The Wonder of "Watermelon"

So, the burning question appears to be "why hasn't Miss Freya been writing her stories?". I'm afraid I don't have a sufficient answer for my recent neglect. The adventure in Shanghai continues though with a little less time for amusing anecdotes.

 

I started teaching a few months ago to keep my funds healthy for next semester.

I'm teaching at a small school in the south of Shanghai. On Friday and Saturday I teach nippers, and on Sunday I teach adults. My kids class has one student who has found a special place in my affections. His name is James, he's 6 and he's quite possibly got the most perfectly spherical head possible. Think watermelon. For the first few weeks, the only word in English that my little watermelon could say was "James". So, ask him any questions - how old are you? Where do you live? What's your favourite colour? - he's reply with "James". As my Larry told me, I was just asking the wrong question! For weeks, it was "James", "James", "James', "James" until last weekend when suddenly his vocabulary had amazingly opened up to days of the week, colours, numbers, animals, fruit and vegetables. Incredible. The penny dropped! My new favourite pass time is to make sure that during lessons James gets to say "Watermelon" at least twice as it never fails to make me laugh. It's very easy to find work here if you are a native English speaker - though sadly, because it's so easy, a lot of the English teachers here are loons. For example, teaching primary school children songs about how to kill themselves etc. It makes me want to get on my soap box and lobby for some kind of regulation of foreign English teachers here - but for now, I'm focusing on my Chinese literacy so that when I do write a letter to the Chinese Government to suggest this change in legislation it makes some sort of sense. Better get back to "the monkey is in the tree, the monkey is on the roof..."

 

Aside from teaching, the studying continues. Exams started yesterday - and continue throughout next week. My pronunciation has taken a turn for the worst, but my writing has perked up. I long for the day when all skills are at roughly the same level! I'm continuing class throughout the summer so hopefully will move up a level or two before next semester starts.

 

I haven't had a language disaster in a while, but I'm sporting a beautiful collection of bruises. Last weekend a friend of mine got engaged. The first time I saw her after I'd heard the news, I started to race along the corridor hoping for a Kylie and Jason style hug to congratulate her. Sadly, my flip flops did not agree with my plan. I was within one foot of Irene when the flip flops decided that this hug was unnecessary and it would be much better if I fell over. In a cartoon fashion my feet came up in front of me, and I slapped the concrete corridor - like a reverse belly flop - and my my bottom, my elbows, and my lower back are fashionable shades of purple. Next time, I think I'll just stick with sending a card, far safer.