Today I have been 'interviewing' staff and volunteers to assess their level of English (something for which I am not qualified) so we can divide into groups for English discussion classes. It has been a good opportunty for me to get to know some people I have not spoken to before and the answers to the question on why people like ot work at Canyou are genuinely inspiring and offer one of those moments when you know why you are here. Very strong words like power, family, freedom, friendship and safety are not the words you normally hear about why people like to work in a particular place.

Makes the week seem all the better after endless hours of officialdom in getting my residency - 12 hours so far this week and still not completed. I was interviewed by the police today and if they approve me it should be easy from here.

Not so good this week:Lack of privacy - not a known ncept here and living with 7 other people makes me time all the more important. I think I will need to establish a couple of ground rules soon just to make life at home more harmonious.

Bureaucracy - see above

Duck's feet on the menu - absolutely no!

Dailly explosions from mining in the nearby mountain. They shake the whole building and nearly knock you off your chair.

Good this week:Work satisfaction - again see aboveDrop in temperature - night time has dropped to 20 degrees and everyone is getting their winter quilts out! Daytime is still about 32 degrees though.

Front page of local paper - and invitations to visit local schools

Trip to Dafen painting village

Planned trip to the seaside on Saturday - sponsored by Coca Cola!

Cooked Italian food for flatmates last night - mixed reviews i think.