A Nervous Writer has joined the Rebellion

[Barbs]

(Queue fireworks...seriously - I live in China so they're not unusual during the day, but as soon as I clicked on 'Create New Topic', they started going off...I'll take it as a good omen )

 

Hi all,

My names Barbs.  I'm a solo-mum living in China (which you already know) with my almost 4 y.o. son.  I have a lot of weight to lose and a decade of attempts under my belt (I've gone down both the strength and cardio routes before, both really well (losing about 30kg each time), but then the old 'life happened' and let it all come back again).

 

I generally work better when I go all-in rather than trying to make small changes...though clearly that isn't completely Barbs-proof since I've also fallen back every time.  So this time I'm hoping to do a kind of mix.  I love interval training, so I'm kind of looking at this journey like that - I want to have times when I do go 'all-in' for a bit, either to get over a hurdle, or just cos there's something intense I want to give a go, but then make my main focus the every day routines and making those better and better so hopefully one day I won't even need the all-ins...except maybe after holidays to get back into it.

 

I've signed up to the Academy, working my way through the Mindset Quests, as well as signing up for Coaching to ensure I keep accountable.  I've also been looking around the forums and seems there's a lot of praise for Whole30, so I'm considering that...though I have found home cooking here a bit harder mostly just cos it's all so different still (two years in, you'd think I'd be used to it by now).  If anyone has any advice or thoughts on the Whole30, I'd love to hear it.  (Specific question - hasn't anyone used Real Plans?  I think that will be my easiest route for making sure I stick to Whole30 with my life at the moment, but then it could just be I liked their marketing page on Whole30 site)

 

Other than that, I'm currently the English teacher at a kindergarten here, which is SO much fun!  I adore my students so much.  One day I hope to be a published writer though (sci-fi or fantasy, I go back and forth)....so I tend to write a lot...always 

 

Hope to chat to lost of Rebels along the way,

 

Cheers

~ Barbs

[Enforcer25]

Welcome to Nerd Fitness, I think you are where a lot of us have been, get in a good grove and then fall off the wagon. I think your idea of alternating between all in and regular workouts. The key is finding something that works for you. Good luck

[shy]

Welcome to the forum! I'm pretty new myself!

 

How did you find your way to China?! May I ask what it's like and what do you do there and where are you originally from?!  I would love to see the world!

 

I'd offer diet advice but I don't diet myself. For the next challenge I might make a couple of Monday through Friday changes. I eat fairly healthy most of the time aside from sweet cravings. Damn you sweet cravings!! 

 

[Barbs]

Thanks for the welcomes 

13 hours ago, Enforcer25 said:

I think your idea of alternating between all in and regular workouts.

 

Umm I think you didn't finish the thought...so I'm not sure what you think? 

 

4 minutes ago, shy said:

How did you find your way to China?! May I ask what it's like and what do you do there and where are you originally from?!  I would love to see the world!

 

Fair questions   I have a major travel bug.  I was born in South Africa, but we moved to New Zealand when I was about 11, then my parents moved to Australia when I was about 20, so I went there for a bit as well.  Also did a massive OE in 2006 which was my first experience of China and I always wanted to come back (it's the first country I've been where English wasn't the dominant language, so it just felt so unique in that, as well as the culture etc).

 

I hadn't really traveled much since 2008, and thought it was pretty much closed off once I had my son (I'm a solo mum), but when my job just pushed me the wrong way, I knew I needed a change.  A few things pointed to China again, my original trip here, my wanting to learn Chinese and to expose my son to languages from an early age, heck even a job opening at Google that was almost identical to my previous position...but you had to know Chinese to apply.  Honestly I wasn't sure it would work even as we got here, though there had been no red flags.

 

It's worked out well so far.  I'm an English teacher at a kindergarten where my son also attends.  I do really love living here, even though there are things that drive me crazy every time.  I find Chinese people to be so generous and patient, but also some of the cultural differences mean I feel like people are constantly in my face.  I mean that both literally due to smaller personal space and figuratively in that it's acceptable to take photos of anything here.  My son's blonde and blue eyed, so there isn't a day that we're in the public when someone doesn't either approach him or try take his photo.  Since his Chinese is now amazing, they tend to back off when he tells them he doesn't want a photo or whatever in Chinese.

 

It's also been super rewarding.  Even though I get a little down sometimes that I have to work at conversations with him sometimes, I'm so proud of my son for learning both languages, even if his English isn't as good as his Chinese right now.  I'm also so proud of him for adapting and taking the best of both - he's always been an active and adventure driven kid (I've probably encouraged this more than I should at times), and he hasn't lost this despite kids here being a lot more cautious and calmer than he is.  He's also gotten used to the way things work here as best he can (he's always treated a little differently, so is never 100% sure on the rules)

 

For me personally, I would probably stay here longer if I didn't have my son.  I love working with the kids, they're just so enthusiastic and outgoing in my classes.  I also feel like there's so much more I could learn and see (this is why Kung Fu and Chinese have become priorities this year).  But I don't like the level of pressure that goes on the kids.  My son's almost 4, so we could in theory stay one more year.  The year after that though, kids are expected to go to all number of after school and weekend classes to ensure they can do well enough on their end of kindergarten exam to determine what primary they will go to, and the pattern continues for primary and middle school.  In no other country have I seen kids groan at the thought of summer vacation - it just means more school homework than most can do in the 3 months as well extracurricular classes to attend.

