Jinqiao School

I recently accepted a teaching position in Wuxi and so far I could not be happier with my decision to up and move again. For some time now I have been itching to move again and returning to a country I have an affinity with seemed natural.

After a Valium riddled arrival to Shanghai I was greeted by Ma Chong and was whisked off to Wuxi, a two and a half hour drive from Pu Dong airport. Chong is incredibly lovely with an amazing grasp of English. So far he has been wonderfully helpful, has a great rapport with the other English teachers, and genuinely seems to care about my well being.

Aideen and Eric met me on arrival, despite it being after midnight, and they also were very helpful. They already had a package of information for me to keep (including our address written in Chinese, a hand drawn map of how to get to the shops,and a list of their phone numbers). 

I'm already beginning to notice great differences between here and Wuhan. The community I am living is appears to be much more affluent, the streets are lined with beautifully manicured gardens, and I am not being stared at anywhere near as much. 

The wealth in this area is apparent in a few different ways. The most obvious ways are, such as the previously mentioned gardens and the beautiful new cars everywhere. I was chauffeured home from the airport in a brand new Audi and driven to the supermarket today in a near new Peugeot. 

Another way it expresses itself, is through its construction. Like all areas of China, the development of high-rise apartments and huge state of the art shopping malls are evident everywhere. The significant difference I can see is that temporary homes are built for the migrant workers.

An example of temporary housing that
 can be seen from our kitchen window.

China has a huge transitory worker population, mostly coming from impoverished regions to go to more urban and prosperous coastal regions in search of work. Where as in Wuhan I would see these workers sleeping it rough, in dug out sections within the construction areas, here in Wuxi they are provided with temporary housing. The housing itself does not look like much to our eyes, but it provides these workers with a dry place to sleep and also allows their family to stay together. The current number of migrant workers in China is estimated at 120 million, approximately 9% of the population, and a huge percentage of those workers would be leaving their families behind in order to find that work.  

Traveler's guilt is something I've felt a lot during my time in China. But it also provides me with a better understanding of how lucky I am. I'm here and I've been provided with free clean (relatively), dry and warm accommodation. I don't have to pay for water, electricity and have the option of being fed 5 nights a week for free too. I really am very lucky.

                  

The view from my bedroom into the school.