Shenyang, China

Jul 8, 2010

I've probably said this before but I thibnk I've been in this country for too ong now. This isn't a negative observation based on my being bored or anything like that, more an observation that I've come to accept the things that in the UK would have at least illicited some kind of reaction as commonplace. For instance this morning I was lying in bed, listening to music and reading the news and clicking through link after link on Wikipedia - no...

Shenyang, China

Jun 27, 2010

For all I know, my lessons may have completely finished. The going is good so far - I have no more primary classes, and I have no more of the weekly alternatating senior classes, so all that's left are the gifted classes (of which I have three a week, no biggie) and the double-period senior class. I sort of hope that I get at least one more senior double period class as I showed them half of the Stephen King film "The Mist", and as a...

Shenyang, China

Jun 17, 2010

If you think that by being in a country that doesn't actually have a team in the World Cup has meant that we've in any way managed to side-step the whole boring spectacle then you're very much mistaken. Just the other day we were eating in McDonalds, surrounded by the national flag of every single team in the tournament (not that I could even name every team in the tournament) and sitting under a giant television broadcasting the latest scores...

Shenyang, China

Jun 6, 2010

At 6.30 yesterday morning, I was lying quite snugly in bed, wrapped in the duvet and in a magical world of dreams. Imagine this as a movie, and imagine a slow fade from the unicorn rides of yesterday's dreams through to 6:30 this morning, where I find myself standing outside our apartment building with Katy and one of Katy's fellow international teachers, watching a middle-aged Chinese woman perform a sword dance that is equal parts terrifying...

Shenyang, China

May 31, 2010

Oftentimes you'll find yourself strolling down some street, just exploring and wasting your money on tat, when a thought appears. "I want a bottle of pop." This is where England and China take two separate paths. In England, said thought occurs. You spot an Asda, a Tesco, a Somerfield. You're in, you're out, you're suitably refreshed. But let's say you're in China. Specifically, Shenyang. Even more specifically, you're walking down...