my new posse.

the people thus far...

I’d already ‘met’ Paul via email; he’d picked out my address from a bulk email and taken the liberty of introducing himself. He’s my flatmate for the next six days – until I move into a different flat on my own – and he’s a damn decent guy. A dad himself, he’s sort of taken me under his wing. In fact, he’s already shared quite a bit of personal stuff with me about his former life… his two marriages (and divorces), his kids, his thoughts on life… and he’s put up with my initial zombie state and my utter inability to make decisions about EVERYthing – food, clothes, which street to turn down… and all in good humour. A gentleman; if he’s faking it then he’s doing it bloody well.
Luke is the manager in charge of the foreign teachers here. Again, I’d met him via email first, and then he picked me up with Sally at the airport on that first bitterly cold morning. He’s been here a year and just been promoted to manager. Also studied journalism back in the UK but gave it up and came here to teach English instead. From the sounds of it, he’s thoroughly enjoyed living like a king on his teacher’s salary. Most of his money goes on boozing at the nightclubs (where he seems to know all the staff) and on expensive gadgets like mobile phones, a number of which have been lost on drunken escapades. Incredibly laid-back, dry-witted guy, very easy to talk to and brilliant with the kids.

The other teachers – John, Owen and Joe – are all British and all about to leave Hohhot to teach elsewhere, which is a shame because they’re pretty cool guys. I’ll be taking over John and Owen’s apartment when they leave. I’ve told them it had better be clean.
The past two days have mostly been spent exploring Hohhot and getting settled in. Yesterday, Paul and I spent hours walking the streets, sampling food and shops and sights. Today was more or less the same; after we’d sorted out sim cards for our mobile phones and memberships at the local gym, we went wandering again… eating things, buying things, drinking things. I bought boots. We ended up back at the school by late afternoon, and Luke suggested we have a go at taking an English Corner class for five minutes each. I didn’t actually get to play the ‘game’ I’d prepared, but I did get to stand in front of the class and hiff a ball at each of the students in a sort of question-and-answer routine. The kids are cute, actually – hyper, eager, smart. I can see how we’d get to know them pretty well over a few months.
Tonight I met my first one-on-one student, a precocious nine-year-old called Amy. Her mother took me and another Chinese teacher, Arena, out for dinner at a pizza buffet restaurant (a slight improvement on the one I went to with the guys last night) as a means of introducing me (and no doubt scrutinizing my adequacy). Amy is unlike any other nine-year-old girl I’ve ever met. For a start, she doesn’t look like a girl at all. She is short-haired, round and terribly plain-faced. Apparently she’s had some fairly serious health problems and spent most of last year on a special diet of cabbage and potatoes, which probably explains her obsession with KFC and McDonalds now. She’d already had her dinner before we arrived; only the remnants of a custard-and-pineapple pizza and chicken nuggets remained. She was playing with her (own) iPad and iTouch mobile phone. Her first conversation with me was about the number of Chinese casualties in the Christchurch earthquake. Later, she dragged out an exercise book and made me read her essays. Most made me laugh – she’d covered her dislike of certain English tutors (Luke), her love of McDonalds, her future plans (to be either Santa or the owner of KFC, McDonalds, and all the cafes and shops in the world) and a stream of other creative thoughts and fantasies. I picked up pretty quickly that she’s thoroughly spoiled and doted upon. She’s also had a few run-ins with previous teachers and apparently needs a firm hand.
Hmm. Could be a challenge.