Signed up for optional classes today. I had been looking forward to choosing between all kinds of exotic subjects such as calligraphy and learning the 二胡 (erhu- stringed instrument thingy) but when we finally found the right office it boiled down to Taichi, cooking and something called "文化" (wenhua-culture). This sounded a bit ambiguous but better than the others so I have plumped for that one. We shall have to wait and see what this entails...

Today seemed to be a day for meeting  new English speakers. The Americans and English are emerging from the mass of Koreans and Russians. I met a girl from Sheffield, who knew Anthony- the guy I sit next to in class- and a guy from New Mexico and a woman from Texas. I am trying to think of ways to actually make friends with actual Chinese people. I think Becka and I are going to do the Taekwondo class next door which should be interesting.

I was doing homework this afternoon/chilling when I kept hearing shouts from outside. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I looked out of my window to see what appeared to be the Chinese version of CCF performing manoeuvres in that comically synchronised way so beloved of dictatorships. I had a good chuckle.

For dinner, after a short spree at the street market on pretty notebooks for class, I cracked and went to 麦当劳 which is, er, like this really authentic Chinese restaurant. *Looks shifty*

Then booked flights for holiday in National Day week. Becka and I are planning on a couple of days in Hangzhou, a few days in Suzhou wedding dress hunting and then back to Shanghai to partyyyy. Fun fun :D Just hope that we have booked everything right. You never know in China...

In other news: my grandparents inform me that I have been spelling wierd wrong. It should be weird. Which somehow looks weird. I feel it should be spelt wierd. However I shall bow to tradition and use weird.