As I predicted, I haven't really kept very up-to-date with this weblog. On Sunday, I taught a class of 30 six-year olds in the morning, to which I sang songs and did mimes. I also was given the privilege of giving many of them English names, something I had done to one of two students before but never en masse in this way. It was quite surreal. In the afternoon, I had older students and the classes were shorter so I was able to enjoy it far more, despite having no assistant to interpret.
On Sunday evening, fifteen minutes earlier than planned, two excitable 16-year old students knocked on the flat door, ready to take Rex and me for a meal. I really did not want to do this after a weekend of teaching, but had been persuaded the week before after teaching them at No. 11 Middle School. Basically, they are just super enthusiastic to learn English and travel abroad, and I felt that it would be pretty rude to dismiss their invitation - the idea, after all, is to help them learn English so encouragement is pretty key. It was a pretty fun evening in the end because the restaurant was good (especially as one of the girls insisted on paying to our utter amazement!!!!) and we could all communicate fine. However, Rex and I did escape early by concocting a lie about needing to go and plan more lessons.
In reality we spent much of the rest of the evening by Mirror Lake and at The Doors bar where Ahmir and Joe met us. The Doors bar was established in 2003 (so it's about the same age as most of the centre of Wuhu) and is like a shrine to The Doors and many other pretty decent bands. It reminds me a bit of a scaled-down and far more rudamentry HardRock cafe because it has framed photographs of bands all over the walls. I like the atmosphere in there and they play mainly western music so it's a nice change from the chinese pop/R&B offerings that are played out through the tanoy in the supermarket and elsewhere around the city.
I am about to go to teach my first set of Kindergarden children (ages range from 'Baby' to 'Big 2', whatever that means). I am partly looking forward to having a bit of fun dancing and telling stories to toddlers but, simultaneously, I am dreading a class full of snotty cryling only-child brats (I have seen a few of those around and it's not pretty).
Because of this, I will 'blog' only one last thing. In the flat there now lives Paul, Joe, Ahmir, Kauli (Japanese lady who's been here since February but went travelling this summer) and also the new guy Merim. Merim is from Bosnia but he was a refugee and moved to Norway 12 years ago. He speaks amazing amazing, native-sounding English (he has also spent a bit of time in London) and seems like a good guy. I just really need some girls around me soon because the conversations do often err on the male side!!! x