Knobcottage in China

My area boss is called Jamie, we don't quite see eye to eye at the moment, and that is not just because he is about two feet smaller than me!  Anyhow on Tuesday I got a call telling me that he had sorted out a trip to a school and that I was to prepare an English club lesson.  I also had to tell Sherika my colleague. There was also one other person going with us,  Sonya, another Jamaican.  I told Sherika nd she did not seem impressed.  I set up a Wechat group and relayed messages from Jamie.  Sonya also did not seem impressed.  The were both discussing whether or not they would go.  In order to help things along and because I had done English club many more times than them, I offered to plan all the activities and all they would have to do was perform.  They both said that if they were going, then I they would prepare the work themselves.  I told them what topics I would be doing and planned my lessons.  I checked with Sherika seve...

 Times had been a bit rough at Jiangkou lately so when I discovered that the pupils were having the days of examsI thought I'd escape for a few days.  Tongren is near and I know where some.things are, so I decided on there.  Equally my area boss , Jamie, wants to see me about the renewal.of my contract.  Two birds with me stone. Up until now, I had always relied on friends to book my hotels and taxis, this time I wanted to try myself.  My friend Meng had used Qunar to book the hotel in Guiyang and recommended it to me.  However like most things in China, it is all in Chinese.  However , I thought I'd give it a go.  It's icon is a small camel.  As the app searches for things, things the camel walks, and as the longer the camel walks the more it sweats!  Cute, but after half an hour of trying my best, I could quite happily have throttled the little animal! Anyway, I think I got it right because it took my money!  Th...

Just as I was going to my last lessn of the term, my phone rang.  I ignored it.  Just as I started to teach it rang again.  The distinctive 'WeChat' ringtone.  The kids were impressed.  Teacher has WeChat!  I apologised, left teh room breifly and checked the call.  It was my boss Jamie.  He was taking me outto diner..where was I.  I told him that I was teaching and that I would see him later.  Lesson ended, back to my office and there was anothter message. He wanted to know where I was becasue he was at teh school gate waiting for me and Anna. I changed into dry clothes and met him at teh school gate.  Off we went to the restaurant opposite our house.  Beef hotpot!  Sounded good, but beef is a losse term around here.  Beef usually means it comes from a cow, usually meat, but not always meat  other items are included in the term beef!  This was no exception.  It smelled and looked good but there were...