A trip to the Police Station

I did not sleep at all last night, which is probably a blessing in disguise as my body will now be forced to conform with the time zone. However today was the first day that I have really enjoyed. I started by driving a long way into the city to visit The Bank of China to, I had thought, open a bank account. Actually my hosts had got the impression that I did not have enough Chinese Yuan and drove me all the way to the other side of the city to get some out. An unnecessary diversion but it did give me an opportunity to marvel at the deranged traffic system.

On returning to the school, the car was met by a constant flow of students returning from the Spring Holidays. Thankfully, now brimming with students, the school has begun to look far more welcoming and far less like ACME headquarters. I spent the afternoon with a first grade student, 17, called Mike (it will take me a while to remember Chinese names). As I had been told, he was unbelievably keen to chat and we must have spoken for at least three hours (while I'm thinking about names, I get to choose a Chinese one, I was thinking 'Dashingly Handsome'). He told me that students were expected to work about 16 hours a day and as proof showed me a desk lamp that he and his roommates had hidden behind a piece of wood in their cupboard that allowed them to work after the lights had gone out. Here, they break the rules to do more work!

I then was driven into town with Felix (Mr Yang), Ms Shi and Mr Lee (the multi-purpose driver slash visa negotiator) to go to a police station to get my visa and employment registered. If you had spoken to me before the trip you will know that I was worried that this could pose a problem but it turned out that my potential deportation was a source of much hilarity.

I have also arranged to meet Tom, another English student teaching at a school close to the city. So today, I will have to make my way to the train station, armed with a less than elementary understanding of Mandarin and a brief phrasebook.

Wish me luck