So today is 28 July. There was a storm in Shanghai last night, a big fucker, and since we are on the top floor I spent most of the night awake worrying whether the roof would collapse. It was leaking earlier this week and although the workmen have been and gone, I remain sceptical that they did anything except put up a bit of scaffolding and do a lot of singing in Chinese.
It is difficult speaking absolutely no Mandarin in a country where most people speak absolutely no English. Where you can go in the city depends entirely on whether you can pronounce the name of the street. Even then, it seems that everybody pronounces words differently and will not understand you unless you speak exactly like them. If you try and speak Chinese people with either laugh, or simply refuse to understand you.
But I did not start this blog to moan about Shanghai. In reality it is a great city, and the problems you face here are no more frustrating than other problems in the UK. The people here are great, they are always smiling and laughing and playing with their kids. You can walk the streets safely at night, the beer and taxis are cheap - for the first time in my life we even have a cleaner in my flat. She's here right now actually, sweeping the floor around me.
Anyway, I have to go to work. I am an English teacher... yawn.... like everyone else in this city who couldn't get a real job. It's not bad work, I have had worse, but it's a but repetitive, and difficult for someone like me who is not very patient. But more on that later. I hope this has been an OK opening post.
Party on.
Mickey
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