I taught my first morning class as usual but when I went to my second class I was told there was no lesson because it was 'sports programme' in the afternoon and the children needed to practice.The teacher in that class doesn't speak much English but I was able to ask her if I could stay and watch them practice and she said yes.The children stood in two lines opposite each other and held hands in the line.The teacher placed a hoop over the shoulder of the first child and they had to get the hoop over their head, step through it, and then flick it onto the shoulder of the next child.They were wriggling about all over the place as they weren't allowed to let go of each other's hands.I was enjoying watching the practice until some of them messed up and the teacher hit them.I have seen the teachers hitting the children a lot in both schools I work at and I find it quite unpleasant.They hit the kids on the back, shove the kids so hard they fall over and I've even seen one teacher hold her foot over the kids head so he can't get back up off the floor.

I was feeling really tired after the weekend and the morning teaching so I decided to try to have a nap.It is difficult to sleep in the day as the yard is really noisy- I live next to a building site (literally I can see it out of my bedroom window).Just as I was drifting to sleep, the door went.I was expecting a parcel so I got up to open the door.A man was stood there with an electric device so I thought I better let him in.He walked around the kitchen with the device, waving it around all the gas pipes and then completed a form so I guess that means the apartment is safe.

I went back to bed and just as I was drifting off the door went again.I thought I better answer it as the Gas man knew I'm at home so it would be silly to ignore it.I opened the door and there was a different man stood there.He jabbered some Chinese at me and walked into the apartment and started looking in the rooms and I felt as though he was asking me questions but I didn't understand.I decided to call Miss Wang and I put him on the phone to her.I recognised some numbers being said aloud and then he gestured that he needed paper and pen and wrote down what looked like a phone number.When I asked Miss Wang, she said he is the owner of the apartment.

I went back to bed and started to fall asleep again when I heard Chinese flatmate come home.I could hear her talking to someone but I decided to just stay in bed and hope she wouldn't realise I was home.I could hear all of the doors in the apartment being opened and closed, and then my door handle moved.Luckily I had locked myself in.But how rude!I can't believe they tried to get in my room thinking that I wasn't home.By now I realised I was not destined for this afternoon nap, I waited a few minutes and then got up and opened the door.There was an old lady stood there looking shocked, and the bathroom door was wide open and Chinese flatmate was sat on the loo.Just what you want to see when you step out of your room!I went into the kitchen to wash some dishes and when Chinese flatmate had finished on the toilet she came to find me, pointed at the old lady and said 'mother' so she does know a few English words.

Instead of lessons in the afternoon, it was the Chinese equivalent of a Sports Day.I sat outside even though it was really cold.It was good fun watching the kids.The event began with some children walking across the playground holding the Chinese flag.This was then put on the flagpole and raised to them all singing.Various random activities took place during the afternoon.It was not like an English sports day with egg and spoon or sack races.The funniest activity I saw was where two mats were laid out with paper confetti all over them.One small child stood in front of each mat, with a teacher beside them.When the race started, the children had to lie down on the mats and the teachers rolled them over and over to cover them in the confetti. I couldn't be entirely sure but I think the object of the activity was to get covered in the most.There was another activity which was funny, all the kids had to squat in a line and hold on to the kid in front, and then walk forward in the squat position to be the first 'caterpillar' to reach the end.