Judy heads out for a new week of Professional Development with the full BISS staff.  Everyone is there, about 50 people.  I’m sure you’ll hear more from her about it all.  The staff is from everywhere.  Lots of unusual accents when everyone gets together.

I take care of some financial stuff and a few emails.  I’m mostly killing time, waiting for the medical report to arrive at BISS.  When it arrives, I’ll pick it up and head over to my school so they can take care of the “Foreign Expert Certificate” and later the Residential Permit.

Around 3:00, I decide to go to BISS to await delivery.  DHL delivers around 4:00.  I make contact with BHSFIC staff and I’m off to deliver the paperwork.  I arrive at the designated subway station, and a few minutes later my escort, Amy Song, arrives.  We walk to the BHSF main campus.  I just now realize the International School has it’s own campus, but main administrative offices are at the main campus.  I leave my passport, Temporary Residental Permit, and Medical Report, and head back to the subway, relieved the delivery has been made.

View while I wait at the Subway Station for Amy Song to find me.

Gate to BHSF Main Campus

Original Gate (1907) at BHSF main campus.

Before I can get to the station, Amy calls to tell me that I have given them Judy’s passport.  A quick call verifies that Judy has mine.  I’M AN IDIOT!!!!  Guess I’ll get to tour the subways some more tomorrow.  The paperwork has to get started Tuesday or I’ll miss a very important deadline.  I explore a new route home on the subway and arrive around 7:30 pm.  The subway means lots of standing and walking when changing trains.  I’m going to be in much better shape before I leave China.  Judy’s home and we swap stories of the day and then zonk out!

SATURDAY, 8/3/13

We slept very sound last night, and woke up around 6:00 am.  We’re adjusting!  Slowly get ready for the day, eating, lazing around, etc.  We make contact with lots of family today on Facetime.  Saturday morning between 8:00 am and 11:00 am works well for Central Time Friday evening 7 – 10 pm.  Many are home relaxing.  Unbelievable that we can talk around the world with little or no time delay!!!  Occasional moments of signal loss and buffering, but overall good.

We finally get out of the apartment and head to BISS to attack Judy’s classroom.  She’s been so busy in meetings that she’s had no time to get herself settled and the room is pretty jumbled.  We pull everything out of the shelves and start sorting – supplies, instruments, music, CDs/DVDs/Cassettes, etc.  We finish around 8:00 pm and head back, feeling much better about the status of the room.  Dinner at home and off to sleep.

Gate entrance at BISS

SUNDAY 8/4/13

More work for Judy in her classroom at BISS today.  She leaves around 9:00 am.  This is her first “solo” taxi ride.  I’m heading to IKEA.  We badly need a mattress pad, and I found a chair on their website that should work for my back.

Judy had excitement enroute.  The driver dropped her close to the school but on a different side and a few blocks away.  She can tell from Google Maps where she is, and the driver has pointed her in the right direction.  Focusing on the map as she walks, she trips and sprawls everywhere.  Phone and bags hit the ground hard.  She collects it all, nothing is broken, but pride is badly damaged.  She recovers in a Costa Coffee (similar to Starbucks), then finishes the walk to school.

I arrive at IKEA around opening time.  It is already jammed with people.  I have a “hit list” of items and start scurrying.  2 hours later, I’m checking out with a full-length mirror, other assorted mirrors, a chair and footstool, several lamps, and a piece of paper, which I hope is the mattress pad.  It’s a full cart, and I follow signs to the delivery area.  Very smooth operation.  Not much of a line.  I hand them my stuff, and a piece of paper with my address.  I decide to have them assemble the chair.  Delivery (same day), and assembly cost is $30.  Wahoo!  I head out to the taxi area with two very heavy bags, and travel home.

IKEA, Checking out

The IKEA stuff arrives around 3:00 pm.  Chair and footstool assembled and delivery guys gone after 20 minutes.  I start “breaking in” the chair immediately.  After a short nap, I unpack the lamps, mirrors, and mattress pad.  Judy gets home around 5:00 and we spend the rest of the evening experimenting with lamp placement, and installing the mirrors.  We are ready for a new week!

Everything is fine, and we are settling in okay.  Our apartment is nice, but it needed some cleaning to make it comfortable for me.  Gordon has been going out in the city to find the things we need and has had many adventures.  Some of the items that I use every day at home are not used much here, so are hard to find.  Then there’s the language problem!  We have used Google Translate several times, and we also have a “taxi book” that has locations printed in Chinese that we can show to the driver.

