Arrival in Changsha

Well after a 16 hour train journey - in a badly hungover state due to post-graduation party the night before - I'm finally here at my teaching placement. I've actually been here nearly a week now so am starting to get a feel for the place. Changsha is an interesting city. It's very different from Beijing here - it's poorer and less westernised, but the people are noticably friendlier and the food is definitely better. To a further extent than Beijing the city is in the middle of rapid development and progression. Cranes line the skyline wherever you are, there's a brand new subway system under construction and vast, shining high rise hotels and offices are sprouting up to replace the urban shacks. The accommadation we've been provided with is pretty plush, with a flatscreen tv, shiny marble and wood flooring and all necessary appliances. I'm living with a 26 year old Danish guy - Soren, and an 19 year old American - Scott. Next door are three girls - two Germans and a Scot - from the same TTC program. Getting to know each other has been fun so far, particularly a session of Danish drinking games last night. None of us start teaching till Monday - this last week has involved seemingly endless introductions and official functions, including a group performance to the teaching staff which was slightly terrifying (we all sang 'With a little help from my friends'... badly). Yesterday we went to the opening ceremony of a brand new school, attended by goverment officials, which was a strange mix of communist rally and primary school performances.

Got my timetable yesterday though. I was pretty intimidated to find that I'm teaching every primary school grade except grade 2... in three different schools. And a kindergarten class on Friday which we yesterday just after naptime - all the kids were just waking up in their tiny little beds... it was funny. How I'm going to give English lessons to these tiny little kindergartners I have no idea, but at the same time I really can't wait to get started. I wonder if any of my lesson plans are actually going to work? :s