There is a full-on rant in this entry. I have just woken up (you will see why) and, not for the first time, I am PISSED OFF.
Okay, I realise the Chinese don't have a proper concept of the weekend like we do, and that Saturday isn't a day off anything very much for most people, and that 0915 is not particularly early for a lot of them, and that it's my fault for going to bed late if I'm annoyed at being woken up now, but here it is:
WHEN SOMEONE IS LATE TO MEET YOU IN YOUR CAR, DO NOT SIT OUTSIDE SEVERAL BLOCKS OF FLATS AND JUST BEEP YOUR HORN LOUD AND LONG AND INTERMITTENTLY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES (often more than ten) YOU DUMB SONOFABITCH.
AND YOU, THE LATE PERSON, GET OUT OF BED, GET DOWNSTAIRS, AND GET TO THAT CAR AS FAST AS YOU DAMN WELL CAN, YOU INCONSIDERATE, SLOW, LAZY ARSEWIPES.
This happens several times a week and it is not only annoying as hell (because it invariably wakes me, yes even me the one who can sleep for Great Britain, from my slumber) but is the mark of an incredibly backward society. Car horns are for alerting drivers to danger; they are not there to express annoyance when stuck in traffic jams (every country has these morons though), and they are certainly not there to get your friend out of bed when he's late in the morning.
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
Exams
See below this post for another post I only just uploaded (can't have the praise for my Mum go unnoticed!). Yesterday marked the start of my exam season, and today marked the end. Yes, just two days. Argh. Last week I was supposed to revise myself silly but I just couldn't find the motivation and ended up doing not as much as I'd hoped. This led to lastminute cramming, and a bit of worrying, but ... that's my own fault. So how were they?
Listening - awful. My worst area by far. I barely heard some of the dialogues, and just guessed most of the answers. I'll be lucky if I got even 20% correct. I wish they'd give us individual tapes, I might stand more of a chance then. Incidentally, anyone in first or second year at Newcastle care to comment on whether or not they've started to do that back home? We complained about it last year, European language students all get that opportunity, why should we be made to sit in a big room and listen to one tape at the front which is played just twice when other students get to play it as many times as they want in their time limit? Hmm.
Speaking - considering I didn't have a clue what was going to happen, I think I did alright. You choose a sheet (without seeing the content, there are 2 to choose from) and then have a few minutes to prepare. Unlike the UK though, you are preparing in the same room as other candidates who are taking the exam. It's annoying, but that's how it is so deal with it. First you have to read a passage, then answer questions on the passage. The third part involves completing sentences using the stuff provided in brackets as a guide. And the final bit is 4 questions, you choose one and just launch into an answer. I don't know if it was recorded, there was the teacher's phone on the desk but I'm guessing that was in case she got a call and not because she wanted to record my answers, but on a related note, it would help if the teacher showed some INTEREST in the student while they are being examined and didnt just look at her lap when the bumbling English idiot stumbles over some words in the passage. Still, I think it went better than Listening by far.
Last night I slept for about 4 hours. This was nowhere near enough (not my fault per se, I just couldn't sleep it was infuriating), so today's exams were tedious. Not SO hard, but tiring and an irritation to say the least.
Grammar - three or four sides, lots of questions, just hammer through and answer them. Based on the books you've been using all along, so just hope stuff you looked at comes up and you can make educated guesses at the stuff you don't know!
Reading - as with grammar, and much the same; really you either know something or you don't. It's all in your books. I was lucky enough to have skimmed over a couple of passages this afternoon which came up in the exam. Without them I don't know if I would even have known what the passages were about. Real planning would have been to actually revise all the (MANY) passages we looked at. Ah well, I got lucky, hurray for me.
