'An, China's old capital. Taking 50 12 year olds around an unfamiliar city was an extremely daunting task, but it ended up being a blast. My fellow chaperones and I had a lot of fun and the students were amazing. There was very minimal drama-save one student attempting to bring a bullet on the air plane and some bullying-and we were all able to enjoy the trip.
The bullet experience was a bit hectic. One of my students got held up in the security line. When I asked about what was going on, security could only tell me that there was a problem and we were waiting for the police. They took me and the girl to a back room while they lectured me on why I didn't search the girl's bag for ammunition. (Guns and bullets are illegal for civilians in China and it was a BIG deal)
Eventually the police came, realised it was a 12 year old girl, confiscated the bullet, and sent us on our way. There were a few tears on the girl's part but we were happy to make it to the plane on time.
Once we got to Xi'An things went pretty smoothly. I got to see the Terracotta warriors which was an experience I'm glad I had but would not want to do again. It was PACKED by the time we got to the main pit and it was nearly impossible to see the clay army through the swarms of Chinese tourists trying to take selfies with the statues. Eventually I got up to the front of the line and was able to snap a few photos. It was pretty impressive but the crowds stressed me out.
Backstory on the terracotta army: Emperor Qin Shihuangdi was the first emperor of China. He was pretty crazy and tried to make himself immortal. When he couldn't find the potion to help him live forever, he started construction of his tomb and the terracotta soldiers. Eventually over 8,000 soldiers were created. Most impressive of all is the fact that each of their faces is different, leading most researchers to believer they were modeled after actual people who lived around 215BC. There are 4 types of soldiers that have been uncovered so far, including cavalry and archers. It is pretty amazing to see these things up close!
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| Pit 1 |
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| Soldiers up close. |
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| Surprisingly Well Behaved Students (49 of them!) |
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| Mt. Hua |
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| Locks on Mt Hua |
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| Bikes on the City Wall |
We also got to check out a Kung Fu school, puppet show, and enjoy the Muslim section of town. All in all it was a fantastic trip. I'm definitely looking forward to next years adventure!
