Ni hao true believers! When we left our hero he had arrived at his new home, Fukang, met the Le Roux family and the american Mike and was preparing for the responsability of being an english teacher. Where will his adventure take him? Lets find out!

The tuesday was similiar to monday, following Stephanus as he took classes, watching him like a hawk, studying asll his movements, teaching techniques and bizzare jokes. The Chinese kids absolutley love it when you act like a complete and utter fool and only understand jokes using when you are using body language. It suits me perfectley as I normally prance around like a lunatic anyway, its a bonus to be able to use it in a useful manner. Each class I introduced myself to were given the chance to ask questions and every single time the only question they had was 'Do you have girrrr-friend'. Either the L is silent in Chinese or the just cannot pronunce it. The latter seems more likley. When I proclaim 'Yes' proud that I do all the girls sigh and all the guys shout 'OOOHHHHH'. Its brilliant. With the boy to girl ratio being 120 guys to 100 girls they must have thought I was some sort of hero who'd had to battle my way through a sea of sweaty, stinking, teenage blokes too snatch the woman up, and i'm happy to embrace the view (apologies Jess). It has been very surreal for me. The girls keep leaving love letters on my desk, sitting and going 'ahhhh' all the time and walking up, telling me 'You're very handsome' then running away like they were scared I would punch them. There has also been gifts and sweets galore given to me by all. I'm loving it but have been feeling slightly big headed. When I get back to the UK and every woman for 20 miles isn't double taking me and every guy isn't staring at me I'll feel un-special again so I might as well act big headed about it now. I'm Kurt Cobain for a year, deal with it.

Wednesday was the big one. I watched Stephanus teach once more then decided it was time I should take the mantle. I stepped up in front of the 50 eager kids, let out a deep breath and began. It was a wild first lesson. Time flies when your nervous, sweaty and acting the fool. It really was good fun and from then on out every lesson improved as I became more comfortable in my role as teacher. But I will never get used to kids shouting 'Hello teacher!'. Everytime they do I look aroud then (in mind) proclaim 'Lolz, thats me'. It is surreal having such a sense of responsability and having people rally to you for learning and show respect to you. Teacher is a very respectable role in China and there's even a teachers day to show it(more on this next time).

Only 6 months ago I was sitting in the place of the students and now I understand the fustrations of my old teachers. The back two rows of almost every class I took that week sat completley ignoring me, chatting, not doing the work and acting like genral pains in the bottoms. No matter what you do you can never quite get there attention, which is fustrating, but one must try as they say. My method was embarassing the child. Yes, yes, I know, thats incrediabley harsh but they beat the children here so my methods practically humane by comparison. One boy stood up declaring me 'too young to be a teacher'. It was showtime. Rolling up my sleeves I pointed to him asking 'and how old are you?'. He glared me down, a fire in his eyes. '50' he spat. The situation was diffused as all the kids started laughing at him. He looked terribley embarssed, sat back down and didn't say another word. I rolled the sleeves back down and continued.

The week rolled through and was all in all pretty good, including the teaching side. We were intorduced to another very good english speaker in the School called Ashley aswell as a few other teachers and ate out at another speckling of local restaurants. We tried Ding Ding (short, spicey noodels cut up on a big plate), Kungpow chicken and other dishes which I couldn't begin to describe nor tell you what they actually are. The most delicious food in China thus far for me has to be the eggplant though. The way the cook it makes it so unbleivabley delicious. Also Mike showed as what has become a god send to me; a modern coffe shop (I'll get a photo). The atmosphere is great, the coffee or 'kaffe' (oh I was missing it) is gorgeous and you can even get starbucks style iced coffe blends. It's simpley an amazing place to go and I love it, most of my time and money is being put into that place in exchange for dat sweet caffine rush I oh so despratley need.

That weekend was intresting. The saturday we hung around, getting a feel for Fukang and generally having a good explore. Then we met Chris. He is your typical australian and loves a good drink so he sadi he needed to organise something some time (more on that later). Vivian invited us to go out to the Gobi desert on the bus and it was wonderful out there. It was sparse and hot and everything a human being shouldn't be exposed to but it was nice to see. Again the contrast of desert and snow capped mountian was just awe-inspiring. I'm not a godly man but that certainley inspired holy feelings.

Afterwards we were informed by Vivian chris wished to go out with us and her. Sure we said. We gave Mike a ring aswell and that was sorted.Then Vivian couldn't go. So it was Me, Stephen and Mike off out with Chris. We met him and he took us to his friends apartment, another American called Kurt. We had a chat, listend to some music and then headed out to a nightclub in Fukang (they actually exist, I was amazed). It was a good night (all details ommited for 'gap yahhh' problems, message me if you want them) and a few weird happenings went on but 10 oot of 10, would do again. The sunday was spent exploring again, nursing a hangover and preparing for the week ahead. (Contiuity of story stops here)

A few special metions in Fukang. We met our lovley neighbours who run a restaurant and a laundry and have been incrediabley kind to us giving us lots of fruit, free food and did our washing for free until the arrival of our washing machine. they really are lovley people. We went Ughyur dancing in the park and it was really enjoyable, I need to learn proporley so I don't embaress myself and an entrie nation of people. And finally is the basketball. They're absolutley mad for basketball here so Me and Stephen have been joining in when we can, it's a great way of meeting people and familiarising yourself with students so we will have to keep it up.

Thats all for this time but stay tuned as next time will be just as exciting! From here on out I'll mostly just be mentioing special events and holdiays and what not as keeping up a day to day of what i've been doing is tiresome and impossible to keep up to date but, don't worry, all the good stuff will be here!

Check out the photos of Fukang I'm uploading, will be updating them more and more as I explore further,

Excelsior!