So exams are over, and I'm monstrously tired. But before I complete this post, a word on taking exams in XNU. It's a disgrace. I know this doesnt happen with the Chinese students, because they are behaved, and their teachers come down on them like a ton of bricks if they step out of line, but with all these foreign bastards, it's a joke. Whispering and casual glancing at papers is rife, as are stupid childish antics that I would expect from a 13 year old trying to be the "cool kid" and not a 27 year old mother-of-three (so I am told) ... Guys came in almost an hour late. Lucky for them the exam was 2 hours long and the paper was short enough that it could be completed in under an hour with ease. At one point I saw this imbecile sitting in front of me turned round about 170 degrees just looking at my paper. I glanced up, gave him a look, and told him (verbatim) to "fuck off", before folding my paper up and hiding my answers from his nosy gaze. Some of the teachers are just as bad, either they'll not tell people off immediately for talking, or they'll just walk over to someone and then give them an "alright-I-caught-you-using-your-electronic-dictionary-so-just-stop-using-it" nod and it's like some huge joke to the student. The uni must be seriously hung up on getting these foreigners' cash because in the UK it doesnt matter where you come from or who you are, if you're cheating (even a bit) there's a disciplinary procedure and you can fail the module or even be asked (read told) to leave the uni.
No wonder people don't trust some Asian countries' exam certificates. It's an absolute joke.
Listening - awful. My worst area by far. I barely heard some of the dialogues, and just guessed most of the answers. I'll be lucky if I got even 20% correct. I wish they'd give us individual tapes, I might stand more of a chance then. Incidentally, anyone in first or second year at Newcastle care to comment on whether or not they've started to do that back home? We complained about it last year, European language students all get that opportunity, why should we be made to sit in a big room and listen to one tape at the front which is played just twice when other students get to play it as many times as they want in their time limit? Hmm.
Speaking - considering I didn't have a clue what was going to happen, I think I did alright. You choose a sheet (without seeing the content, there are 2 to choose from) and then have a few minutes to prepare. Unlike the UK though, you are preparing in the same room as other candidates who are taking the exam. It's annoying, but that's how it is so deal with it. First you have to read a passage, then answer questions on the passage. The third part involves completing sentences using the stuff provided in brackets as a guide. And the final bit is 4 questions, you choose one and just launch into an answer. I don't know if it was recorded, there was the teacher's phone on the desk but I'm guessing that was in case she got a call and not because she wanted to record my answers, but on a related note, it would help if the teacher showed some INTEREST in the student while they are being examined and didnt just look at her lap when the bumbling English idiot stumbles over some words in the passage. Still, I think it went better than Listening by far.
Last night I slept for about 4 hours. This was nowhere near enough (not my fault per se, I just couldn't sleep it was infuriating), so today's exams were tedious. Not SO hard, but tiring and an irritation to say the least.
Grammar - three or four sides, lots of questions, just hammer through and answer them. Based on the books you've been using all along, so just hope stuff you looked at comes up and you can make educated guesses at the stuff you don't know!
Reading - as with grammar, and much the same; really you either know something or you don't. It's all in your books. I was lucky enough to have skimmed over a couple of passages this afternoon which came up in the exam. Without them I don't know if I would even have known what the passages were about. Real planning would have been to actually revise all the (MANY) passages we looked at. Ah well, I got lucky, hurray for me.
So exams are over, and I'm monstrously tired. But before I complete this post, a word on taking exams in XNU. It's a disgrace. I know this doesnt happen with the Chinese students, because they are behaved, and their teachers come down on them like a ton of bricks if they step out of line, but with all these foreign bastards, it's a joke. Whispering and casual glancing at papers is rife, as are stupid childish antics that I would expect from a 13 year old trying to be the "cool kid" and not a 27 year old mother-of-three (so I am told) ... Guys came in almost an hour late. Lucky for them the exam was 2 hours long and the paper was short enough that it could be completed in under an hour with ease. At one point I saw this imbecile sitting in front of me turned round about 170 degrees just looking at my paper. I glanced up, gave him a look, and told him (verbatim) to "fuck off", before folding my paper up and hiding my answers from his nosy gaze. Some of the teachers are just as bad, either they'll not tell people off immediately for talking, or they'll just walk over to someone and then give them an "alright-I-caught-you-using-your-electronic-dictionary-so-just-stop-using-it" nod and it's like some huge joke to the student. The uni must be seriously hung up on getting these foreigners' cash because in the UK it doesnt matter where you come from or who you are, if you're cheating (even a bit) there's a disciplinary procedure and you can fail the module or even be asked (read told) to leave the uni.
No wonder people don't trust some Asian countries' exam certificates. It's an absolute joke.
Supplies
No, not that old joke about the guys who organise an army camp and leave it to the Chinese guy to do the food (email me if you need your racist curiosity satisfied).
