Guangzhou, China
Lightning storm my plane went through on the way to Toronto for my layover
First few days it was POURing rain, the same few days we had to get our sim cards, cooking supplies, groceries etc to settle in. Gate to the school in the background.
Internal court of the school, it is an open concept with 6 floors
Front of the Canadian High School on campus. There are other buildings on the campus, including a kindergarten, middle school and other international programs.
The other new teachers I arrived with on my flight. Eating dumplings at a local shop right in front of the school after a busy morning.
The staff who work for the Canadian program
It is easy to find a lot of other Asian cuisines around the city. We live in the outskirts and the food is very local. Western food is pretty scarce but can be found more in the city centre.
Some local food
In the city. There are large malls everywhere!
Lights all around the city at night.
One of our colleagues hosted a lunch at his apartment in the city for all of the staff. This particular person has lived in the city for 18 years so he has been extremely knowledgeable and helpful to everyone. He also prepared all the food for everyone himself and refused any help.
After he took us on a small city tour. This is the top of the Four Seasons hotel. It has a great view of the city.
In the background is the Canton Tower. The iconic building in Guangzhou. It was briefly the tallest tower in the world.
The city really comes alive at night and is one of those cities that is more beautiful in the evening because of the lights.
Here is a view of the city from where we live. There is a nice little park and hiking mountain nearby.
Teacher's Day was in September so one class gave the teachers a nice poster and flowers. Another student gave Danny and I a porcelain mug.
In our office, celebrating a staff member's birthday.
There was a typhoon that came through one weekend. School was cancelled on the Monday. This is some of the damage after. We lost electricity for one day after the storm. Everyone we know was okay!
The school offered to take the new staff on a river cruise on weeknight. This river is called the Pearl River. It included a dinner buffet. The city looked extra nice because the storm blew away a lot of the pollution in the air.
Views from the boat.
Danny and I exploring another part of the city. This area is technically a small island called Shamian Island and it was once colonized by the French and the British so it has some European style buildings. The green building in the background is now a Starbucks.
Traditional market in the city
More damage from the storm
Taco Tuesday with colleagues
Drinks with a view after
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