I understand and know through experiences that I'll always be an outsider who is pointed and starred at, it goes with the territory of being a foreigner travelling until I entered Central America. I was greeted with "Hola" not long, fixed stares or stern, finger pointing. I was treated as an insider, someone who does have feelings too. And I know their manners weren't because of 'Miss money bags' walking their way, they were like it amongst each other. They wer...

With many feelings circulating in my mind, this Mid-Autumn festival gave me the break I’d needed for some time. To gather my thoughts and put them into perspective... Locking up my tarnished bicycle and walking the three steps into school, I sighed. I had nothing planned for my time off yet every day I did and found something new and then my six days were over and I was back to the old. “I say, you say” every child engaged as we learnt today’s new phoni...

HAPPY MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL – MOON CAKE DAY During the Mongolian rule in China moon cakes were used to send messages containing details of the Mongolian leaders could be overthrown. One method was hiding letters within the cake fillings and the other was printing Chinese characters, puzzles or mosaics on top of each cake. The cakes were packaged in four’s but cut into 16 pieces upon arrival. The pieces were then put together to reveal the secret message and th...

Checklist: Ate pigs foot (tasted like farm flavoured jelly!) “I’ve got a cool car”, “make way”, “I’m going too fast”, “MOOVE dammit”, “Oi oi foreigner look at me” or “I’m angry”. These many car horns and then there is mine, ‘briing briing’ from my little bicycle bell. “Let's go” heading off on my bicycle, weaving past cars, veering off to the left as a taxi pulls out in front of me. I manically ring my bell. They can’t h...

Thomas cried as his mother left the room, 4 year old Lucy sat on a chair too big for her constantly looking at the window to check her grandmother was still here. Sam jumped up and down and Harry practised his kung fu moves with himself. 14 new students between 4-6 years old, with 5 bad monkeys. Their first day was an hour and half class with a 10 minute break. The lesson plan consisted of- ' Hello class - Hello teacher ' ' How are you? - I'm fine thank you ' ...