The week before Christmas

I have just spent a couple of hours revising today's Mandarin lesson. It's quite tiring and, like all revision, it's impossible to finish feeling satisfied that you've absorbed enough. This morning's lesson was good though, mainly because I felt a couple of grammar points were settling into my head, and partly because the sun was out and warm on the back of my neck.

On the weekend, in between teaching, I spotted the shoe-polishing man sitting in his usual place, which is on the corner of a street near my gym. I had passed him many times before and told myself I must have my boots polished, but for one reason or another I'd never sat down on his other tiny stool and got it done (they like to sit on teeny-tiny chairs in Wuhu - even old people). So, after a bit of dithering (I still am really not comfortable with the inevitable attention this sort of thing attracts), on Saturday I sat down and watched my boots be returned to an almost-too shiny black.

I think I successfully managed to tell the man that my shoes looked just like new, and I left the little crowd of spectators feeling ever-so pleased. It probably sounds silly, but it does lift my spirits when I buy my fruit from an outside stall and talk with any other locals that will humour me.

On the weekend I also went to my teacher/friend Eva's house with Ellie, my other teacher, and Kaori. She had made loads of effort with the food and cooked typically northen Chinese dishes (her family are from the north). Everyone else was at KTV, so we decided to join them after a while of watching a live music event on TV (I found this fascinating - it was crossed between the Eurovision Song Contest and the MTV Awards). I don't think any of us foreigners is a big fan of KTV (karaoke), but it provides an attractive alternative venue to the pubs here, which have no atmosphere whatsoever.

On Sunday evening, I was given some Christmas gifts by the English teachers that I teach. I really enjoy this class because I basically just sit down and have a girly chat for an hour and a half - it's a good way to end a weekend of teaching.

Tomorrow, I am hopefully being taken by Fairy to a nearby, but very quiet, hill. I really want to see it because, apparently, it's got some good views at the top of the Yangste and the local waterbuffalo population. If we don't go, it will be because I have to rehearse for Friday night's Christmas party. I have agreed to be the host of the children's part of the evening - help!!! Goodness knows what 'performance' we are doing in the latter part of the evening. We are blatantly just going to leave it until friday afternoon to think of something.