Riding a Bus in Changzhou, China

Riding a Bus in Changzhou, China

I’m teaching ESL English in Changzhou, China. The children are soooooo very cute. They are such quick learners too! Very bright. I’m teaching Grade 4 and Grade 1.

I feel very honoured to be teaching at this school. It is a professional environment where staff are continually doing professional development and attending regular meetings.  The communication between the staff is 110% excellent. Everyone knows everything about everyone – especially when it’s relevant to the children and their education.

I flourish in this kind of teaching environment!  I get all the support I need in class and out of class.

I’ve made some great Chinese friends who are so very helpful and kind.

The foreign teachers are a different story – they are mixed up about everything it seems. For example, one foreign teacher (American) taught two morning classes drunk after a night of partying.  Another foreign teacher (South Africa) saw fit to ridicule the staff and school on social media. You see what I mean? They’re all mixed up about how to be professional.

I like the Chinese staff at the school – they’re professional and dedicated.

RIDING THE BUS IN CHANGZHOU, CHINA

I’ve been here for over three months and finally know the bus system here in Changzhou. Well, I know 2 of the bus routes – the B1 and 302.

In the first few weeks some of us foreign teachers called the 302 bus the MAGIC BUS because it seems to take us everywhere we want to go. Then I discovered the B1 and it seems to do the same.

The bus system in Changzhou, China is VERY CONVENIENT. The buses run all day every day. It costs only 1 Yuan to get on a bus and you can ride the bus as long as you like.

The only problem with riding the bus as a foreigner is that everything is in Chinese. One day I was in such a panic to return home because I didn’t know which way the bus was going – which side of the street I had to stand on. Luckily, that day I was travelling with some Chinese friends who told me that “Kong Long” meant the dinosaur park – so I could look at whether the arrow was going away from or to those words – Kong Long. Now I know which way to ride that handy 302 bus.

If you’re curious about the buses in Changzhou but can’t read Chinese I recommend:

FIRST:

Write down your home/place of stay address in Chinese before you leave. (Ask a Chinese friend to help you. OR do a TRANSLATE before you leave and screenshot the translation). This way you can show your address to any taxi driver and you return with ease. I always carry this with me. Saved me on a rainy day once when I didn’t want to wait for the bus – I caught a taxi (which only cost me 12 Yuan).

SECOND: Take pictures of buildings and landmarks near your home/place of stay so you remember where to get off when you return.

THEN, hop on a bus near your place and take it until you get to a shopping centre. Get off there and do some shopping – explore the grocery story, clothing stores and food places. There are often pizza places, Starbuck and KFC close to or inside all shopping centres.

REMEMBER TO TAKE PICTURES of where you get off the bus at the shopping centre too. Some of the shopping centres are quite large so to find your way back to the right street where your return bus can be confusing. TAKE PICTURES!

TIP: Remember what side of the street you got off the bus – you’ll need to catch the bus home on the opposite side!!