As the title of this post may suggest, I don’t feel as though I’ve done a huge amount of teaching just yet. One six-day week, and then odd days either side of medicals and holidays – this week was just the same. The school decreed that Saturday should be a Thursday to make up for lost time, and so that’s what I taught. Becca came over and helped on the Saturday. I think interest in the others’ projects is something we all share – I’d jump at the chance to see someone else’s school as well (and, indeed, already have, twice).

I got back to a distinct lack of Internet in the apartment. Tom had spent a relaxed week at home making a few friends in town (that one high up in the Education System he nearly forgot to mention…) until the router reset and simultaneously broke itself. He’d found his way to an Internet Cafe, which turned out to be a gaming shop thing, and it was there that I completed the Foreign Experts’ Test online with Becca, while Tom stayed home to meet the China Mobile guy who was called to mend our router.

We spent the rest of the weekend making the most of the sights of Karamay by the river and in the park before they get switched off or drained for the Winter. I bought food from the highly convenient market at the end of our road, and on Wednesday I even managed to go for a run (getting strange looks for being out in a t-shirt and jogging bottoms when the locals are in coats).

—TJC

Featured image: Exploring Century Park’s fog display.