It is pretty hot here in China. Much like the southern part of Florida. Very warm with high humidity. I run in the morning and still walk outside during the day but works love a pool.
I do miss the infinity pool at my last apartment. It is open but I moved because I wanted more space. The pool at my new place probably will not open as there are many kids. But since school is still in session for Chinese schools they may be waiting to fill the pool. Covid-19 had changed many things.
There are a few places to go and some tours to get to water. I took a tour with global friendship to a water area outside of the city.. it was a fun tour with people I know and others I have not met before.
Gulao water village
The water village is still in Guangdong province but outside the city. The ponds used for fish and the planting fields have been relatively unchanged since the Ming dynasty.
We then took a short bus ride to the restaurant that had the most awesome fish hot pot.
There are three varieties of fish we cooked in the hot pot.Yes that is a chicken head. I didn’t eat it but the person next to me did.
We then went to a water hole but the locals were not very friendly at letting us in the water. They had us go further downstream. My friend is Chinese and was very upset that she heard then say we were bringing the virus to their village. We have all been tested before traveling (again!). It gets really upsetting.
Some images of butterflies and dragonflies…
I also went to my friend’s Trisha and Dan in Huadu. They were very generous to invite Morgana and I up to visit. I went up to enjoy their company, swim in their pool, eat dinner and then brunch, and watch a movie. I also went for a run in their much larger complex, finishing the RunOBX 300 mile run challenge with a 7k run.
Just outside the fence of Mulian residence complex is how some rural Chinese live.
The pool was lovely but even lovelier with the company.
It is blistering hot right now. 30C in the early morning and 40C in the afternoon. That is with high humidity.
Due to the pandemic, there were no dragon boat races but plenty of dinners with friends as we had a day off during the week.
I met Claire at Taikoo Hui, a very upscale mall with stores I can’t afford. I usually come here for Godiva ice cream. We met at Putien which is featured in the Michelin guide. I tried purely Cantonese fair which included pig intestine and jellied pork trotters. I just tried. I don’t eat meat but you have to try something new. The yellow croaker was delicious as well as the purple seaweed. The greens were cooked with a duck eggs and pretty rich.
Afterwards we walked nearby to where a flea market was to be. It is mostly restaurant stalls and other things and was packed with people waiting. They only allow so many in at a time. It actually looks really cool and will plan to go another time.
On dragonboat day I went to get my 8th virus test. This one is so I can travel to Yunnan the next week. My friend Elaine went with me as she had been there before. The western clinics charge ten times as much. It would have been easier to go to the other clinic as we have to translate forms and even step in to type my English name in their computer. But the savings in money was worth it.
We then went out for a Western breakfast.
We decided to go shopping in the Fashion Hub. This shopping area is underground the sports center. You can get lost back here. You can make pottery, play games, eat, shop, and there are plenty of photo op areas. It is the craziest and most fun place.
That night I went to Catch at the Four Seasons for a friend’s birthday. Tricia was really surprised we were there and the food was delicious. It is on the 100th floor of the hotel.
There were tents set up outside s large mall. What in thought was a food festival was instead shopping if handcrafts and fun.
All of this was the end of two weeks of summer school. It was good pay but very tiring with STEM classes.
Making pressure sensors for a simulated brain.Using the microbit to get data on the force when the brain is struck with an object.Design challenge of building a water tower after looking at water pollution and issues.
I took a tour with Cycle Canton to escape the city (after all I need to get out of this city of 17 million and get to nature). We cycled through the beauty of rural Zengcheng district and celebrated the arrival of lychee season in the countryside.
We traveled 2 hours by bus before assembling where they had the bikes. There was a Taoist temple there and snacks and water. It is supposedly bad luck to take a picture of the Temple. How could this year be any worse?
I took the shorter of the 2 bike rides for a total of 23 km. We stopped often as it was very hot and we needed to drink water and allow others to catch up.
We passed through lychee, banana, and papaya orchards as well as gardens.
Scarecrows to keep the birds off the lychee trees.
We passed through several villages. At one, there was an old factory that had a chimney. A banyan tree started growing at the top and it was considered bad luck to remove it. When the factory was abandoned the village decided to keep the chimney as the tree was growing roots through it to the ground.
Another had an old building that was used to protect the village before China was unified into a republic and warlords protected each village.
We had snacks of hard boiled eggs, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and fruits (enough for a lunch) in a village before finishing and ending up at the lake.
Jackfruit tree.This is the largest village. The buildings are so small compared to downtown GZ.
