Thursday 31 August 2006

Teaching & Living in Shanghai

English Teacher in China

April to August 2006


In 2006, I taught ESL (English as a Second language) at a college in Shanghai for a 4 month period. This was my last little ‘project’ of a period that spanned a period of more than 3 years. I left South Africa in June of 2003 to go and teach ESL in Taiwan. I stayed for 18 months in Taiwan and then decided to experience mainland China too. I stayed a period of 19 months in China, mainly working for one company called Delter-Telford International Business Institute. I was fortunate to move around China with them, staying and teaching in 4 different provinces: NanjingWuhu (Anhui), Liuzhou (Guangxi) and lastly Shanghai.

Shanghai is a huge city with regards to surface area and population. The public transport system is excellent and cheap, and I used every spare moment to explore the city. I also took my bicycle at times to explore and take photos. I had colleagues at the college who shared my passion for travel. Shanghai is a city of contrast; Modern versus old and rich versus poor. It is a city that never sleeps.

Huangpu river boat - Shanghai

In 2006, I taught ESL (English as a Second language) at a college in Shanghai for a 4 month period. This was my last little ‘project’ of a period that spanned a period of more than 3 years. I left South Africa in June of 2003 to go and teach ESL in Taiwan. I stayed for 18 months in Taiwan and then decided to experience mainland China too. I stayed a period of 19 months in China, mainly working for one company called Delter-Telford International Business Institute. I was fortunate to move around China with them, staying and teaching in 4 different provinces: Nanjing, Wuhu (Anhui), Liuzhou (Guangxi) and lastly Shanghai.

Shanghai is a huge city with regards to surface area and population. The public transport system is excellent and cheap, and I used every spare moment to explore the city. I also took my bicycle at times to explore and take photos. I had colleagues at the college who shared my passion for travel. Shanghai is a city of contrast; Modern versus old and rich versus poor. It is a city that never sleeps.

Shanghai street scenery


About Shanghai


Shanghai is a Chinese city located on the eastern coast of China, where the Yangtze River flows into the East China Sea. It is the most populous city proper in the world, with a population of more than 24 million as of 2014. As one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of China, it is a global financial centre and transport hub, with the world's busiest container port. Located in the Yangtze River Delta in East China, Shanghai sits on the south edge of the mouth of the Yangtze in the middle portion of the eastern Chinese coast. 

As a major administrative, shipping and trading city, Shanghai grew in importance in the 19th century due to trade and recognition of its favourable port location and economic potential. The city was one of five treaty ports forced open to foreign trade following the British victory over China in the First Opium War. In the 1990’s, the economic reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping, resulted in an intense re-development of the city, aiding the return of finance and foreign investment to the city. Shanghai has been described as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland China; renowned for its Lujiazui skyline, and museums and historic buildings, such as those along The Bund (Wikipedia). 


Home & Work



College where I taught English for 4 months

Two of the ESL teachers at our apartment block

The Huangpu river & The Bund


The Bund or Waitan "outer bank" is a waterfront area in central Shanghai. The area centers on a section of Zhongshan Road (East-1 Zhongshan Road) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing the high, modern skyscrapers of Pudong (Wikipedia).

