King in Beijing

Wow! 77 visits so far! I'm in danger of becoming an underground success...

Anyway, here are some of my favourite English names Chinese children have given themselves (that I have in my class or I have heard of):

- Batman
- Chicken
- Computer
- Donkey (Chicken and Donkey are in Huw's class, and apparently are inseperable)
- Dracula
- Honey (the biggest guy in the class)
- Manchester United
- Maroon
- Miss Lucy (a boy - less of a name and more of a declaration one feels)
- Monkey
- Moo Moo
- Mr. Huge (my favourite pupil - he's the smallest kid in the class, sports blue-rimmed glasses, speaks virtually no English and has drawn a picture of a tank on his name card, which is flying a flag with 'Mr. Huge' emblazened on it in Orange pen)
- Mr. Herbert (I tried to explain to the boy that this was my name, so he changed it to 'Mrs. Herbert', before we settled on 'Mr. Jake'...)
- Nebula (I wish I'd been named Nebula now)
- Nothing
- Pig
- Satan (a tiny Chinese girl - but who says she can't be? Not me anyway!)
- Sophie Dupont (is that someone famous?)
- Spider
- The Wizard of Oz

Lessons are never dull... Anyway, I feel I must apologise to Little Tom for the wholesale theft of his website address, background and several pictures! He can be quite scary you know:

Please read his website (link should be on the left hand side of the screen), it's much funnier than mine and it's original... and then click back onto mine to boost my 'visit total' stats. I'm really cool you know.

For now, keepin' it real,

Thomas

2 DAYS AND COUNTING!!

Ni hao from a decidedly colder Beijing! The new website seems to be working well, and according to my stats page I have received 34 visits since the site has been running, huzzah!

Anyway, to reward you for your patience during the difficult moving period, here is a picture from Little Tom's school:

I hadn't really though of it like that before, but now you come to mention it...

Anyway, I was a little worried I might not have enough material to justify an entry, (apart from one lad crying in my class because his mate called him a pig - I think a pig would have been the best thing I'd have been called at Downend School!) but that was before yesterday! I arose at 5:30am to trek across town and teach a bunch of kindergarten students for extra cash. The best part was when they gave me my money! They were all only children from rich backgrounds who would have obviously preferred to be in bed or at KFC...

I did 8 hours of that, followed by a trip home, then straight out with my ill-gotten gains to the bar! It gets a bit hazy from then, but I recall a 7 beers for 60 kuai offer, a hip-hop club, meat on a stick and an illegal taxi ride home:

Anyway, I have been mostly sleeping and avoiding cleaning the flat today. It has been brought to my attention there are no pictures of said flat online. I'll get on it. In the meantime, thanks for your comments and the German welcome to 'Peking' (I thought only 80 year old British expats called it Peking, I may be wrong though!).

Keep in online!

Thomas

A quick word of warning to the evil-doers who stole Huw's wallet and bicycle. We know where you live... Beijing (probably)

Ni hao! So, those of you who might be missing the old King in Beijing site... nostalgia isn't what it used to be eh? For those crazy few, here is a brief recap of events so far, kind of like the 'previously on 24' but without the explosions and smouldering romantic tension!

My leaving party was a great success, and all my friends chipped in and bought me a leaving present...

Now remember, it's a Typhoon in the Pacific, and a Hurricane in the Atlantic.

Shanghai was lots of fun, and I made lots of new friends...

Sadly my new friends turned on me, and I was forced up along with Izzi to join them in an acapella version of the Sound of Music 'classic' Doh Ray Me. In front of 200 people. My not knowing any of the words or actions made it difficult, but not impossible.

The train ride to Beijing was interesting...

But when we got there it was well worth it...

Vienetta stick!

Right, I think that brings us up to date. There was some teaching and some culture as well, but I'm sure no one's interested in that. For the full sordid affair feel free to re-tread at:

http://groups.msn.com/KinginBeijing/_whatsnew.msnw

Right, I'm off to research differences between American and British English. Fanny pack anyone?

Thomas

Hello again!

As you are here you are no doubt aware that the world famous 'King in Beijing' website has moved house! I know this is a dratted nuisance, but it really is for the best. Here are some reasons, in no particular order.

Number 1 = The other site was running out of space
Number 2 = It was difficult for people to post 'silly comments'
Number 3 = I am quite shallow, and my friend 'Little Tom' (all is explained in my post dated 19th Sep) has a blog at this address and it looked much better!

Hooray! My pictures will remain at:

http://spaces.msn.com/members/kinginbeijing/

Unless I get bored or find a better site. Here is a picture of a double-seated motorbike. Awesome:

Right, Huw and I are due a visit from the British Council lady, where I aim to kick up a fuss about having to pay 400 yuan for a 'foreign experts card'. If you're really lucky next post I'll tell you about the time I did a full gym induction wearing a shirt and trousers. It was magic.

Keep it safe, keep it secret!

Thomas