Still eating...

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I am SOOOOO full. We went to a foreign restaurant today and I had macaroni cheese, soup (it was a freebie), chicken satay and some chips (shared with Taz). I did go to the gym this morning, but I somehow don't think I worked off enough calories to justify such a massive meal...oh well, I'm on holiday. And I don't really eat much when we have chinese food so...

I do moan a bit about the food here, but there is a lot I can enjoy and it's so healthy. The fruit here is amazing so sweet and fresh and generally makes our stuff at home seem watery and insipid. However, there are some weird foods and I have been freaked out by all the fish heads and wee creatures that have been placed on the table in front of me. I was proof reading some translation to, a menu and here are just some of the delicacies that people can sample:
BBQ Duck Gizzards
Fish Head with Chopped Chillis
BBQ Chicken Heart
Duck Chin with Spicey salt
Rice with Frog
And, the piece de resistance...
Stewed Wood Frogs Fallopian Tube with Coconut Juice

Too gross. But as I say there is plenty of other food as well, it's just that seeing some of the above puts me off a little bit. Thankfully Tarik usually orders for me and he knows what I like so I'm usually okay.

I'm going to be helping with the nursery kids today - I can't wait. They are soooo cute. I was supposed to be teaching in thie high school today but they cancelled the class because of exams. Kids here are under so much pressure, by the time they get to 14 years old they are in school from 6am until 10pm and then sometimes get homework on top of that. They are lucky if they get 4-5 hours sleep a night. Tarik said that even in somewhere as small as Tonglu one high school student a year commits suicide becuase they are unable to deal with the pressure. Even in adulthood most people continue to study, usually to further their career. There is pressure on girls to be married by 27/28 at the latest and boys are expected to spend huge sums of money wooing their girlfriends.

Last night I has a really interesting conversation with Benny about China over the last 40 year and it's so easy to look in judgement or pity but actually, we are no better. Look at MPs expenses, bankers bonuses the 'buy now pay later' culture, the violence and loutish youth culture and then say that Britain and the west are somehow superior...

Anyway, I'll climb off my soapbox now and head to class...

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