Unfortunately I have no pictures of the lake as we were so hot we spent the whole time just standing in the water. During that time, we were about to see the solar eclipse. It was not as easy to see as it was very cloudy out but I was still able to get some good pictures.
It was also lychee picking season. This area is renowned for it’s lychees. We enjoyed them at every stop.
A very tired day and slept on the bus ride home. It was nice to get a different exercise besides running and walking.
It has been officially over for two days. Starting out the year as what we would call normal, we left for Chinese New year thinking we will have a great two week vacation. Who knew it would have ended like this?
The second half of the year was surreal. Walking through rooms not being used and seeing calendars and notes left by teachers to remember things for when they return. It is all weird.
We started school with only about 1/3 of the faculty. Temp checks, teaching online and face to face at the same time, watching other classes while trying to grade assignments. Planning for the start of the next year not knowing what it will actually look like… We also are planning summer school and the amount of resources is a lot. I’m using microbit and making a model of the brain with sensors. This starts next week.
The past few weeks saw senior graduation, modified awards assemblies and only a few teacher get together with the faculty that is left. I think the thought is we can’t have a dinner without all faculty being here but it is cruel not to allow us some time to unwind with all that we are doing.
Lining up for graduation.Graduation. No hand shaking. Those not here were mailed their diplomas.The taking of the annual faculty picture.I’ve done a lot of walking around the city.A lot of walking…
Friends from other schools. I’ve gone on a couple of tours and a person I met some time ago messaged me. We’ve formed quite a little group of people who like to get out and see the sites and hike.
We went to hike baiyun mountain again but rain got in the way. We ate brunch, hiked an upscale mall, and then walked to Jujiang park. There was a student covid-19 art exhibit in the mall.
The last day of school was a half day for students. Teachers had a lunch and then a farewell assembly for teachers going on to other schools. At the end of the day we went to a local bar for a get together. It was well attended and had more people then in past years despite the fact we have less teachers. At the end of the night, a few of us went to the four seasons and to the top of the tower to the 99th floor. The view is spectacular.
Looking down the inside of the hotel.
Now that I’ve had a couple days to unwind, I’m off to do a tour and then start summer school.
The new rules and policies for Covid-19 have become routine now. Students and teachers have settled in. Now that the high school and middle school have it under control, grades 4-5 started at the elementary school last week and the lower grades start this week. Preschool and kindergarten have not started.
We received an email about a situation over the weekend. Here is what we were told:
No cause for alarm.
Note: We all live far from school and are bussed. There are 4 bus routes.
On one route, the teachers and staff were left off on Thursday afternoon.
The driver then took non school people to the airport.
One of the people tested positive after they made it to their home city.
The bus driver was tested and is negative.
All facility and staff were tested and are negative.
Everyone wore their mask.
The CDC and education authority have cleared the employees and allowed us to continue with physical school.
What does that mean?
It means that asymptomatic cases are still a problem everywhere. Since elementary students are going back, I saw more people on the street in what I would consider close to normal activity.
Now since everyone is mingling, those asymptomatic people will spread it to others. But if you don’t want an epidemic….
Protocols, rules, and guidelines are the only way you can operate.
Every time we get on the bus, we have a checklist for our name and our temp is taken.
Wherever we are going whether it be school or airport or a store, our temperature is taken (and our name is recorded).
On our arrival at school this morning, there was police presence in the street checking for compliance (distancing, masks…). I did not take a direct picture as that can get you in trouble anywhere you travel. Also, there were more medical personnel on hand when we went through the temperature scanners, most likely from the CDC.
From an upstairs window. Because of construction I did not have a good line of sight. In forgot about going up to the field…
Before I found out about this I was invited to a hike, a dinner and a brunch this last weekend. There are still many people not going out in the city. Our faculty do not all go out together right now.
I am also grateful my school gave us a little mixer on Friday afternoon before we boarded the buses. Not being in a public school means they can have wine, beer, and snacks for us. We all sorely needed that interaction and it was a great way to start the weekend.
5 rams park (Yuexiu park)
Claire and I were up for some city hiking. I ran half way there and then made the rest of the way to the entrance. That part of the entrance was closed. We are used to many entrances being blocked in parks and malls, etc. to temperature scan and control the amount of people. We went to this entrance so that we can take the skybridge which is an elevated 8 km walk way that goes above ground from here to Baiyun mountain. Unfortunately it was closed due to impending bad weather.
I moved this cute little frog off the path before it was run over by a bike or messed with by kids.
From here we decided to do walk to Baiyun but on the street. Definitely not as scenic and it is a part of the city I am not very familiar with. Once at Baiyun we were to tired to hike the mountain. I snapped some pictures.
