Educating Mao ※

Subject: I booked a ticket for Panjin

Dear Dad
On Friday I read a chapter of Roughing It and Following the Equator. I booked a train ticket for Panjin on Wednesday night. I will be arriving in Panjin at seven on Wednesday morning.

I went to the library and read a book about movies. In the evening I had dinner with Daniel and Dawn. Then Daniel and I went down the road to the Italian style place for drinks of Chinese beer. Andrew, another teacher, joined.

Unfortunately Andrew brought in large containers of beer. I was ill. I would have spent the night under a hedge. But Daniel and Andrew got a taxi to take us back to the college.

Where is your correspondence?
Love from Lloyd

Subject: I had a quiet day

Dear Dad
Today Saturday I had a quiet day. I read the Mark Twain book chapters Roughing It and Following The Equator.

In the evening I went down the road and had dinner and a few beers.

I call John Key "Little Satan" and a "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing".
Love from Lloyd

Subject: a farewell dinner

Dear Dad
On Sunday I had a quiet day. I read chapters of Roughing It and Following The Equator.

In the evening I had a farewell dinner with Daniel, Andrew and Hassan at the Italian type place down the road.

Subject: preparing for my journey

Dear Dad
On Monday today, I had lunch at Good Coffee.

In the evening I packed in preparation for my journey to Panjin on Tuesday.

Subject: i travelled all day and night

Dear Dad
On Tuesday I took two trains and travelled all day and night.

My journey from Zhengzhou began as a nightmare. The Chinese trains have no limit for standing passengers. As it is semester time, only a helpful guard and a student from ChengGong enabled me to get to my seat.
I had six pieces of luggage.

Subject: arrived in Panjin

Dear Dad
I arrived in Panjin on Wednesday after eight am.

Gailing was there to pick me up. She is a lovely person who has lived the last seven years in Germany. She is about thirty or less.

I have been put into my own college-owned hotel room. I met Fred, the other native English teacher at the College. He is American and about sixty years old.

In the afternoon the staff had lunch at an up-market restaurant. I met the director. It is a wholly Chinese-owned college. It is a technical college not a university. We will have to wait and see.

Later I went with Gailing to arrange to get my new work visa. I saw my new college classrooms and my office with a computer which I am using now.

In the evening I went with Fred to have dinner.

Subject: had dinner with Fred

Dear Dad
On Thursday Gailing and I went back to the police station. The new visa has been promised to be delivered next Friday.

I had dinner with Fred at a restaurant in a shopping mall. It provides western food.

Subject: the staff eating place

Dear Dad
On Friday today I found the staff eating place. The food is ok and very cheap.

I had found a lovely fish restaurant near where I live. I will eat there when the caf. food is too much.

I collected my first laundry from the laundry shop next door. It was well done and ironed but about twenty dollars. I had given him everything after my train trip. There are no laundry facilities in my apartment. I will have to do something about that price.

I am now working the computer in my office.