In China you are expected to pay everything ahead – electricity, water, etc.  We have a card for each utility and we have to go to different places to “top it off” as they say.  Our electricity went out yesterday morning before I even had a shower and I had to go to school without doing my hair!  Gordon had to go out and try to find the place to pay, then bring the card home and put it in the meter to restart the power.  Even at the nail salon you are expected to put some money in an account to be used each time you come in.  I haven’t been there yet, but a friend told me how to do it.

The people at school are very nice and come from all over the world.  Many of the new teachers have small children and they have been with us a lot during this orientation week.  My head of school is from New Zealand, but his most recent post was Belgium.  My partner teachers are from Australia, Greece, Spain, and Latvia.  Two other new teachers are from the U.S.  The work at school is overwhelming right now because all of the systems are new to me.  Also, I have to attend the trainings for elementary and secondary, since I will be teaching K-8.  I have two music rooms – one on the 2nd floor for elementary, and one on the 4th floor for secondary.  The elementary classroom is in need of a lot of organizing, and I will be working on that this weekend.

Gordon has been working hard to make our home comfortable, and he has joined me at school for some of the orientation.  He has also been talking to the HR department at his school about visas and other paperwork that they need.  He will go to work on August 15.

People in China don’t like dryers, they believe that clothes should dry in the air.  Therefore, no apartments have dryers. We were able to find a small dryer and have it delivered, but the vent hose was missing.  We eventually found one, but in the meantime made do with a Boomwhacker!

Another surprising thing about China:  No tipping – anywhere – anytime.  Wow!

We wake up at 5:00 am, anxious to get going.  Jet lag seems to be gone.  We’re both feeling much better.  ELECTRICITY STOPS.  We’ve been trying to figure out when and where we could “top off” our electricity card.  Guess I’ll find out today.  No showers, no hair dryers, (and no coffee) and we both still look decent as we catch the bus to BISS.  An accessible “State Grid” office is ½ block from the school.

At the school, I get a translator, and head to the State Grid site.  We take a number and when it’s my turn, I step up with the card and money.  Clerk looks confused and asks for a small document, showing me a sample.  It’s back at the apartment.  Didn’t know I needed it.  None of the other teachers needed it.  Two taxi rides and 1½ hours later, I’m back and paying.

Back at BISS, I check on the medical report paperwork, which we completed Tuesday.  My school needs it for my “Foreign Expert Certificate.  Looks like DHL Express will deliver it Monday.  BHSFIC is needing to get paperwork started and are pressing me for it.  BISS doesn’t seem comfortable turning loose of the form.  This should be interesting.

Alright!  I get lucky and today is pizza lunch for new teachers and families.  It’s really good.  This won’t be the last time I eat Tube Station Pizza.  Back to the apartment.  I figure out how to insert the card into the meter in the hallway.  Electricity solved.   I put together a dryer vent (no vent hose came with the dryer, of course) using a “Boomwhacker” and cardboard taped together, and start the laundry.  Instructions on the washer and dryer are in Chinese, so it’s a guess how to get it to work, but I get lucky and laundry is happening.  Everything begins to feel better.  We have electricity, phones, and fresh laundry.

Creative vent – Boomwhacker

Judy spent the afternoon touring medical offices with the other new staff and families.  The insurance is no-deductible, and no co-pay, 100% coverage.  Both sites are modern and very close.  The morning was spent in meetings trying to figure out everything about collaboration, technology, and what exactly does the school want from the music teacher.  She’s getting several different answers right now.

We decide it’s a good time to get dinner somewhere besides our fridge.  We taxi to Sanlitun Village.  We visit Sundan to chase down a dryer vent hose, but apparently Panasonic doesn’t even make one for it.  After many gestures they show me a vent hose for an oven/stovetop.  I can make this work.

We head upstairs for an enjoyable dinner at THE BLUE FROG.  Judy has a cobb salad, and I get a grilled chicken sandwich.  The food is great.  We sit out on a balcony enjoying a cool evening.  Life in Beijing sure seems restful tonight.

The taxi ride brought us back to reality.  The driver cut people off, whipped through red lights, and squeezed in a few holes at speed, where I didn’t think a car could fit.  Judy tried to video it when she realized what kind of a driver we had.  Breathless when we arrive at UHN.  It’ll take awhile for the adrenaline rush to go away so we can sleep.