From here I walked part of the way back to where Claire lived to walk through a garden park I had not been to yet. Jufang garden park was very pretty and on the other side of it I took a Didi home as it was another 11km from here.
This park is in between two different districts within the city.
That night I dined at Mercato with a couple people I know and more teachers from other schools I had not met before. It was great to hear what their schools are doing. I’m lucky as no one at my school had lost jobs, been asked to go to school on Saturdays, or had our year extended. It was excellent food, but I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures. I did take a picture of the view from the terrace though.
The next day I met Claire and Morgana at 13 factories for brunch. (Again too hungry I forgot to take a picture).
13FACTORIES takes its name from the area of the same name in the old part of Guangzhou. This area is where the first foreign trade was allowed during the Qing dynasty, and much like America, a unique place where people from all over the world came to interact. Today, 13FACTORIES aims to create a place in the spirit of the original, a gathering of international friends combined with the sharing of delicious food and drink in a comfortable, casual atmosphere.
But we decided to splurge and we went elsewhere for cinnamon rolls after we had talked for a few hours.
It was great to have different interactions over the weekend.
I am glad I met Claire and hiked with her. She suggested going to the museum here. I had never been as I do not know how to get tickets. They do have a free section but recently had European artists featured. A ticket needed to be bought which she did for me as I could but register in advance. Their system does not take passport numbers, only Chinese ID. She called and found that I could register when I arrive.
There was quite the line to get in as it was the last day of the exhibition.
The artists in the exhibition ranged from the start of the Renaissance through to Impressionism. There were quite a variety of styles and artists on loan from the St. Louis museum.
There were plenty of places to take selfies. I generally do not take advantage of those.
There was however only one Renoir, Rembrandt, and Monet.
Rembrandt’s self portrait. Raw and honest, the shading and artistry is astounding.Little girl in a hat by Renoir.Monet.
Some of the art that I was drawn to:
The only painting in the exhibition by a female artist.
Afterwards we went to find something to drink. Did to covid-19 you could not but refreshments there and wearing a mask is tiring and hot. I have wanted to try the tofu drink and with Claire’s help knew what I was ordering. It is nice to ask them not to put sugar in it. It was good like a rich milkshake. On to are 3 rice rolls on a long toothpick.
I started out my week on a 6 am zoom call with my kids to celebrate my son’s birthday. It was technically mother’s day in the US and his birthday with me here in China. Becca bought him a cheesecake and candles to deliver to him in advance. It was a great start to the week!
We already practiced school for the last two weeks but starting this week we now have 6 grades on campus. We have about 70% of some of the classes back but not that percentage of teachers. They hired substitutes while the teachers that are gone continued online teaching. Those of us that are back are also covering classes.
Elementary start next week with a few grades with more added a week later.
The infrared cameras detect temperature. If it shows above 37.3 C (just over 99F), someone else takes your temperature to double check. There is a station where everyone must use alcohol gel before entering. Buses still take your temp too.
Both of my classes were combined in one. I planned a lab that was videoed and live. Kids can’t work together so I needed a set up for every student. A bit flustering. There was actually more students who showed up for testing and for school than they originally planned on from family surveys. As a result my class was split between two adjacent rooms and a monitor watched the other room. Only about 8 of my students were still online elsewhere.
Besides that class, I monitor three others. It means setting up zoom calls with the teacher and making sure they are on task and following rules.
Lunch is different as they cannot sit closer to each other. Individual chairs are set up for them to sit at. I think this would be the hardest for the students.
Phys Ed classes are combined and because there is a large number, they use blankets to mark off social distancing but there is lots of room to spread them out for activities.
It was a very tiring week but the students were so happy to see one another and it went well. We have been receiving a lot of press for the proactive work we have done. We are done with school on June 9th as scheduled as we started online learning immediately at the start of February. Only a few more weeks to go!
I worked for four days and after my seniors were finished I did not need to return until May 11 when the rest of the high school and middle school returns. Only the 8th graders were there and having extra personnel on site when they are not needed was not recommended. I was still teaching online to my 9th graders and grading make up work for my seniors.
Groups in the city that hold events here have suspended these but people were still chatting. Claire in Internations posted about hiking so we agreed to meet at a mountain park I had not been to. It was a lot of fun and happy to hike for 5 hours. I was whipped since it is hot and humid now.
The view after you get to the top is fantastic.
Huolo mountain, Tianhe
We actually thought we were at the top but then found the stairs. It was a lot of stairs…
After this picture was taken, the woman who took it for us wanted me to stay there so she could get a picture with me too. That has actually happened several times.