Instead, here's a collection of things I have courtesy of my Mum. Over the last few weeks I've received about a dozen parcels, and credit is due. This is a brief list of the stuff I have left (some things have been eaten of course, or used as small presents to friends).
* 9 cuppa-soup sachets, three different flavours
* 5 and a half white chocolate slabs, various brands
* 2 packs of Rolos (I ate the other one in just one sitting I was that greedy)
* 6 packs of Polo mints
* 1 pack of Fruit Polos
* 14 sachets of hot chocolate / coffee drinks
* 7 sachets of Fybogel for my poor insides (let's hope it works)
* 2 packs of stock cubes (and then some)
* TOO MUCH CINNAMON, STOP SENDING IT! (I mean that in a good way, but really, three or four boxes is enough for now!)
* Multiple packs of chewing gum
* 24 Werther's Originals (plus a couple in my jacket pocket for use in exams today)
* A couple of ready-made reheat-style meals.
So, other Year Abroad students, as they say in cards, I see your parents and I raise you my Mum.
Instead, here's a collection of things I have courtesy of my Mum. Over the last few weeks I've received about a dozen parcels, and credit is due. This is a brief list of the stuff I have left (some things have been eaten of course, or used as small presents to friends).
* 9 cuppa-soup sachets, three different flavours
* 5 and a half white chocolate slabs, various brands
* 2 packs of Rolos (I ate the other one in just one sitting I was that greedy)
* 6 packs of Polo mints
* 1 pack of Fruit Polos
* 14 sachets of hot chocolate / coffee drinks
* 7 sachets of Fybogel for my poor insides (let's hope it works)
* 2 packs of stock cubes (and then some)
* TOO MUCH CINNAMON, STOP SENDING IT! (I mean that in a good way, but really, three or four boxes is enough for now!)
* Multiple packs of chewing gum
* 24 Werther's Originals (plus a couple in my jacket pocket for use in exams today)
* A couple of ready-made reheat-style meals.
So, other Year Abroad students, as they say in cards, I see your parents and I raise you my Mum.
Sunday, 21 December 2008
Season's Greetings
One nice thing about Urumqi (possibly China as a whole, I'm not sure about the more Westernised parts) is that Christmas and New Year are Ronseal Events, that is to say, they do exactly what they say on the tin. None of this Christmas-sales-in-August nonsense that the UK goes in for, no tinsel up in July, and certainly no October mince pies (though I'm rather partial to a mince pie, if anyone would care to send me some I would be more than happy). I started to notice these decorations going on display in very late November, if not early December, which seems a reasonable time-frame in which to prepare for a present-giving event you've known was coming all year anyway! As for New Year, well that's not even so important here, they just go through the motions, the really important event being Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival) which takes place around a month after the Gregorian one. I digress. Next to my gym there is a fast food store, the owners of which have seen fit to wish everyone all the best for December 25th. Sadly whoever got the coloured pens that day didnt know how to spell. Happily, this makes me smile :) I hope you do too.
I hope that's clear enough to read; if not, Merry Chirstmas everybody!
Another classic, not festive though, is this one, proudly declaring that the store either does, or wishes everyone else to "Sweve In Sincerity" - this isn't just for Christmas (or even Chirstmas), it's up all year on the store front, and I still don't know what it means, because I've been lazy and not translated it. Answers on a postcard.
And finally, my own festivities, Chanukah is upon us :) Hurray. I may be a terribly unobservant Jew, but I do like Chanukah. Unfortunately with various exam preparations (my exams are tomorrow and Tuesday), and vast amounts of time being spent at home (not necessarily revising but not doing Chanukah-related stuff either), I only got round to making my chanukiah this evening. Originally it was going to be made of beer bottles, except I don't drink very often so I'd have to have 8 beers this evening just to make it possible ... Instead I have a series of empty tuna tins with plastic bottle caps superglued inside, and one tall tomato tin for the Shamash (lead candle, which must be raised above the others). I am aware of the equation [ plastic + fire = noes! ] so I am sitting here with the makeshift chanukiah in front of me, to prevent such an occurrence. It may have cut my finger (washing one of the tins out) and be a little more basic than what I've used in the past, but it's doing the job. At the moment, it is looking very good :)
And in other news, Lucy finally told her parents that she's going to visit me in China in February, so I no longer have to keep it a secret. 59 days to go! (I have waited quite some time to say that!)
