Pre-Departure

With two hours to kill in the airport, now would be a good time to blog! The time has finally come! Actually, it really creeped up on me, considering I didn’t start a countdown until the course was done (last day of June).

The plane leaves at 2 (just found out there is a delay due to air traffic in Shanghai) and there are a whirlwind of emotions at the table of teachers. Feelings of being unprepared in terms of travel items (did I forget something? Why didn’t I bring that, the kids would have loved it?!), and the stress of going into the unknown (what age group am I teaching? Where are we staying in Weifang?) has been replaced by anxieties of being on a plane for 14 hours. Contemplating the Gravol…

Unfortunately, my mindlessness led to a security official searching through my carry-on for the “over 100mL” liquids I had packed the night before— Minute Maid orange juice boxes for the plane and unopened bottles of water. Guess I’ll have to drink on the flight attendants’ schedules. Why does your heart race when going through security, even when you know there’s nothing illegal in your bags? (Or is it just me?)

A week and a half ago, the small group of teachers that I was part of (7) was informed that the school we were supposed to be attending was no longer going to host teachers. This threw everyone for a loop as 5 of us would now have to attend another school in another city called Weifang (2 hour flight North of Shanghai). This also meant we would be required to get on another plane upon arrival. The good news came just yesterday when we were told we would be able to spend 2 nights in Shanghai before flying to Weifang. We will therefore get a whole day to explore Shanghai, hopefully getting to do a couple tours in the city.

Here is a link that describes the school we will be at. There aren’t any photos of the school, but there are lots under “Custom and Culture” > “Scenic Spots”. The “Delicacies” section is also interesting… note the scorpions and their health benefits…
http://www.weifang.gov.cn/WWWZ/EN/FSWHEN/FZWHEN/
And a short video on Weifang…

All other emotions aside, I am so excited to start this adventure with some great people. It will definitely be something I will always remember and I’m sure it will improve my teaching practice beyond what I can imagine! Stay tuned for further updates!