Picnicking along the river
Buying snacks
I know I need to stop but I love to snack…. These are hawthorns. They look like little apples. They are cooked in a syrup and they are so good. Hawthorn alone is a bit sour without the sugar coating. It is it addictive.
Running
I am back to running. Slowly as I’m trying to retrain my running and save my hamstring. It lets me get out and get fresh air in different places. When running you don’t need to wear a mask but it needs to be carried with you and you may have to put it on in a crowded area. I have avoided those crowded areas and times to not have to wear it. It is also really warm now and humid so getting out early helps with both. And I do a lot of walking.
Stopped to visit a friend and have some carrot and apple juice.
Eating out in Cantonese restaurants
I also started going out to eat, though not often and only recently since Guangzhou and the rest of China has been downgraded with no new cases. Still concerning to me after my last bout of quarantine however. They still require restaurants to have servers tested and must display a certificate. They also record the names, IDs and phone numbers of patrons for contact tracing.
A recent holiday allowed people to move between provinces and so far so good. Hopefully this summer maybe I can go to view some places in China. We will have to see. But I won’t be able to go home. I don’t see travel opening up between countries for casual travel for awhile.
Elaine, Killian and I. It is Killian’s birthday.Bijou. This stuff is nasty.Tofu.Dried squid.Eggs with fresh crab meat.Oysters with garlic crumb topping.
First day of school today for me. I have had lots of questions from friends in the States about how this can happen and thought I would chronicle the day. I must tell you that this level of keeping track is throughout much of society here. Each community may have a breakdown in policy but then it is identified very early and corrected.
To open school meant having precautions in place, complying with cleaning and regulations to follow, an inspection, testing of students and teachers, PD on proper procedures… We are doing this now to see how it works and as a practice run. The plan, if all goes well, to add 9, 10, 11 on May 11th. If there are issues or infections, then we close again (just like businesses). And this is a practice run of how next year might be running. Every school is going to have to start thinking how this will look like for the next year.***Quick aside here: Which brings me to the low numbers China has currently. When there is a case noted, they crack down on it immediately (I can attest to this as that was the reason for my last quarantine.) Talking to my Chinese friends who have been here the whole time is eye opening. When the government tells them what must be done, they do it. When there is, the message from the government it is clear and consistent. They are aware that what they do affects the health of others. Even rural areas blocked roads so that people from neighboring villages were not getting in. Is the system perfect? No. But they are doing a lot better (and so are some other countries) than many other places.***
Entering school.
There are two tents set up to enter. There are lanes to follow. You must have updated your Suikang code. Only blue or green can enter. Red cannot, and CDC will be notified. You pass through a thermal camera and have your temp checked using skin. If you have an elevated temp of 37.3 C (99.1 F), you are isolated and the nurse evaluates (see below). Pacing through this step is such that maintains the 1-2 meter between students. There is only one direction into the school.
Classroom set-up and non-negotiable requirements (while teaching science)
Windows and doors must be open. No air conditioning.
Everyone must wear a mask at all times.
Maintain social distancing of 1 meter apart.
Students have to sit one per table. One can sit at a lab table but they must be facing forward. Group work is non-existent but they can confer talking across distances to each other. I have to choose experiences that they can do by themselves to share the results.
Antibacterial gel is available in halls and in rooms.
Temperature checks are taken on the students and teachers twice a day – once at 8:15 and another right before lunch. They must be stored on a spreadsheet. The teacher takes and records the temp.
If students have a fever, the nurse is called and the student is placed outside or in an empty room.
Depending on low risk (student sent home and other students/teacher is reassessed) or high risk (all students and teacher are removed to another room for isolation. CDC is called and they determine the next steps including quarantine).
There is a dedicated isolation room on campus. No one enters unless it is to be used to isolate someone by the nurse.
At the start of every new block (we have 4 blocks a day and you see the same students every other day), an ayi (“auntie” in Chinese, meaning maid or housecleaner) comes in to wipe down every desk a student and teacher is at. That means for me, moving my computer and cleaning every surface. My desk has never been so clean!
There is an investigator on campus checking for compliance.
Temperature check live spreadsheet
The good news
It is good to see my students. I still have to plan for students who are not here. I have series of online assignments and also simulations that are already on OneNote and Teams. For the students who are here they are doing the same thing, but I felt we could reinforce a concept from back in February when we were all online and that is the concept of blood pressure. I had them write what they remembered about blood pressure then they conferred with a member of the class while maintaining distance between them. Yes it was noisy. Then they practiced taking blood pressure on themselves. With a stethoscope it is difficult, but some managed to do it. We also have a handful of electronic cuffs which made it easier. We then explored exercise changes and also what happens when you plunge your arm in ice cold water (because your extremity is cold, the arteries constrict to not lose too much heat to the environment. The heart is still pumping the same, but the pipes that carry the blood are narrower and therefore there is more pressure.)
