8th September

I'VE JUST FINISHED MY FIRST WEEK AT SCHOOL. I'M IN A SCHOOL IN KWUN TONG CALLED LEUNG KWAI YEE. KWUN TONG ITSELF IS QUITE A POOR AREA, BUT THE SCHOOL ITSELF IS LOVELY, AND ALL THE KIDS SEEM REALLY NICE. MY TEACHER IN CHARGE IS GREAT, MR CHIN, ALTHOUGH HE'S VERY BUSY MOST OF THE TIME SO I DO FEEL LIKE A BIT OF A BURDEN AT TIMES. TODAY ME AND CHIRS HAD TO GET UP ON THE STAGE IN FRONT OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL AND INTRODUCE OURSELVES WHICH WAS REALLY SCARY. IT WENT WELL THOUGH, ESPECIALLY WHEN CHRIS STARTED TO SING A POP SONG IN CANTONESE, THEY LOVED IT! AT SCHOOL I HAVE MY OWN DESK IN THE STAFF ROOM AND MY OWN LAPTOP! YES!! THE STAFF ROOMS IN HONG KONG ARE VERY DIFFERENT TO THE UK. UNLIKE AT HOME, WHERE TEACHERS USE THE STAFF ROOM FOR A SIT DOWN, CUP OF COFFEE OR CRAFTY FAG, STAFF ROOMS HERE ARE ACTUALLY USED FOR WORK! THEY ARE CRAMMED WITH DESKS THAT ARE IN TURN FILLED WITH CRAP SO THAT IT PILES OVER THE TOP. CHRIS AND I WERE SAYING THAT WE NEEDED TO GET MORE STUFF ON OURS JUST SO THAT IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE BUSY. THERE ARE NO SOFAS OR ANYTHING! STRANGE! THE CHINESE ALSO HAVE MAJOR ISSUES WITH TOILET ROLL... MOST PLACES THAT YOU GO WILL HAVE ONE TOILET ROLL OUTSIDE ALL OF THE STALLS THAT YOU HAVE TO RIP SOME FROM BEFORE YOU GO IN. IT'S VERY STRANGE. MY SCHOOL IS EVEN STRANGER... EACH TEACHER HAS THEIR OWN TOILET ROLL WHICH THEY KEEP IN THEIR TOILET ROLL LOCKER IN THE BATHROOM, I KID YOU NOT! WHAT WAS BAD FOR ME WAS THAT I DIDN'T GET MY TOILET ROLL TILL DAY TWO... YUP! I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I AM ALSO STRUGGLING SLIGHTLY WITH THE FOOD. MOST PLACES THE MENUS ARE ALL IN CANTONESE SO YOU HAVE TO GUESS OR JUST POINT AT WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT BE GOOD, BEWARE CHICKEN FEET ARE A SPECIALITY HERE. MY FRIEND LOVES THEM AND SAID TO ME 'DON'T WORRY THEY TAKE THE NAILS OFF BEFORE THEY COOK THEM!' I SAID THAT ANYTHING THAT HAD TO HAVE IT'S NAILS TAKEN OFF BEFORE IT WAS CONSUMED WAS SOMETHING THAT I DID NOT WANT TO EAT! :) A FEW DAYS AT SCHOOL WE'VE GONE FOR LUNCH TO THIS PLACE WHERE A LOT OF THE KIDS GO. IT IS LITERALLY A WALKWAY OVER A ROAD THAT THEY PUT TABLES AND CHAIRS OUT ON AND SERVE YOU FOOD, ALL VERY DUBIOUS. I'M SURE ATE DOG THERE ON MONDAY! YUCK... ASIDE FROM THE FOOD, SCHOOL HAS BEEN GOOD. MR CHIN AND TERRY, A NEW TEACHER WHO DID PART OF HIS TEACHER TRAINING IN EDINBURGH (SMALL WORLD) TOOK ME AND CHRIS OUT TO LUNCH YESTERDAY WHICH WAS NICE. I NOW FEEL LIKE PART OF THE GANG! I HAVEN'T TAUGHT ANY CLASSES YET AS THIS WEEK WAS MORE OF AN ORIENTATION WEEK, BUT I SAT IN ON A FEW TO GET A GENERAL IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT. THEIR ENGLISH IS A BIT WORSE THAN THE SCHOOL WE TRAINED IN SO IT COULD BE A CHALLENGE. IT HAS BEEN RAINING HERE FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS BUT IS STILL ABOUT 30 DEGREES, WHEN IT RAINS IT IS LITERALLY LIKE YOU'RE STEPPING INTO A SHOWER. NEED TO BUY AN UMBRELLA. HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE DURING TRAINING WHEN THE TOP I WAS WEARING TURNED COMPLETELY SEE-THROUGH FROM THE RAIN ON THE WALK TO THE UNDERGROUND, VERY EMBARRASSING! CINEMA TONIGHT, THEN PARTY TOMORROW AND MAYBE A HAIRCUT ON SUNDAY...