The girl outside the bank

Well, with all of that done, I waited outside the bank for my colleague Anna, the Russian girl.  Whilst I was waiting, someone called out to me from behind, it was a young girl, the one on the left. 

 

The tracksuits they are wearing are the school uniform over here

She started to speak to me in English.  Her English was quite good, in fact quite spectacular for Jiangkou!  I told her in Chinese that her English was good.  She was impressed.  Her two friends, especially the girl in the middle, were teasing her something wicked and speaking about me.  She scolded them and continued very politely with me. She asked me what I was doing in Jiangkou.  When I told her,  I was an English teacher, all three went "Woooo!" ...like I was a celebrity or something.  She took out her English book and showed it to me.  I read a paragraph to her and she, and the others were most impressed.  I gave them each a little English trinket.  A stamp, a five pence piece and a ten pence piece!  Again they were most impressed!  I too was impressed with this young girl and later talked to my boss about it.  I asked if I could send a letter of 'commendation' to the Head Teacher of her school.   It was hard to write with one arm, my boss had bitten the other one off in eagerness.  I sent a short letter of commendation to the head of the school.  Apparently this would be a great honour for her.  In England it would be such an embarrassment!  ….at least to the pupils I taught! t