Thursday 29th March

It has been quite a busy week this week trying to get everything done in time for the Easter holidays (or Spring break as my American friends have got me calling it). I have found this time around in China I am having to repeat myself more and speak clearly as my American friends don’t understand what I say, I’m not sure if it’s because I have come back with a stronger accent or they are just deaf! Either way, they have been making fun of my accent EVERY SINGLE DAY and their impressions are awful! So in retaliation, I am secretly practising a Texas accent, although I am terrible so it’s not going so well.

I had my second Chinese lesson after school on Wednesday with Raena and Doreenda, it was good and I am slowly learning, I understand a lot more than I can say though. I get a taxi to work every morning and I practice my Chinese then, although I got the same taxi driver two days in a row and he probably thinks I’m crazy repeating myself! I need to practice a lot more though if I want to be able to hold a conversation.

Today everyone seems to be on holiday mode, it is the last day of term for the children as tomorrow is a staff professional development day. All of my friends are doing exciting things over the vacation (there I go again, I’m used to using American terms now or no one knows what I am talking about) four of my friends are going to Gansu which is the desert in north west China, two of my friends are going to Xian, three are going to Cheng Du and one is going to Thailand. I am looking forward to hearing about Gansu as I am planning a trip to Hohot in Inner Mongolia which will be a very similar climate.

After school a bunch of us went to the Mexican kitchen for Margaritas (mine was a frozen mango margaritas) and burritos and then back to James and Javi’s house to play a pub quiz. The quiz was a game they had bought where it’s a dvd and you all play along. It was British and presented by a guy that was in Brookside and it was all British questions so David and I were doing well until the geography and history rounds where I didn’t have a clue! It was good fun and hopefully we can do it again soon.

The weather has been getting a lot warmer this week, it was 22 degrees C on Tuesday, was a bit cooler and cloudier on Wednesday and then today was 22 degrees again which was gorgeous!