Little Tidbits about Wuhan

Very little English is spoken in Wuhan. And from what I’ve heard, it’s like that most every where else in China as well. Every once in a while I’ll run upon a shopkeeper or a salesman who know some very basic English, but it’s pretty rare. My co-teachers speak English pretty well, but you can tell it’s a struggle for them. The best English I’ve heard since I’ve been here is actually from some of my 4^th graders. I have a few that absolutely blow me away with how easily they speak and understand it, and others that can barely say hello.

For those of you that are wondering, I do feel very safe here. The area I live in is a nice gated community, and school is gated within that as well. The salespeople and taxi drivers have all be surprisingly upstanding. There were so many times when I first got here that they could have easily ripped me off or taken the "long route" but did not. IN fact, the only time that I’ve felt unsafe since I’ve been here is when I’m in a car or crossing the street. The driving is INSANE and I fear for my life and the lives of everyone else on the road. One thing that did surprise me when I got here was the fact that the one child policy is still very much in effect. Families that fall under the policies stipulations but have more than one child are fined heavily. Sometimes wealthy couples will just pay the fine to the government prior to having a second child. However, they’ve recently lightened up on it, and now if you’re a Chinese minority or if you and your husband and your parents are all only children, then you can have two children.

Most things here are much cheaper than in the states. Groceries, transportation, and eating out are all much cheaper. But things like electronics, clothes and imported items are about the same if not more expensive.

Fun fact: I’m leaving for Beijing today for the holiday break. It’s China’s 60^th anniversary, and the trains were absolutely sold out. The only thing I could purchase was a "standing ticket" (aka sit on the ground if there’s room)….the train ride is 15 hours….wish me luck!