Ballin around

Three months in. Things have gone by so quickly, it’s only a month to the holidays wooooo. However being the worry pot I am the only thing on my mind is the approaching exams. Everyone all together please, cross your fingers and toes for me I need some luck, finding it difficult to acquire a four leaf clover in China.

A while ago my fellow scholarship student Ana (Anlai as she is known to us) met a language partner called Lulin. Her friend Li Ke was in need of a language buddy also so I asked her if she would be mine. How romantic. Since then we meet many days a week for a few hours to revise together. She supplies the snacks, I supply the patter. We try to speak in each other’s languages however this can prove to be difficult as her English is basically fluent. We have an hour every time we revise where she can only speak in English and I have to try as hard as I can to only speak in Mandarin. I would recommend having not just language partners but also having them as friends. They can help you to improve your language skills as well as showing you the best places to eat and ordering clothes for you online.

I have been more wise with my spending this month with only the occasional pizza. This meant trying out more traditional foods on the street as well and pushing myself out my comfort zone in the canteen. My canteen classic is either tomato noodles or jianbing. Jianbing is a thin pancake base with lettuce and other fillings and sauce with a crispy pastry in the middle. It is delicious!

Talking about delicious food flash forward to the St Andrews ball. We were all invited to a ball in Beijing at the Beijing World Hotel. We got all dressed up in suits and dresses. We couldn’t have been more of a juxtaposition. Dressed in suits and heels walking down the street our hotel was on trying to bare the smell, telephone wires hanging dangerously close to our heads whilst trying not to fall down a pot hole.

We arrived at the ball greeted by bagpipes and the smell of haggis. Home at last. We were served a 6 course meal and good wine. A new wine for every meal haha. We danced the night away in a ceilidh until 4am. We were then kindly served a delicious breakfast. The first toast I’ve had since I arrived in China. All in all one of the best nights I’ve had in this country.

This brings us to the end of yet another blog. Until next time.