Sherree, Ohio Nick, Anna and I were invited to the first English Club meeting of the year, a chance for the Chairman, Leadership Committee and Departmental Leaders to introduce themselves to the new fresher members. They've recruited 104 (up from 12 last year) students to help the foreign teachers, all 30 of us, to learn Chinese and to survive in the city when sightseeing, shopping, buying train tickets etc.
When I say, 'they've recruited 104 students', let me explain - a committee of 12 boys have recruited, interviewed and selected 104 new members of the Club, and it's probably pure, innocent coincidence that 80% of them are females. I'm sure the lads were looking for English language proficiency.
Anyway, the meeting. We were there to introduce ourselves to the students, and vice versa, and to applaud enthusiastically at speeches in Chinese that we couldn't understand. One Chinese speech sounds much the same as another, not must to write home about, but the novelty of being shown off because I'm foreign hasn't yet worn off, and still feels quite special.