Fighting the monotony

There seems to be a paradox within routine monotony. It is simultaneously comforting and disturbing, which makes for an odd contrast.

Another lovely Suzhou garden, the Lion Grove Garden

We have definitely reached a stage in our journey where a routine exists, and it's nice. Its nice to feel like I know what's going on, its nice to be able to go out and know I can get by. It's nice to know I can order food and (more or less) understand what someone is saying to me when it really matters. It's nice to know what to expect from any one class when I walk into a classroom, and it's nice to know that on the weekend we have a little group of friends to spend a nice evening with.

But that's it. It's just nice, and that's where the itch of disturbance sets in. Something of the adventure and wonder of coming to China has worn off and the nice comforting routine has become uncomfortable. I came to China to be taken out of my little London bubble and to challenge myself but, while it hasn't all been plain sailing, now China has become another little bubble. I have adapted to life here and I learnt to 'go with the flow' in order to deal with the confusions and inconsistencies of China, but there never really was any huge culture shock. And this vaguely troubles me. It feels wrong to so quickly adjust to China to point where this is now 'home'. Of course there have been 'China days' but they haven't been to do with China as much as teaching and honestly they only really came about at the very beginning when teaching was new and difficult. Now I am comfortable in front of a class and more often than not enjoying myself and having fun with my students.
Of course, there are lots of strange things here but none so strange that they have made me stop and hesitate for more than a few seconds.

● These lovely men are actually worth mentioning. Near our apartment these gentlemen do leafleting for a gym or something similar. Everyday they would follow us around the shops and almost home in an effort to get us to take a leaflet, gradually they started throwing in a few English phrases until one day we decided to actually talk to them instead of running away. Obviously this was the perfect photo opportunity and I now have all of their business cards. You know, just in case... ●

Undoubtedly I am happy here and having a great time, and I wouldn't trade happy contentment for the sake of unnecessary drama just to break the monotony, but I just expected something more. I expected to feel like I was somewhere apart from everything I know at home, like I was being enveloped in an entirely different culture...but what I've found is that China is disappointingly similar to much of the West. There are the same shops everywhere (M&S anyone?) , many of the same Western restaurant chains, and really the people aren't that different. Maybe this is a curse of living is a city so close to Shanghai, the Western influence is leaking in. I know it's wrong to judge the entirety of a country from the very small chunk of it that I have seen, and I'm not, but one of the things I am most looking forward to is being able to see more of China after placement is over. And that time is rapidly approaching.

It's amazing how fast time can go, even when one is in a monotonous routine. May is just around the corner and with it comes the time to start seriously thinking about the future.
Not only the big Future, capital F, of what to do with my life after my contract ends here in Suzhou, but also the future of the next few months of travelling. When I came out here it was always in the back of my mind that TEFL was a means to an end; a convenient excuse to go travelling, and to some extent it still is. But now I have also found that I really enjoy the teaching and that doing this would be an amazing way to spend my life, at least for a bit. This is why my original plan, to teach until June/July, then travel until the money ran out and head home for winter, is rapidly evolving into a much bigger plan.

For now, this is how I fight the lingering feeling of monotony, making plans and giving myself something to look forward to is a necessary motivator. It is a reminder that I'm not stuck standing still, that there are plenty more adventures just on the horizon. All through my time here there have been benchmarks of things to look forward to; first it was the Qingming weekend in Shaghai, and now it's the May Day bank holiday and then travelling! These benchmarks are getting closer and closer together as we race towards our end date of 10 June, and it is exciting. We may be in a routine of lessons and Suzhou, but in a few weeks that routine will be smashed to pieces and the next adventure will be staring us in the face. Believe me, I'm more than ready for it!