I got up early to get the coach to Beijing West Train station.It was a very hot day and the coach dropped us off far away from the main entrance so we all had to drag our luggage through crowds of people just to get into the train station.We passed through security and things got no better, the entire train station was full of crowds of people, it was worse than being at London Paddington at 5pm on Xmas eve last year. I got scratches up my legs from other people's luggage and I nearly took out a few small children with my own.The crowd of people then passed through the ticket gate and had to go down the stairs as a mass. It was so dangerous!There were queues just to get onto the platform.I found the right carriage with Jen the other girl going to my school, luckily the company had booked us hard sleeper tickets and we were beds 1 and 2 so didn't have to go far down the carriage to find them.For most of the journey I slept.

I knew we had to get off the train around 3ish so I started to pay a bit more attention around this time.The window I was facing looked very rural; there was what looked like a power station in the far distance and lots of smog, but no other buildings just lots of trees.Neither of us wants to live in the countryside!!Then Jen noticed from the window directly behind us it looked very built up, more town/city than forest.We'd just been looking out the wrong window!Once the train stopped at Liaocheng I started to get off and left my suitcase at the top of the stairs to reach around for it once I got onto the steps but then I realised I couldn't turn around on the steps with my backpack because I kept getting stuck in the doorway.A man who was behind me on the train handed me my suitcase, I was so grateful as I could have been trying to turn around and get it for days if nobody had helped.

Before Jen even got off the train, I was pounced on by a Chinese woman and man was with her.They grabbed my suitcase and then I told them Jen was with me too and they took her backpack.They got us to follow them to the car park and introduced themselves as Teacher Shi and Teacher Neil.I soon realised this was about as much English as they knew.I felt bad about them helping with our bags as Teacher Shi looked very glamorous and she was struggling with my suitcase down the steps as it was heavier than it looks.Teacher Neil started to drive and then the car stopped and Teacher Shi got out to get us all a bottle of water.Then we stopped again on a street, none of the signs were in English and we had no idea where we were.I noticed a sign saying New concepts English school and I started to relax a little.It wasn't the Cambridge School of English we'd been expecting, but at least it was written in English.We were introduced to a teacher called Echo and she spoke English and Mandarin.She was able to translate what Teacher Shi and Teacher Neil had been trying to tell us in the car- they said we are very beautiful and fashionable. Haha!

Things then got a little heated as they were telling us I would have to stay in hotel and Jen would stay with a different teacher.I wasn't too bothered where we ended up, I just wanted to unpack and get settled somewhere, anywhere!Jen really did not want to be by herself though so I argued with them and told them our company had said we would be placed together.The room at the school suddenly seemed to be full of people speaking very quickly and very loudly in Mandarin and nobody was translating for us.I decided to phone the manager back in Beijing but he just said this was not surprising to him and he was not very helpful at all.If this kind of thing is likely to happen, why don't they warn you during the week in Beijing? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Nothing seemed to be resolved and we were taken to Baby Genius Kindergarten to meet the Head teacher.There was more discussion in Mandarin and eventually they told us that we can stay in same apartment with a Chinese teacher from Baby Genius until they find us our own place.They said it would be just one or two days so I thought this actually sounded like a good idea.She might be able to give us some tips and help us get used to the local area.

Seven of us ended up going to Teacher Wang's house, the Head teacher, Teacher Shi, Teacher Neil, Miss Wang, Echo, Jen and I.They took our bags upstairs for us, which again made me feel very awkward but they were so forceful I didn't have a choice.Once at the flat I noticed there were only two bedrooms.I asked Echo where Miss Wang would be sleeping.She told me I would have to share a bed with Jen for one or two days while they find us somewhere better.OK so that's not ideal with someone you've only just met (no comments please) but it was only for a couple of days so seemed pretty fair if it meant we got a flat together after.

Miss Wang was going to let us have her room as it was bigger, but then nobody could unlock the second bedroom door where she was going to be sleeping.We waited on balcony for ages while they all took turns to try to get the lock open. Eventually the door was opened and then the Head teacher wanted to take us all for dinner.

When we got the restaurant we were also joined by a teaching assistant called Suzanne.I showed Echo my card which says I am vegetarian in Mandarin and she explained to the other Mandarin speakers that I don't eat meat, chicken or seafood.They were all getting her to translate lots of questions about religion; they didn't seem to understand vegetarianism and thought it must be due to religious beliefs.They kept asking if I was Christian or Catholic and whether I believe in God. I just answered by saying "I don't go to church" because I didn't want to lie and say I'm religious but I also didn't want to offend them by saying I'm not.Luckily I played it cautiously because it turns out several of them are very Christian and wanted to talk about Jesus etc.

All through dinner they kept saying me and Jen are beautiful.It was very embarrassing!The ridiculous thing is they don't seem to realise they are completely stunning.They have long dark shiny hair that doesn't frizz to about 10 times its normal size due to the humidity; they have gorgeous dark eyes and petite bodies.But I had been warned that being blond(ish) with blue eyes would attract a lot of attention and so I just smiled and shook my head.They told us they wanted to give us Chinese names and the name I was given is Moli, which they told me is a lovely Chinese flower. There was some laughter though so I think I need to check on the internet that it doesn't mean something else like 'one with smelly feet' or something!

During dinner we were told the Head teacher is very famous in Liaocheng and owns 10 schools.I'm not the kind of person to be awed by fame, but it was quite nice to know we were being treated to dinner by a very successful woman.I was determined to make a good impression and use my chopsticks.I even used them for some little bean things which were tricky to pick up but I didn't drop a single one.It was worth the effort as one of the girls translated to me that the Head teacher said I was 'super' for using chopsticks instead of spoon.