Cliche title quoting a song about air travel

Just paid $7 to get wi-fi access here in terminal E6, at O'Hare, as I wait for my plane. I thought I'd try to post now, since in a few minutes I'll be headed to Detroit, where I will rush through the airport to make my connecting flight, and take off for China. After Detroit, I'm not really sure when I'll next have phone or internet access. Or what my life will look like.


I will get off the plane in Beijing, and try to find the people from my school who are picking me up. I don't know what they look like..... or where they will be. Nor do I have any way to contact them. I hope they are better at finding me then I am at finding them. 

Then, I will get in their car/van/taxi/bus/?, and they will take me to my new "furnished, western style apartment". I don't really know what that means. It is unclear if I will have any roommates or if I will be living alone. I do know that I will have white linens, pillows, and white towels from the Beijing IKEA....

 But that is as much as I know about my new life. That, and the following itinerary: 
(Now, if I can't find internet or phone, at least you'll have an idea what I'm up to).


By the way....in case you were wondering....it is absolutely TERRIFYING to leave a fulfilling, happy, amazing life you love (I feel in the past year I had FINALLY created the life I wanted to be living) for the (almost) absolute unknown, on the other side of the world..... I have wilted into a sobby, weepy mess precisely 1.5 times this morning already.

But......hiding deep underneath the fear, anxiety, (so much anxiety spray has been used today.....and so very many deep breaths....), and the sadness.....I am excited.   

Detroit (look- Berry Gordy! Eminem!....just kidding.) 

 Edit- despite paying $7 for internet, the connection was spotty,  so I didn't get to post this until now, when I am sitting in Detroit. I barely noticed the flight, as I haven't really slept at all the past 3 days, I fell asleep before we really got in the air and woke up upon landing impact. I didn't even have to run through the airport, because my new gate, to pick up my flight to Beijing, was literally across the walking sidewalk from the gate where I de-planned from Chicago. 

The airport (at least Terminal A, Gate A50) is pretty swanky, and has this cool monorail thing going for it. 75% of the other people at this gate are Chinese (WHAT? AREN'T YOU SHOCKED!?) and the realization that this language and this culture are my new normal is slowly sinking in (someone just had to translate the P.A. announcement for me about the flight status.....)....but in the groggiest kind of way.....kind of like one of those dreams, where you hear your alarm, but you think it is part of the dream, so you try to turn it off in the dream, but it doesn't work, and you very slowly begin to realize that you need to wake up to make the noise stop, but you are so groggy and tired, and everything seems so heavy, you just can't seem to figure out how to wake up......life feels like that right now.......

Boarding soon. Actually really thankful I'm so tired, hopefully this flight will be painless. I've been known to sleep for 12 hours before.

Things I'd never thought I'd say: "I've gotta go, I'm getting ready to board my one-way flight to China". 

That sobbing.....scratch 1.5 times and make it a full 2.....or maybe 2.5 by now......

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Orientation Schedule 2013-14

Welcome to Beijing! Your Welcome Pack (which you will find in your accommodation) will help you through the first few days, but your formal Orientation programme begins on Monday 12^th August at 9am in Legend Garden campus.

Please make sure you are in room 110 in good time: signs at the main Reception will show you how to get there. Coffee and tea will be provided.

On Tuesday we will go for the medical check. Please do not eat breakfast but do bring a snack for afterwards.