Today is cleaning day.  Judy heads out to school and I begin scrubbing floors, sinks, etc.   I want to be ready when the Sundan ordered is delivered.  I’m almost done when the dryer and other items arrive.  After putting everything away, I start figuring out how to vent the dryer.  Judy calls and lets me know our phones are not working.  Judy has the BISS phone she can use, but I can only receive calls, not originate any.

Staff at Judy’s school is trying to set-up our police station visit.  Again I can only receive calls, no outgoing.  Judy lets me know that I need to be at BISS  at 2:30 pm so we can travel together to the police.  I use the train (too cheap for a cab today), and arrive on time.  Can’t find the people I need, and after borrowing phones I’m told to meet Judy back at BISS at 4:30.  Back to the train and home.  This is becoming a TIC (This Is China) Day.  Apparently more are to come, according to the old-timers at BISS.  Back at home, we meet a substitute agent who speaks no English.  He takes us to the police station.  It’s a pretty drab building.  Process takes about ½ hr. and we’re headed home, “Temporary Housing Permit” in hand.

After some rest and food.  I take off looking for “phone cards”.  I use my translator app and someone actually understands.  I am guided to a very small store I’ve visited before, just outside the complex gates.  I’m getting good at gesturing and pretty soon they sell me two cards for my phone.  Now, how do I load this card on my phone?  Clerk helps out and punches numbers on my phone and then numbers off the card, and the phone starts working.  I tell them I need two more cards.  I’m led to another nearby shop (same family), and the mom sells me two more cards.  A young girl (12-13) enters one of the cards.  I get her to help me load the next card.  There are instructions in English, if you know which buttons to push, and she does.

I finish off the evening with a visit to Metro for groceries and other necessities.  I’ve been looking for coffee filters & coffee.  Tea is everywhere, but not coffee.  I find coffee filters.  I purchased coffee in Starbucks yesterday and had it ground.  I’m ready for tomorrow morning.  No long hike for coffee.  I return home, the conquering hero, with phones and groceries.  I’m baaaaad!

Judy heads out for the BISS bus, and another day of orientation at the school.  She hopes to get into her room today, but painting and fumes may still be a problem.  As an experienced teacher, Judy has seen many forms of “Professional Development” activities, and BISS is no different.  Some of the activities are very helpful, and some are more discussion of “mission”, etc.  She wants to get prepared to teach, and it’s frustrating to not even have access to her room yet.

My goal of the day is get a dryer for the apartment.   One of the other teachers has told Judy about a store in “Sanlitun Village” where they have small dryers for sale.  We haven’t done laundry yet, and our allotment of underwear is beginning to thin out.  I’m not looking forward to hanging everything out around the apartment to dry.   A dryer would be nice, if I can figure out how to vent it.

My taxibook has a destination that says something about Sanlitun Village, so I’m hoping I can find it.  We get close to what I think is Sanlitun and circle around a few times.  Finally, I convince the driver to let me out.  This is a huge mall area with buildings everywhere.  I randomly select one and walk into an Aididas store (world’s largest, they say).  Out the other side is a huge Apple Store, and many other very upscale stores (Calvin Klein, Rolex, etc.)  I’m looking for “Sundan”.  We were told it was in the basement.  I find an escalator, head down, and “SUNDAN”.   I’ve found it!  I find an employee who can speak enough English to help, and purchase a dryer, a large fan, computer printer & paper, coffee maker, and more electric adapters.  Delivery for the large items will be Thursday morning.

I’m elated and decide I owe myself a good lunch.  I find several restaurants around with familiar menus, and settle on Union Bar & Grill.  I order the grilled chicken sandwich and fries, and it’s GREAT!  After lunch, I wander around Sanlitun Village to check it out.  Apparently it’s the center of activity for many expats (foreigners).  All the foreign embassies are in the neighborhood.  Lots of familiar shopping, restaurants, and bars, with employees that speak some English.

I head home, fully satisfied I can function in Beijing (or at least gesture enough to get the job done).  Judy arrives later.  I get to talk about my great accomplishments, careful to not seem like it was too much fun.  She’s been in meetings all day, and we all know what that can be like.  Jet lag seemed less of a problem for both of us.

Today is “Medical Check” day.  All family members load the bus at 7:30 am. We take a long ride out to an official facility to complete all medical exams for the “Foreign Expert Certificate”, and the “Residential Permit”.  We tried to do as many of the required tests before we left the US, and it paid off today.  Judy had to do nothing else.  I had to get a blood test.  I had the required test in Arlington, but the results weren’t in any of my paperwork, so I got poked again.