I hope that's clear enough to read; if not, Merry Chirstmas everybody!
Another classic, not festive though, is this one, proudly declaring that the store either does, or wishes everyone else to "Sweve In Sincerity" - this isn't just for Christmas (or even Chirstmas), it's up all year on the store front, and I still don't know what it means, because I've been lazy and not translated it. Answers on a postcard.
And finally, my own festivities, Chanukah is upon us :) Hurray. I may be a terribly unobservant Jew, but I do like Chanukah. Unfortunately with various exam preparations (my exams are tomorrow and Tuesday), and vast amounts of time being spent at home (not necessarily revising but not doing Chanukah-related stuff either), I only got round to making my chanukiah this evening. Originally it was going to be made of beer bottles, except I don't drink very often so I'd have to have 8 beers this evening just to make it possible ... Instead I have a series of empty tuna tins with plastic bottle caps superglued inside, and one tall tomato tin for the Shamash (lead candle, which must be raised above the others). I am aware of the equation [ plastic + fire = noes! ] so I am sitting here with the makeshift chanukiah in front of me, to prevent such an occurrence. It may have cut my finger (washing one of the tins out) and be a little more basic than what I've used in the past, but it's doing the job. At the moment, it is looking very good :)
And in other news, Lucy finally told her parents that she's going to visit me in China in February, so I no longer have to keep it a secret. 59 days to go! (I have waited quite some time to say that!)
Thursday, 18 December 2008
It's Hip to be a Cat
Ouch, bad pun in my title (you'll see), but not as ouch as Lusya, Tanya's kitten (cat?) who followed some meat out of a window which happened to be on the 5th floor of a building and ended up on the pavement below. Two trips to vets later and Lusya's been X-rayed a number of times (the first lot done by incompetents who didnt see any break, and the second by an apparently much better vet who managed to show a distinct fracture), and had her hip put back together with metal plates, yay for surgery! She's doing okay now, despite some interesting wound management (they didn't fully close up, instead she's had a swab sewn in - what? I thought that just HELPED infection? it has something to do with fluid buildup I'm not sure - and Marta's been giving her injections three times a day, until last night, because today she goes back to the vet and they'll examine her / hopefully close her up properly for a few months until they need to remove the metalwork) - but she's chirpy enough and doesnt seem at all bothered by the whole healing process, apparently feeling no pain in the op site, but with no apparent nerve damage either (she can definitely feel tweezers pulling at the fur around her foot!) - kittens' pain self-management must be awesome.
There is one funny side of this - she sometimes has to wear a protective collar to stop her licking at her wound, and the Chinese for this collar is an "Elizabeth", a direct reference to the ruffs worn in "olde England", which we all thought was really quite amusing.
Oh wait, not as amusing as this (not cat related, and I got her permission before posting) - Marta lost her phone. Hmm, that doesnt surprise me anymore, but HOW did she lose it? "In the toilet at the uni". I could see where this was going before she even finished the story. See, they don't do seated things here, they have squatters. And poor Marta left her phone in the back pocket of her jeans (big mistake anyway, thieves love that), so while she was taking her trousers off, the phone slipped out and fell into the ceramic basin, slid down it and plooooop! Right into the vertical hole, where everything else goes. Nice one, Marta!
No way to get it back (and would you want to, even if you COULD?), but at least is gives a classic Tale of Urumqi for my blog :)
There is one funny side of this - she sometimes has to wear a protective collar to stop her licking at her wound, and the Chinese for this collar is an "Elizabeth", a direct reference to the ruffs worn in "olde England", which we all thought was really quite amusing.
Oh wait, not as amusing as this (not cat related, and I got her permission before posting) - Marta lost her phone. Hmm, that doesnt surprise me anymore, but HOW did she lose it? "In the toilet at the uni". I could see where this was going before she even finished the story. See, they don't do seated things here, they have squatters. And poor Marta left her phone in the back pocket of her jeans (big mistake anyway, thieves love that), so while she was taking her trousers off, the phone slipped out and fell into the ceramic basin, slid down it and plooooop! Right into the vertical hole, where everything else goes. Nice one, Marta!
No way to get it back (and would you want to, even if you COULD?), but at least is gives a classic Tale of Urumqi for my blog :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
