Hi.

I think that this might be a bit of a mammoth entry, so I apologise, and I will try to write more frequently in future so you can read about my life in more bit-sized chunks.

Well, I guess the first thing, and maybe the most important thing that happened last week, was that I have managed to increase the number of Chinese lessons I am having.  Originally I was having a one hour lesson on Monday mornings, but after a little negotiation I have found some really splendid people in the Chinese department who appear to be happy to assist in my learning.  So now to supplement my Monday morning lesson I also have a few hours on Wednesday morning, and also Friday morning, and Friday afternoon.  I’m still a long way from being competent with Chinese yet, but hopefully with all this extra tuition I might be able to make some progress sooner rather than later.  A lot of these lessons are being used with working on my pronunciation. I have some problems with some of the sounds, and while I can get them eventually, it takes me a little time occasionally, and I tend to need to revisit them over and over again.  All part of the fun though, right!  J

On Saturday last week I was taken out on a little tourist trip by one of the teachers here.  She is an English teacher here (she is Chinese) but teaches the year below the youngest of my classes, teaching some far more basic stuff.  ABC’s as she put it, although I’m sure they must be more capable than that as the youngest students I have appear to be more advanced than just using the alphabet.  Maybe she is just a very good teacher! When she had asked me where I wanted to go, I had told her that I was happy to leave the choice up to her, and that I wanted to see everything!  How very difficult of me. J She decided that our destination would be Baoguo Temple.  And what a wonderful choice she made.  Baoguo Temple is a Buddhist temple, the main hall of which was constructed in 1013.  That’s a long time ago, a very long time ago. To be exact that temple has stood for 993 years.  It is the oldest wooden structure in China, and really is very impressive.  This will sound a little bizarre to say, but the roof of this building is really incredible.  I took some pictures of the general complex, and of the roof, which can be found above.  These photos though, as is so often the case, really don’t so this magnificent construction justice.  Sadly you will just have to believe me that this roof is more impressive than I ever thought a roof could be. 

As we moved away from the roof we walked up some hills that were around the temple and found some views of the surrounding scenery.  Sadly we couldn’t see in the direction of Ningbo but, like so much that there is to see here, what we could see was really breathtaking.  We admired the sights and sounds of this relatively solitary place for a little while before heading back down the mountain/hill and realising that it wouldn’t be possible to get back to town in a taxi, as we had arrived, and that getting a bus would be the best solution.  My guide was a little disappointed by this, but I was ecstatic.  We boarded the bus (which really was incredibly cheap) and began our journey.  Driving in China is fascinating, with vehicles and people swerving in and out of each other.  It was reassuring travelling in a transporter of such magnitude, and with such supremacy on the road.  All but lorries swerved to avoid us as we changed lanes, and indeed sides of the road, at our whim.  In what seemed to be no time at all we were back in the city, and we jumped in a taxi to get us to Tian Yi to get a little food.  What a wonderful way to finish the trip.

Sunday was the day of the presentation, and so Tracy and I headed to Ningbo Grand Theatre at about half five so that we could sort ourselves out before it began.  The presentations weren’t actually in the theatre, but on a stage that had been erected just outside.  We were met by the organiser of the event and showed to our seats.  I had no idea of what to expect up to this point, and so when I counted 300 seats, and was told that there would be 180 performers, I felt a little uneasy.  It appeared that this may be a little more of an event than I had expected.  There were thirteen acts, all of which were song or dance routines by various groups, with the exception of a girl doing some very impressive acrobatic type things with the help of her twin.  I was act 8 which is a lucky number in China, although I certainly wasn’t feeling lucky at this point.

It was at about quarter to seven when the acts began.  The seats had all been taken and there were about 200 additional people standing around watching.  I counted down the performances until act 7 came on, at which point I stood and walked to the side of the stage where I was greeted by a few people who spoke only Chinese.  I felt not only extremely anxious about the impeding recital, but rather isolated too.  I wasn’t there for long before the music stopped, the dancing girls left the stage and a microphone was thrust into my hand.  The presenter stepped up and told the crowd that ‘Mat will be reading a poem in English for you’, or at least that’s what I assume he said.  The crowd clapped and once more the stage was empty.   I took a deep, deep breath and walked out.  It was quite dark by this point and with the huge lights all around the stage, I really couldn’t see much.  Cameras flashed at me and everyone was utterly silent, a first in an evening of song and dance.  I said ‘hello’ and introduced my poem before grabbing one more lungful of breath.  I read through my poem at a steady pace, feeling a mixture of discomfort and ridiculousness.  It seemed like I was up there for ten minutes, although I’m sure it could have been no more than three or four.  As the poem finished I looked into the blackness where the audience were and said ‘thank you’.  I left the stage to a thunderous applause, which highlighted the incredible silence that had remained during my time up there. 

I walked down the steps from the stage and was greeted by organisers and ether performers, all of which were clapping and smiling and saying things in Chinese.  I was surrounded by a mass of ‘thumbs up’.  I walked back to my seat with the crowds surrounding our seats parting in front of me.  I sat back down, and gave a huge sigh.  Tracy asked me ‘did you hear them say thank you?’  I wasn’t sure what she meant and so she explained to me that at the end of the poem, when I had said thank you to the crowd, the crowd had said ‘thank you’ back to me all in unison.  In my haste to retreat I had missed it, but I was still amazed that this wonderful audience, very few of which would be able to speak English, had thanked me in English.

The last few acts passed very quickly for me, until the last one where all of the performers took to the stage again to clap along with the goodbye type song.  I climbed the stairs once more, being much more confident this time, and stood behind a group of four girls all dressed in various silver outfits.  I couldn’t see the crowd but it soon dawned on me that many if the people on the stage were looking at me because I was clearly taller than everyone else.  The vast majority of them were female, and I was literally head and shoulders above the others.  It was all very smiley, and I assume people were laughing and joking with me, although obviously I’m not entirely sure of the content of the humour.  The show ended, the crowd clapped once more, and we began to leave the stage.  I was near the back and when there were only myself and about five other girls left to leave, they turned around and signalled that they wanted photos of me.  I was flattered, but allowed a few photos to be taken, all the time being very conscious that in the black the crowd were still present and able to see me being photographed.  After a few minutes I was allowed to leave, and I returned to our seats to meet up with Tracy.  She seemed to be very happy, and smiled lots of the journey back to the school. 

Well, that is pretty much it for last week.  I’m sure plenty of other things happened.  I was a little strict with some of my kids as there were a few that were pissing about a bit.  I got a gift from the principal.  Oh, and I’ve just realised that I haven’t even talked about the pizza!  It was made of very sweet dough, covered in cheese, then fruit, then lots of syrup.  It was literally the sweetest thing I have ever tasted!  The hot fruit on top was really good though, especially the grapes.

Ok, well going to finish here.  I’m sorry this is so long, I will try to write maybe twice a week from now on, if I can. 

Hope you enjoyed it.

Mat

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