The building is very plain, and all the workers are wearing face masks.  The BISS doctor is translating and guiding us as needed.  It’s an assembly line as teachers and family members are guided to the necessary rooms for the appropriate tests.  We had to “fast” this morning, so when we board the bus to depart, each of us gets a snack sack and water.  Everyone chows down.

There is a long drive back to BISS where the teachers are dropped off.  Family members are returned to their apartments.  I eat some lunch and focus on my list of “to-do’s” for the day.  I contact our housing agent Lisa (assigned by BISS) about how to “top off” (pay ahead) on our water cards.

We have two cards, hot & cold, and value must be added to each card, and then read by the meters at our apartment.  She meets me and walks me over to UHN management offices (hidden in a basement, no signs, down a long dimly light hallway.  I pay 500y total to both cards ($83).  Cards are “loaded” and I return to the apartment, not really sure how to use the cards, but confident that I’ve paid into both (not sure how it was divided between cards.

Offhandedly, Lisa asks when do we want to make our visit to the police station?  Huh?  New residents must register for temporary residency at the local police station. We must carry a copy of this permit until we get our “Residence Permit” which is good for a year.  She’s leaving town tomorrow for a HS class reunion for a week.  Suddenly we have a tight deadline and no help.  Oh well.

I need to find an electronics store (like Best Buy).  I’m told “Gome” (gomay) is the place to go.  I’ve seen one not far away (7 or 8 blocks)  Our “Taxi Book” has one listed so I jump in a cab, show them my book, and off we go.

We drove right by the one that was close and passed two others that I saw.  I was finally dropped at a really big store, far from the apartment.  I have learned a new lesson about taxi book usage:  don’t assume the destination listed is the closest site.

I walk in and after much gesturing, and hand signals, I walk out with an iron, tabletop ironing board, hair dryer, several extension strips, and a hand vac.  It’s cash only, I discover.   Out to the taxi area and home.  Three drivers look at my instructions for home and “shake me off”.  I’m beginning to get a little worried, and finally a driver seems to be able to read, or at least decipher the description.   Arrival at home is a relief!  Judy arrives later and we unpack the prizes from today’s safari, eat little dinner, swap tales of the day’s adventures, and prepare for the next day.  Jet lag is still affecting both of us, so the bed is a welcome destination.

Up and at ‘em early again.  Our bodies haven’t adjusted yet to being on the other side of the world.  Day is night. Night is day, etc.  Breakfast in the apt.  I didn’t have to go to McDonalds today, but I did need another ATM visit, and coffee was close.  Not really sure if I need cash today, but I don’t want to come up short on necessities, if they don’t take Visa.  Not really fond of the hike for coffee and money everyday.

We meet the bus at 8:30 and are transported to BISS for a tour of the school.  It sits in the middle of an old neighborhood.  The bus drives down what looks like an alley, with traffic, and out of nowhere appears the school compound.  There a four floors, no elevator.  Judy has classrooms on the 2^nd floor and the 4^th floor.  Lots of fun on the stairs ahead for her.  We meet in a 3^rd floor classroom and meet a few more BISS staffers.  Then we split up for tours around the school.  Our guide is Justin Jarmen, the PYP (primary years program) Coordinator.  He’s Canadian, and grew up playing basketball with Steve Nash.

The school is full of workers cleaning and painting, trying to get ready for the start of classes in two weeks.  Judy is told that her room somehow was skipped by the painters.  They’ll start painting today, but she might not have a chance to get into her room for a few days.  This is not good news for someone like Judy.  Sounds like a weekend of catch-up is ahead.

After the tours, the new staff have meetings.  Family and “trailing spouses” (that’s me) head home.  The school sends someone to help us learn the train system and get home.  The train station is about 5 blocks away, on the other side of the 3^rd Ring Rd (big freeway).  We cross over on a pedestrian bridge and make our way to the station.  Seven flights of stairs down and around several long hallways, and we arrive at the ticket counter/entry.  I purchase a subway card and add money to it for future train rides.  The train costs 2y ($0.36) for every trip (no matter the distance.  Round trip for me to school on the other side of Beijing – $0.70.

We arrive out our station, Taoyangong, which has an access entry in the Capitol Mall near our apt.  I have decided I’ve got to get our phones working, so I start looking for solutions.  I find an Apple reseller “iSpace” in the mall.  There is an employee that sorta understands English.  I’m looking for sim cards for our phones, and there is a China Unicomm kiosk next door he tells me (or points).  Just try explaining sim cards, phone plans, minutes, and data when they don’t understand English.  I’m regretting not paying a little closer attention during our Mandarin tutoring sessions.  After an hour or so, I walk away with phones that work (although I’m not sure for how long), and I’ve also paid a deposit on a sim card for the iPad, which I’ll pick up tomorrow.

