School days

Settled in now at the new house. It is a bit different. I have a first floor bedroom with a beautiful view of Goddess Gemu, but it doesn't have any glass in the windows so can be a little windy. They feed me heaps and heaps here and seem surprised when I say I'm full after two bowls of rice.

Getting on better with the English teacher. I know she knows a lot about English grammar and can write in English well, but apparently my spoken Chinese is better than her spoken
English (which is scary) as she seems very reluctant to speak to me in English other than to say single words. She speaks Mosuo, and interpreted an interview with an elderly Mosuo lady for me yesterday (her mother in law) but interpreted from Mosuo into Chinese, staying well away from English. I have taught her some new English words. They include torch, mandarine and State family planning commission. Everything that we eat she wants to know if we have it in Australia. She also gave me a draft of the English exam she had prepared to check. I made lots of corrections and she didn't say much. Not sure if I am helping or offending sometimes, she is a difficult person to read. She said I could come along to some of her classes yesterday morning, but then sat me up the back and didn't let me do a thing to help. I sat there and cringed while she added a vowel to the end of every English word that should end in a consonant "challeng-ah" and pronounced every "th" as "z". She only asks for my help in pronounciation when we are in the teachers office.

Well, it is a challeng-ah.

The kids do Mosuo circle dancing three mornings a week in the oval. I took some photos this morning. They are pretty good. The English teacher says she will teach me dancing for new year.

The house is nice and has a sunny courtyard and a little black cat that is always on my lap.

Oom Cees, leuk van je te horen- alsjeblieft email me, Mum kan je de adres geven.
liefs, Laura