Dress code for orientation: Smart casual

Monday 12th August- 9.00 start Room 110
Time	Session Name	Led by
8.35 8.45	Bus pick up for Capital Paradise residents Bus pick up for Rainbow Garden/Tianzhu Garden residents
9.00	Introduction and Essentials	Mel Ellis
	The essentials (toilets, emergency procedures) plus a brief introduction to what Orientation will cover, and details of social events for this week. Information re. duck dinner this evening.
9.10	Welcome and Introduction from CLT	David Mansfield and CLT
	Welcome from David Mansfield, Headmaster, and an introduction to the College Leadership Team and their areas of responsibility:
	Simon Herbert (Head of Senior School) Ruth Grant (Head of Junior School) Sarah Humphreys (Head of Early Years)		Cynthia Maclean (External Relations) Jayne Scott (Bursar)
9.30	Tour of Legend Garden campus (3 groups)		Ruth/Simon/Olivia
	Tour of Legend Garden campus buildings, which is where the Junior and Senior Schools (Key Stages 2-4 and IB) are located. To include locations of DCP personnel/admissions/marketing. After tour – there will be coffee and tea available. Break until 11.00am
11.00	Personal Administration	Maureen/Jayne Scott/Liu Ying
	An introduction to personal administration, including details of allowances and how to claim them, banking, finance and visas. There will be an opportunity for individual questions and for making claims at this time.
12.00	LUNCH  Lakeside café -. Please indicate at this time your confirmation for the CLT dinner this evening.
13.00	Life in Beijing/Life at DCB Q+A	Stephen Kaye, Nicola Fennemore, Nicholas Wolfe, Mel Ellis, Olivia Bugden
	Current staff will come along to provide advice. This session is designed to be interactive, so please come along with any questions you have on any aspect of living in China and Beijing, or what it is like to work at DCB.
13.30	Basic Chinese Lesson - optional	Jane Li
	Very basic guidance on key phrases that will get you around in a taxi, and cover your basic needs for your first week here!
14.30	Tour of Early Years campuses			Sarah Humphreys
	Tour of Riviera Main Campus and Little Riviera (Toddler, Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 2). Two buses – one will drop off directly to homes, one will stop of at Jenny Wang’s supermarket before dropping off at home.
16.30	Legend Garden Block 5 residents – open internet/phone accounts at China Unicom office with Amy Li
18.30	Duck Dinner with CLT  (optional)                               CLT

Tuesday 13th August – 8.00 start
Please be aware that the timings for today may vary depending on how quickly the medicals are completed. It will be a long day with lots of waiting, so please bring something to keep yourself entertained!
Time	Session Name	Led by
8.00 8.10	Bus pick up for Legend Garden residents Bus pick up for Rainbow Garden/Tianzhu Garden residents
9.00	Medical at hospital	Rebecca and Oona (HR)
! please read !	! Important: please bring your passport (and your dependent’s passports), and some passport photos if you have not already given them to HR. The medical is a requirement for your working visa. Do not eat breakfast but bring a snack, such as fruit, to eat once you have finished. We have no control over how busy the hospital is, so there may be significant waiting time involved. The medical involves the following tests for height/weight, eyesight, blood test, blood pressure, ECG and chest x-ray. If you finish your medical early, please don’t leave the hospital- then we can move on as soon as everybody is done.
12.30	Chinese lunch- South Beauty	Maureen/Mel/Olivia
	Once the medical is finished, we will go for a Chinese meal so you can try some popular dishes. If you do not need to have the medical, please meet the group at the restaurant. During the meal, we will collect numbers for the optional activities for Wednesday afternoon.
14.00	ICT training, Legend Garden (Room TBC)	See staff named below
	2.00pm – all new staff issued with laptops. Steve Andersen introduces the systems we use and what they are for.  Basic mac skills supported by Olivia Bugden. Adam Taylor and Andrew O'Loughlin (mac proficient) support. 3.00pm – Studywiz basic skills for most with Stephen Kaye and Steve Andersen. Adam Taylor works with Mel on BlueSky. New staff can use current staff studywiz log in for access. 3.30pm – Sharepoint basic skills/using sharepoint on a mac for most with Steve Andersen.  3.00pm – SIMS for Daniel Nichol with Richard Hawkins/Chris McRobb. 4.00pm – SIMS for all – work in pairs/small groups with one of the new staff listed above EXCEPT Daniel Nichol who will continue to work with Richard. All other current staff to circulate and help.
16.30	Buses to begin drop off at homes

Wednesday 14th August – 9.00 start
Time	Session	Led by
8.35 8.45	Bus pick up for Capital Paradise residents Bus pick up for Rainbow Garden/Tianzhu Garden residents
9.00	Time in Schools	Heads of School
	Please see separate school schedules for activities and times.
Approx. 12.15	Lunch on campus
13.15	Options
	We will try to tailor this afternoon to suit your needs. Possible options are listed in the table below.
19.00	Informal drinks in town – information to follow (optional)

Possible Options for Wednesday Afternoon:

Personal	Professional
Ikea	Time in classroom
Auchan/Decathlon Shopping	ICT help
Ayi/driver help with HR	With Subject Leader/Year leader if they are available
HR/finance follow up	Time with Head of School
Tourist visit – by popular demand…
Time at home

Thursday 15th–Tuesday 20th August

Teacher Planning Days – Schedule to follow from Heads of Schools

Saturday 17th August

All staff social event – 14.00-17.00. More details to follow.