I'm BACK!!!

So here I am back in Beijing. The flights were super uneventful, apart from the fact that on my second flight no one sat next to me so I sort of recreated the business experience. Without the free champagne. So Helen picked me up and the 30 minute journey took 75 as its drop off your kids at University weekend! Yay lots of traffic! When I asked her how many Universities there were I was naively expecting an answer in the region of 5-10, nope. 'I think around 30, maybe more' was what she said. That is an insane amount of studying going on. 

I have to admit that aside from a nice Chinese dinner, no McDonalds thankfully, I have nothing to report on that 1st afternoon as I fell asleep at 9 and woke up at 11 the next morning.

So yesterday was also pretty chilled, I had breakfast at lunchtime, always a fave, at which the grandad tried to get me to eat; cereal, a sweet potatoe, a croissant, a chocolate pastry twist thing, some baguette, some ham, some chicken with sweet corn, some salt beef, 2 different types of orange juice, fried eggs, and a mooncake. Good thing I've never shied away from saying no otherwise you'll have to roll me off the plane when I get back. 

When Leo got back from kindergarten we played snap, and he played piano. Dinner was super tasty, rice and an assortment of meats and veg which the grandad prepares. I only have to cook once a week on Saturdays. Then he was like to me, take Leo for a walk. A lot of people out here are very big on their evening constitutional, old, young, middling, it doesn't matter everyone goes outside in the evening. I suppose that's what I comes of living where you don't have a garden, you have to make yourself go for walks. The apartments actually have this nice mini park, with a playground and pretty gardens, little lakes and fountains. Anyways, we go down in the lift (being on the 22nd floor we always take the lift). I'm psyching myself up for my first proper bit of child care. When we step outside Leo starts to pull down his pants, I'm all like 'no child! Don't test me now! I'm not ready' he's like what I need to pee. I make him go back upstairs all 22 floors. We reach the apartment, but as he takes off his shoes -always take off your shoes- he starts peeing and leaves little pee droplets all through the apartment as he runs to the toilet. Smooth moves. The grandad just starts chuckling and cleaning up.

The walk itself was fairly chilled, except for the fact that Leo has a crazy amount of energy and just runs everywhere, occasionally screaming. Not surprising when he's at school between 8&6 and lives in an apartment. 

When Helen got back she showed me where to go for my lesson today, then proceeded to point out where the nearest pizza huts were. I will not be going yo Pizza Hut, or KFC, or McDonald's end of story. It doesn't remind me of home, and is only essential after a night out or on a long car journey. I also have to pick Leo up today, by bike, which the Grandad will be showing me how to ride... Oh yay... When I asked if they had a helmet Helen laughed in my face, she found it very bizarre that people in England wear them. Oh yes Hilarious that we want to protect our brains. So if you don't hear from me again it's probably due to inadequate brain protection.