8th May Sarah was coming round before we headed to Red Bar to watch the Man Utd vs Chelsea game. She text me saying she had become a bit lost on the way. I told her to pass the phone to the taxi driver and I'd explain. She laughed as she said she was the Chinese person, "Ha, let me try" I told the taxi driver my address in Mandarin and told Sarah she would now be on her way now.It was hilarious; Directing a Chinese taxi driver on behalf of a Chinese pe...

30th AprilChecklist: Eaten a Chicken Heart. It tastes like Chicken, just a little bit chewier! In my classes that the children are a lot more energetic or perhaps even naughty I have come up with a new teaching method. Each lesson I designate 2 watchers to look out for anyone speaking Chinese or being naughty.Today in Moose class Rex and Edison were given these roles. As soon as Linda explained in Chinese their duties, their hands were promptly on their laps, bac...

26th AprilWhen children ask, 'teacher what is your name?' I usually respond with their name or animal they've just learnt which they find very funny. In Elephant Class, some children do actually call me Teacher Caterpillar now. Anyway, one lesson last week Hobert was persistent in finding out my name. I told him I was called Hobert, then cat, monkey but he kept pushing so I finally told him. He walked away clearly satisfied with this new fact. Sat in a small wood...

18th AprilI went to the hairdressers by the apartment before but only for a trim on the sides and back, this time I decided I wanted a full hair cut and I was nervous.The floor hadn't been swept from the day before, nor the hair washed from the scissors. A man sat on a couch smoking a cigarette. It was 8am, but I don't think the time really mattered; Cleanliness of hairdressers in Songjiang clearly isn't the same standard as back in England. I did some scissor ge...

12th AprilThe train from the airport to Hong Kong Central only took 24 minutes but I was desperate for the loo by the time we finally arrived."Do you have a toilet please?" I ask a uniformed man "One moment please" he said. I ask again in Chinese just in case he didn't understand my English. In fact he did, he'd radioed a colleague to escort me to the toilet. I soon realised when the guy used his ID card to open a door that they didn't have an...