When I came back to see everyone leave, some of the kids I teach were there. They were wearing their red eerm "People's Helper" Jackets (kind of like a countrywide youth helping scheme). They spotted me and we chatted. They asked for photos and they took some. The can't do that in school because they are not allowed their phones, and strangely most of them (99%) don't actually bring them to school!
Just after the last kids had left, someone called my name. It was a Chinese girl whose English name is Seven. I know her from school and I chat with her in the morning as I do with many others. She is a very clever girl and very good at English. She was with her younger brother, I called him six! She asked me why I was there. I explained to her that I was watching the Gaokao. she asked if I was waiting for someone, I told her I wasn't. She asked if I had eaten. I hadnt't. She invited me out to lunch with her and her brother. Now if you've ever worked with safeguarding in the UK, your alarm bells will be ringing, and rightly. However, it just isn't like that here. Ive spoken at length with my boss about this. It seems that safeguarding does not even exist here, and she is happy for the kids to associate, appropriately, with the kids. I know Seven quite well, and felt comfortable, so I said yes. She was with her younger brother, we were going to a public place. So many people like to share food here and it would seem rude to refuse. Also she has helped me understand where to buy food in school and what to expect.
So off we walk, hail a taxi and I share Lunch with there and her younger brother! A lovely experience. I walked back to school with them and she wandered off for the Chinese afternoon nap before part to of the exams. It is very different here in China in so many ways...and Jiankou is perhaps the epitome of that!
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| Seven and 'Six'! ...as I called him! |
I nearly forgot to mention Stephanie! Well she wasn't called Stephanie when she found me but she was when she left! I was just standing there and she came over and spoke really good English to me. She told me how much she loved it ans how she wanted to get better. We talked a while and I then asked her if she had an English name. She didn't. I asked if she would like one...she was so excited! I asked her if she had one in mind. She didn't. So I suggested that because her Chinese name sounded like 'Steven' maybe she could have the name of Stephanie! She liked the idea and asked me to write it in her English book! I did, and wrote a message to her English teacher saying how well she spoke English. She was so happy ... and to be honest, so was I. Another special Jiangkou day! the people here are lovley!
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| Stephanie and me! |
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