Moving through campus
Arrows direct kids through the entrance to the school and also going into the lunch room. Students were given the directions on wearing a mask, washing hands, maintaining distance, how to walk through the hallways, etc. before coming to school.
Lunch
There is one way in to the cafeteria and another way to exit. (BTW, that is how it is in many places – one door to go in to monitor temperatures and another place to leave to maintain distance.) They are allowed in one at a time to maintain distance and sit one per table. All food is pre-ordered and pre-packaged with utensils so there is no possible cross-contamination.
Leaving campus
Students leave shortly after 3 pm. Teachers leave a half hour later. As we get on the bus we have to check out name on the list to maintain records. We also have to sit with distance between us.
Fun thing to share
The PE department had step challenges and other activities to boost wellness. One was a Padlet used for gratitude.It was great to read them all.I posted a thank you to the HR staff and admin for going above and beyond to help us. So did many others. Everywhere we were stopped or were having trouble, they were available on phone. When I had problem with the Suikang app, they worked hard with government and CDC officials for a solution. Given that they are currently working on on-boarding new faculty for next year which is a considerable process (and dealing with border closings that may change where they come in from!) They also have faculty that are not here right now who are leaving to another country next year but may not make it back to pack everything up! I don’t know how they do it!It was an interesting day. I was happy to see colleagues and students. I was actually very worried about the day but it was just fine and seemed like any other except less kids, more distance, and masks….
I’ve been anxiously counting the days. In under 40 days this is my second quarantine. First in my apartment then in the government hotel. When you have cameras watching you and you cannot go outside at all it can mess with you quite a bit. Violating can land you somewhere else…
People were getting testy in the WeChat quarantine chat. There were some heated exchanges between people (inmates) and the medical team (wardens). Regardless at some points they gave us gifts.
A rose to add to the flowers I had.Health tea, sir freshener herbs, lotion, thermometer, masks, and green liquid which really takes the itch seat from mosquito bites. We also received exercise gadgets. A hand strengthener, a foot roller, and a band to exercise.
I won’t complain. They didn’t charge me for the stay. They fed me three times a day though you never knew what you would get. They did give me vegetarian even though they said they would not do anything special. The food was good and again I won’t complain. Honestly, I’ll eat almost anything so not generally picky.
Many of the meals were exactly the same and it was easy to be tired of it. My favorite for breakfast was steamed buns with a nut filling inside but I only had it twice.
The last full day I had to be tested for the third time. I am tired of being tested but just wanting to get out of here. Of course it was a nasal swab. They use the cotton swabs with the long handles because they have to get all the way to the top right near your eyes. I hate that test. I was waiting to see the CDC van pull up and then paced until they made it to my room.
I had been packing for the last few days and the last morning I packed up the rest, cleaned up a bit, and then easier for the phone call for me to go downstairs. There they have to check you out with the paperwork, give you test results, and update the app. The app is used to keep track of entry dates, quarantined, etc. You cannot go to appointments, work, airports, or get into your apartment building without it.
This will get you denied entry to everywhere. Being checked out of quarantine by the CDC means getting this updated.
Updating mine took almost two hours. There was another person in a different school who had the same trouble. It was difficult to find who could help with whatever problem was with the app. Eventually they fixed it.
Much better!
My cats were so glad to see me. I unpacked and cleaned. I played with them a bit. Then I went to run errands. Specifically to pick up my new passport, and see the doctor for an appointment I had to reschedule. It is a couple mile walk to get there.
I stopped to pick up a salad to eat and then sat by the river to enjoy the outdoors and sunshine.
It was so nice to be out. I walked back home and grabbed a few groceries along the way. Afterwards, time to relax at home and cuddle with kitties!
I posted a thank you to the HR staff and admin for going above and beyond to help us. So did many others. Everywhere we were stopped or were having trouble, they were available on phone. When I had problem with the Suikang app, they worked hard with government and CDC officials for a solution. Given that they are currently working on on-boarding new faculty for next year which is a considerable process (and dealing with border closings that may change where they come in from!) They also have faculty that are not here right now who are leaving to another country next year but may not make it back to pack everything up! I don’t know how they do it!
It was an interesting day. I was happy to see colleagues and students. I was actually very worried about the day but it was just fine and seemed like any other except less kids, more distance, and masks….
