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Natalie Bowie’s First Impressions of Shandan Bailie School – Feb, 2014

Natalie’s blog has further episodes in which she has put several days’ comments on her experiences arriving in Lanzhou, then at Shandan (both in Gansu province).  There are many fascinating photos as well as her first impressions.

Flying into Lanzhou
Flying into Lanzhou, Gansu Province

She comments on the flight to Lanzhou and compares the scenery with Morocco, Egypt and Jordan with which she is familiar!  Then she covers the intrepid 450km journey by train to Shandan.  She is one smart cookie – finding her own way around a strange country!

Next are her first impressions of Shandan Bailie and her surroundings. These are very amusing – such as:

“Number of foreigners in Shandan:   1

Number of older-generation Chinese people looking at me on the first day:   200

Amount of dumplings eaten in one sitting:   20.”

The next post describes the ‘Flying Pigeon’, her new wheels to get her round town [Editor’s note: the most popular vehicle EVER!]; her first impromptu speech to 130 of the teachers at Shandan and an accidental meeting with a farmer and his flock of sheep!

February 23rd sees her commenting on the school when 650 teenagers turn up from holidays and the daily temperature which was supposed to be a balmy 6oC but feels more like -3oC!  She shows more photos, especially of her new students descending onto the sports field to do the morning exercises.

Natalie and her Flying Pigeon
Natalie and her Flying Pigeon

February 26th has her toddling off on the ‘flying pigeon’ and ending up in a tiny village and her adventures through the streets, arriving at partly-built Rewi Alley Hotel in the New Zealand Village (also partly-built) and her amazement at how important Rewi is considered there.

Natalie' grand office and THE chair
Natalie’ grand office and THE chair

March 1st  brings a headache which won’t go away and a comical description of her new ‘principal’s chair’ which she suspects is the source of her headache!

Each episode is a fascinating insight into a China teacher’s life and your reporter advises you to go to Natalie’s Blog for the full story.!

Natalie Bowie (Editor: Teri France), March 2014