I can’t explain how good it was to have an extra hour in bed this morning. It is really exhausting starting class at 8 o’clock every morning. I genuinely think it’s good to get up early and make the most of the morning; it’s just a bit of a shock to the system! Apparently large groups of people practice Tai Ji in the parks at 5 o’clock every morning- I might need to build up to that! Today is a public holiday called “Tombs Sweeping Day”. The Chinese stop their daily routine and visit the graves of lost relatives. They pay their respect, clean the surrounding area and lay flowers. The date of the holiday was only confirmed by the Government a few weeks ago, perhaps it has some thing to do with the position of ... read more

I had my first creative activity today. I chose to do paper cutting along with a few other students. A famous paper cut artist led the class, apparently she has won prestigious awards from across the world. I wish I could remember her name! She told us all about the history of paper cut and taught us how to make our own designs. Paper cut is an ancient art form and traditional Chinese art, however it is still popular in the countryside. They are traditionally made for weddings, holidays, new year and to wish people luck. In China the colour red symbolises good luck and happiness. That explains why every thing is red in China! People usually hang paper cuts on the window so that the light shines through and leaves a shadow on the wall. ... read more

I started my Chinese Mandarin class today. We start class at 8am every morning and the tutors start bang on time. The Chinese are very punctual and being late is thought to be extremely rude. It was really strange walking through campus because it is so different from home e.g. dodging bicycles and walking past banana carts! We walked past a grass area and there were lots of students standing on their own revising before class. They talk out aloud to themselves so I assume they are practicing for their English class. They looked like some sort of cult - it’s so strange. There are 12 students in my Mandarin class and we are all at beginner’s level. We spent time getting to know each other before starting the lesson. The lessons are really active and ... read more

There were still students arriving on Sunday so a group of us went to explore the streets of Beijing. We flagged down a few taxis and went to a silk market. The taxi ride took about 15 minutes and only cost about £4! The market was massive and sold absolutely every thing. It was very different from the restaurant the night before because the Chinese spoke English. You couldn’t walk any where without them grabbing your arm and shouting “Lady, you like?”, “Lady, you need new shoes”, “Lady, come look” etc. It was a bit overwhelming at first because there was no where to hide. You really have to haggle; I’ve heard you can get prices down to 1/10 of the original price. I bought this really beautiful Chinese dress/top, a Batman belt and a Beatles ... read more