A belly-load of extras

Blog 6

OK, it's Sunday and while most of the Christian world will be enjoying a day of rest, yours truly is still at it. The training and the blogging, too! Boom, boom! No, but really, on a serious note, I was in a bookshop in downtown Chongqing last night and discovered that they've actually got a book on the history of Vaseline. 'Incredible', I thought. Apparently, it's won the Chinese prize for the work of best non-friction... Cripes and lorks-a-lordy.

China, as I was told by one of the teachers-in-training today is a country without religion. As this appears to be the reason why we're all working today, I can only suggest that mainstream religion has more going for it than we might at first believe. Religious holidays - got to love 'em.

As a result, I'll keep this short so I can soon find a bar with beer to drink heavily in. The picture to your right shows the current Chongqing fashion of baring one's belly in the warm weather. While it matters not if your belly is large or small, the greater kudos seem to go to the larger variety - and they're all at it, from young to old. The gent here is obviously happy to display his.

So, after another morning getting up before one really should (before 7, I tell you!), it's prep-time for the next day. Luckily it's just testing all day tomorrow - let's see how much they've learnt / how badly I've taught them.

In final note of good news, my shirts came back from the toothless woman intact, although they were interestingly folded and ironed inside-out. Is this normal? Replies to the usual address, please.

As there's only one picture of China today, I'll supplement your meagre diet with one of brother Matt and me at good-friend and former- housemate Niall's wedding, which was in June, this year. Doesn't it look like a lovely day?

Oh, and in a final, final comment, this is my final night in exciting Chongqing. It's a flight to Wuhan tomorrow evening. What mysteries await there we can only imagine.