5th AprilTransferring at Xujiahui onto Line 1, I soon realised (well I say soon, 5 stops later) that I had been travelling the wrong way! What should have been only 4 stops to Shanghai South Train Station ended up being 12! Despite my mix up on the subway, I still had time to catch the 9:30am train to Wuxi. Rushing to the ticket office a lady behind glass screen exclaims "No seats" "Next one?" Her face blank, "No!" "Any today? P...

31st MarchFact is, I am young and have choices in my life. I tell myself today, "Emma at least you have choices!"I now feel guilty for even complaining, for not taking a step back and thinking how privileged I am to even be in the position I'm in right now. Silly girl! I don't remember complaining in Uganda, never once wanting to just give up. Why the unexpected outlook here? I suppose I suddenly took it all for granted, money, freedom, youth, 'the worl...

30th MarchFor the first time since arriving in Songjiang, China, yesterday I was having doubts about staying...Next week I get 3 days off school and so to have the opportunity to travel further than Shanghai, this break has excited me so much. I've been searching online places I can go, all that I can see and that was exactly it; All that I can see! I've had one week off for Spring Festival and my next week holiday is in October, just 2 weeks in a year! Is this t...

26th MarchChecklist:Eaten a chickens footEaten a pigeons footEaten cows stomachWhen Sunny (my Mandarin tutor) told me in my last lesson, "I will cook us chicken feet for dinner" My response was of course "Yes, that would be great" Yet in my head I was dreading the thought! Tonight that dish was served…A huge spread, cooked by Sunny's husband Leo, was placed infront of me. Green vegetables, delicious chicken and potato, beef, fish, bean sprou...

24th March?Fact:The Church on She Shan hill, is the biggest Church in East Asia.Staring down at Steven and I was a brick and wood, seven story Pagoda, originally built 700 years ago. Some monks walked past in their yellow, slack garmets preparing for the afternoon prayers. I felt out of place not knowing where to walk, if I was doing something correct or even offensive and that would last thing I would ever want to do!!Clouds of incense wafted from great bronze b...