I was at Genius Baby School in the morning and after one of my classes the assistant approached me holding a CD case.The front of the case showed a couple dancing in what looked to me like ballroom attire. The assistant is a slightly older Chinese lady who does not speak English.The other teachers tried to help her tell me that it was about dancing.I didn't know whether she was trying to give it to me or lend it to me so to avoid confusion I just said no thank you and shook my head.I think she took this to mean I didn't understand what it was, because she smiled, said "Dance!" and then grabbed me.Before I knew what was happening one hand was in my armpit and the other on my waist and I was being twirled around the classroom with the kids and teachers watching.I cannot dance.I stood on her foot.It was all over very quickly and I felt a little violated…She did have a lovely smile though…

It was supposed to be pay day but I wasn't very hopeful of actually getting paid, nothing else seems to have gone as it should.So I went to a cash point and *shock* I'd been paid.In my usual pay-day tradition from home, I jumped on a bus and went to buy myself something completely pointless as a treat for all my hard work.I ended up with a SpongeBob Square Pants mug (complete with its own spoon!) and some really uncool pink slippers.I love random pay-day purchases!!I also went into a cake shop and bought myself a custard roll.As I was stood on the bus stop eating my roll and minding my own business, a man and his little boy stopped their motorbike and started trying to speak to me.I got from their gesturing that they were offering me a lift.They were probably from my yard or something (everyone recognises me but I have trouble recognising them) still I wasn't getting on that thing!I smiled dumbly and pretended not to understand.

I'd had a message from Ashley saying his bus had broken (it was good to know that even the more experienced can have problems with transport in China!).Ruth came to my apartment while we waited for Ashley to get to Liaocheng.He called to say he had got to the bus station so we started walking.It got a little confusing as the bus had dropped him at the back of the station and we just hoped that we were all at the same station.One advantage of there being so few Laowai in Liaocheng is that you can recognise someone even if you have never met them before in your life.After a few phone calls we managed to figure out where he was, turned a corner, and a Western guy approached us... It was Ashley!We all introduced ourselves and then headed towards the restaurant.

We went to the same restaurant we had been before (where the drunken girl kept poking my cheek dimples- she wasn't there this time).It doesn't have a working loo so the waitress took me and Ruth to the bed shop next door to use their toilet.When we got back, Ashley was speaking Mandarin with a Chinese guy.When our food arrived the Chinese guy left us alone.We noticed on my bottle of beer there was a strange substance. Ashley said he had seen leeches while he had been in Malaysia with his girlfriend last week. I decided to check it wasn't a leech by poking it with my chopstick.I had already had a few to drink so I announced that it wasn't leech, it was 'sneeze' and got the giggles.It's not even funny, it's disgusting!

A bit later on I needed the toilet again.This time the bed shop was closed so there was somewhere else we had to use instead.First of all the waiter took Ashley and when he got back he advised me not to go.But I'd been drinking beer so I just had to go.I followed the waitress down the road, through a brick archway, and into a concrete walled area which circled around on itself until you reached the centre (there was no roof or ceiling).The centre consisted of three holes in the ground, and a whole lot of unsanitary items and waste all over the place.The waitress came all the way in with me with her torch.Otherwise it was pitch black.She started to pee so I figured the best thing to do would be squat and get on with it.When she finished she stood up and shone the torch on me.I really wanted the whole experience to be over, but I felt like I was peeing forever under spotlight!

Ruth had to leave us because she was teaching the next day.A while after, the waiter started to show Ashley and I a Chinese newspaper with pictures of English people.This included a blond film star and a nurse in her fifties wearing lingerie.The waiter seemed very pleased about this!I asked Ashley if he could understand why he was showing us the photos but he wasn't really clear either.Anyway, it was interesting spending the evening there with someone who could speak both English and Mandarin.The waitress told Ashley that she remembered I am vegetarian from last time and she has seen me around a lot.I told him to tell her she should say Hello!She said she was worried I would ignore her. It was such a strange feeling to realise these thoughts have been going on in people's heads and I'm completely ignorant to this because of the language barrier.

After we left the restaurant, Ashley and I stayed up talking in the lounge until about 5am when it was getting light. It was really interesting though and I feel like I learned a lot by talking to him.He had previously spent about a year (I think?) in China as a teacher, then he went back to the UK, and now he is here travelling the country until December.He hasn't got a fixed plan, just visiting people and places along his way.He has a really efficient system for packing too.He only has a backpack the size of like a school/gym bag.For five months!!!!I could not comprehend this.So he explained how he is able to travel so lightly.He has a soap that can wash hair, body and clothes.He has two changes of clothes and a hammock (of course?!)So as he wears one change of clothes he can wash and dry the other, and then wear those the next day, while he washes the other, and so on and so on.He also has needle and thread so any clothing emergencies can be repaired along the way.I am just so amazed/impressed by it, as Ashley sews his way around China (it's OK I think he'll be reading this!)