The Bund

Huangpu river scenery with Pudong skyline

Huangpu river scenery with Pudong skyline

The Bund

Shanghai bridge

Huangpu river scenery with Pudong skyline

Zhongshan Road - adjacent to the Bund

Zhongshan Road - adjacent to the Bund

The Bund

The Bund

Pudong Skyline

At the Bund - Pudong skyline behind me

Huangpu riverboat

Huangpu riverboat

Huangpu riverboat

Pudong buildings

Huangpu riverboat

The Bund

The Bund

Huangpu riverboat & ship

Huangpu riverboat

At the Bund - Pudong skyline behind me

The Bund

Huangpu river ferry

Huangpu river ferry at dusk with Pudong skyline in the background

Huangpu river ferry at dusk with Pudong skyline in the background

Huangpu river ferry at dusk with Pudong skyline in the background

Pudong skyline at dusk

An old building at night - The Bund

Pearl Tower - Pudong

View below of Huangpu river - taken from Pearl Tower

On a Huangpu river ferry

Huangpu riverboat

Huangpu riverboats

Huangpu riverboat

Huangpu riverboat

At the Bund - Pudong skyline behind me

Huangpu river & Pudong at night

Huangpu river & Pudong at night

Shanghai old street


Shanghai Old Street, historically called Miaoqian Dajie, is an old business street that has a combination of tourist attractions, shops, entertainment, and cultural exhibits.

Giant teapot

Old Street

Old Street

Old Street

Old Street

Old Street

Old Street

Nanjing lu


Nanjing Road (NánjÄ«ng Lù) is the main shopping street of Shanghai, China. It is one of the world's busiest shopping streets. The street is named after the city of Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, which neighbors Shanghai (Wikipedia).

Nanjing road scenery

Nanjing road scenery

Nanjing road scenery

Nanjing road scenery

Nanjing road scenery

Near Nanjing road

Nanjing road scenery at night

Nanjing road signs

Nanjing road sign

Nanjing road sign

Nanjing road scenery

Nanjing road scenery


Streets, food & markets



Shanghai transport

Shanghai transport

Shanghai shopfront and taxi

Shanghai poor community

Shanghai poor community

Shanghai poor community

Street food

Tailor

Street food

Apartment block

Businessman

Chinese chess

Transporting goods

Chinese chess

Watermelons for sale

Seafood

Clothes for sale

Fruit and veg

Apartment block

Traffic

Traffic

Fixing a trike

Taking a break

Gas delivery

Shanghai gardening?

Apartment block

Shop & Apartment block

Back alley

Old versus new

Scott

Scott and another colleague

Alley house

Alley vendor/cook

Seafood

Seafood

Desert

Exploring Shanghai by bike 


A subway station near my home

Jacqui an Australian colleague trying to decipher a map…..
before GPS came out….we often cycled together to explore Shanghai.

BBQ sticks at a night market

Huangpu river canal barges

Huangpu river canal barge

Huangpu river canal barge

Huangpu river canal barge

Huangpu river canal barge

Huangpu river canal barge

Canal scenery

Canal scenery

Vendor

Vendor

Vendor

Not sure what it is...

Sidewalk scenery

Canal housing

Cycling for exercise and adventure in Shanghai. 
Behind me a barge on the Huangpu river.

Summer camp


During my last 6 weeks in Shanghai, I managed and taught an English summer camp for 7 Korean teenagers. We stayed at the top floor of a sky rise apartment block and I had to teach English and take them on educational outings. I had a Chinese assistant, named Apple, who helped with all the arrangements and translation.

Welcoming the students at the Shanghai airport

Boarding a train to downtown Shanghai

Downtown Shanghai skyline

Downtown Shanghai skyline

Downtown Shanghai skyline

Downtown Shanghai skyline

Shanghai

Downtown Shanghai skyline

Relaxing at an ice-cream shop with my students

Alex & John in a tourist tram - Nanjing Road

Sport & exercise in the late afternoons at the apartment complex

View from our apartment

View from our apartment

View from our apartment

View from our apartment

Playing badminton

Taking a break

John showing his skills

Class time

Cook & Cleaning lady

Kimchi - standard meal....6 weeks of this?

Shanghai scenery

Shanghai architecture

Shanghai architecture

Karaoke night

Karaoke night - the name of Karaoke 'bar'

Kim singing his heart out

Rooftop BBQ with students

Michael doing the BBQ

Feast

Alex enjoying his food

Group photo: L-R: Apple, Me, shy girl, Alex, Sydney, Kim, John and Clarke

The Boys - Left to Right: Kim, Clarke, Alex, and John


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