 

I don't know how to explain it, if you have the chance I'd definitely recommend it.  It's an amazing country and they have some things down to such an art form for dealing with such a massive population it's incredible, but then just some weird things along the way that can't be described other than TIC (This is China).  Though, I'd highly recommend traveling in general.  It doesn't matter how big or small your country is, you will always learn things you can't in your own country by traveling.

 

...sorry, that's probably a lot longer reply than you were expecting...or I was intending to write.  I'm gonna blame the coffee I had half an hour ago, which in itself was an awful idea given it's already late here.

~ Barbs

[shy]

6 minutes ago, Barbs said:

...sorry, that's probably a lot longer reply than you were expecting...or I was intending to write.  I'm gonna blame the coffee I had half an hour ago, which in itself was an awful idea given it's already late here.

~ Barbs

 

No, no! You're fine! I loved this post! Thanks so much!

 

There was a time we, the hubs and I, seriously talked about moving to Japan for a year or more but with no college degree we couldn't. Damn. We even tried to start learning the language but it was incredibly difficult. I've heard Chinese, well Mandarin, spoken and I can't pick out a single word. It must be SO difficult to learn!

 

I think I'll always have to live here in Texas. I'd rather not but my husband has decided now he wouldn't want to live anywhere else.  I still dream that we'll one day we'll be able to afford a vacation and maybe see another part of the world. 

[Barbs]

21 minutes ago, shy said:

I loved this post! Thanks so much!

Glad to hear it 
 

23 minutes ago, shy said:

seriously talked about moving to Japan

I considered Japan too, but it's a little harder to get into from what I saw, and the packages weren't quite as good as Chinese...but foreign English speakers are a lot more in demand here so that makes sense.

I hope you do get to travel.  I think I've been insanely lucky to travel as much as I have.  After telling a class at my old school about it once, one of my students asked 'Is your dad Bill Gates?'  He just couldn't wrap his head around traveling being possible without millions of dollars...though even to me it sounds insane.

But yeah, even holidays overseas are worth it.  If you do get to go to Japan (I haven't been there yet), I'd recommend end of March/early April so you can catch the full Cherry Blossom season.

[shy]

 

2 hours ago, Barbs said:

But yeah, even holidays overseas are worth it.  If you do get to go to Japan (I haven't been there yet), I'd recommend end of March/early April so you can catch the full Cherry Blossom season.

 

We would be lucky to see Disney World. lol Someday maybe.. someday.. 

I've also always wanted to see where my ancestors originated. I don't think my family would enjoy that quite as much though. 

 

What's the food like? Do you sometimes have to eat something having no idea what it is? Have you cooked for anyone there, giving them something they've never had before? What did they think? 

[Enforcer25]

8 hours ago, Barbs said:

 

Umm I think you didn't finish the thought...so I'm not sure what you think? 

I didn't , I meant to say, I like the idea of you alternating your workouts. 

 

 

2

 

[WhiteGhost]

Hi, so glad so see another China nerd    I am up in Beijing and have been here forever (14 years now) so if you have any China specific questions feel free to hit me up.  Ghostlet is in 4th grade, so I know what you are going through with your son and the pre-school stuff.

[Barbs]

On 1/30/2018 at 6:44 AM, Enforcer25 said:

I didn't , I meant to say, I like the idea of you alternating your workouts. 

 

Thanks Enforcer  I like the idea of gradually building new habits, but sometimes when you feel super motivated/amped to go, you just gotta do it or lose that extra boost right?  

 

23 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

Ghostlet is in 4th grade, so I know what you are going through with your son and the pre-school stuff.

Man, feel like that would be intense.  How are they going?  Are they at international or local school?  Also, how you going with winter?  Feel like this winter was a lot colder than last year 

[WhiteGhost]

12 minutes ago, Barbs said:

Are they at international or local school?

He goes to a local school now, but we will probably change to an international school once he gets into Middle School.  So far he has been doing quite well, but I can't believe how much homework there is - he averages about 1-2 hours worth each night  

 

19 minutes ago, Barbs said:

Also, how you going with winter?  Feel like this winter was a lot colder than last year

Yeah, you guys down south are having the coldest winter in 10 years.  Up here in Beijing it is about the same temperature as usual, but much less precipitation, we haven't had a drop of rain or a single snowflake so far this winter

[Barbs]

6 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

He goes to a local school now,

 

6 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

change to an international school

 

Sorry, I have got into bad habit of assuming most foreigners here are teachers...but now not so sure you are cos then wouldn't you both be at the same school?  I found it interesting when Dean had a bit of a rough time at start of term and the staff translator suggested maybe we look at international school for him to reduce language/cultural barrier.  All I could think is he's been here for pretty much half his life and his Chinese is better than his English...how would the international school help?  I think realistically it would just help me more for dealing with issues rather than specifically helping him out.

 

6 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

he averages about 1-2 hours worth each night

 

They really build up the homework fast here.  Some of my 11-13 year old students at old school would talk about being lucky if they could finish under 4 hours, plus having to miss other lessons to finish homework.  That one always confused me - a teacher can keep a student in their classroom to finish homework they didn't finish...even if this means they'll then be missing their next class and get behind there 

 

6 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

or a single snowflake so far this winter

 

Yeah, that was Wuxi last year - cold for me but not for the locals, and only a hint of snow one day.  We just had a few days of it.  Little man definitely enjoyed his first snow...even if he thinks it's called 'Christmas'