I’ve heard there is a supermarket in the basement of the mall, and sure enough it exists.  I purchase some groceries, and paper goods.  Now I learn how much I can carry long distances.  I’ve purchased too much and am too stubborn to take a taxi the ½ mile back.  I finally arrive at the apartment with working phones, groceries, train expertise, and a sweated-out shirt.  I am “bushed”.  I put away the purchases, eat a little lunch, and nap.

The BISS bus drops Judy around 4:30 and she comes in, weary of meetings, and needing a break.  She relaxes a little, and we decide this might be a good time for IKEA.  We’re desperate for bath towels, rugs, etc.  It’s a 10 minute taxi ride.  If you’ve ever been to IKEA, you know that once you’re on the “path” through the store, they’ve got you.  We can’t decipher the Chinese well enough to use the shortcuts, so we see ALL that IKEA Beijing has to offer (and it’s a lot).  We walk out, loaded down with arms full of stuff, including a large folding drying rack (no dryer in the apartment), and start worrying about how it will fit in the taxi.  We made it!  Sacks in the trunk, the two of us and the drying rack in the back seat.

We get unloaded at the apartment, and move it all upstairs.  It has been a long day, and jet lag is setting in.  We unpack and hit the bed pretty quick, or at least I do.  The mattress is so firm that Judy can’t sleep.  She moves to the couch until we can get a mattress pad.

Today is the first opportunity for Judy to meet some of her colleagues at BISS.  We wake up around 4:00 am. and straighten up a few things.  Around 6:00 am, I head out for breakfast, and to try out an ATM.  I’m very curious if we’re going to have a cash flow problem after yesterday’s issues with Visa.

Tried several ATM’s before I found one with some instructions in English.  It worked.  We have access to money!  Relief flows over me.  I grab breakfast at McDonalds and head home.

At 8:30 am, we meet a BISS staff member outside our apartment.  Several other new teachers are in the same complex, and we all head out to meet the bus.  Bus shows up and we are off on a Beijing adventure (actually just a shopping trip).

The BISS new teachers are interesting.  Three are from Australia, one from Spain, two others from the US, and one from Japan.  Like us, they’re new to the city, and anxious to get settled in.  We arrive at Metro supermarket.  It’s a big-box store similar to Sam’s or Costco.  Cash only.  We have an hour to shop.  We start scrambling for mops, brooms, cleaning supplies, rugs, towels, misc. kitchen utensils, and even some food.  Two full carts later, we push out the door, and head to the bus.  Bus drops us off on the wrong side of the apt. complex, and we have a long walk with tons of stuff to carry, too much for one trip  Complex guards watch our stuff, and we start shuttling it to the room.  A few sweaty trips later, it’s all in.  We quickly eat a bite, and head back down to meet the bus for the afternoon trip.

The afternoon trip is to a “wet” market, where they sell fruits, vegetables,  meats, etc.  We buy a few items, fruits, and some sausage for sandwiches, and head back to the bus.  We are returned to the apt. with instructions for how and when to get to dinner.  We put away our purchases, continue to work on organizing the apartment, take a short nap, and get ready for dinner.

We meet downstairs with our other UHN (apartment name – 10 buildings, all shaped like either a U, H, or N.) new teachers and walk to the restaurant for dinner.  It’s fairly close to the apartment, down a few alleys, and we’re there.  It’s a genuine Beijing restaurant, serving Peking Duck.  BISS has large room for all the new staff and families, and the administrative team.  Adminstrators are from India, US, New Zealand, Australia, Maylaysia, Greece.  Everyone is introduced and welcomed, and we eat a GREAT dinner.  It’s served like a family buffet with bowls and plates on a lazy susan in the middle.  So much food!  The duck is actually eaten on a small dough pancake.  It reminds me of a soft taco.  It’s really good.  Kung Pow Chicken is my favorite.  After dinner, we walk back to the apt. and begin to prepare for our first weekday activities.

Before bed we begin to experiment and discover that Facetime works, so it’s lots of fun to begin to make contact with everyone back home.  Our phones don’t work yet in China, but BISS gave Judy a temporary cell to use for the first month for local contact.  It’s nice to see familiar faces.