Lost In China

They say there are three reactions that different groups of Westerners have when they get to China. The first group are horrified and  take the next plane home. The next lot sort of tolerate the place. And the final group fall in love with China. I think I’m in the latter group. The noise, the dirt, and the strange rules of the road are just some of the reasons that I love it. 

The teaching is fun. I practise my Chinese with 400 students eager to help me. I learn phrases and then try them out. Yesterday I wandered into class and said in passable Mandarin “How are you guys today ?”. I got a round of applause !! There’s a sound you make in Chinese, it’s sort of zzzjjjjjhhhhhhh that has no counterpart in English.  And I’m slowly learning how to make it. 

And in my Apartment certain customs are observed. I listen to the Midnight news from London and then get up. On a Sunday I read The Observer and listen to The Archers. I drink lots of tea and there’s a bottle of gin in the cupboard. I’m still trying to get some tonic. 

When I have some spare time I just get on a bus to see where it goes. Sooner or later I’m going to get lost and then I will be in a mess.