Hanging in the Hangzhou

Fed up of being The Lone Wolf of Fenghua, I took a 2hour bus ride on friday back to Hangzhou where i knew foreign ppl were to find myself a weekend wolfpack. Still stuck in the hotel because their placements were still being buggered up were Alex and DJ Phil. They were now having to pay for the hotel out their own pocket until they get some money back from one of the companys we are working for out here and the only option they had of getting out the hotel was the offer of some run down dive of an apartment that completely breached the contract and so they refused to go there. Freddy was also in Hangzhou, he is now at his placement and his apartment sounded pretty damn grim too! with a big hole in the wall which the chinese lady tried to fix with a pringle pot?! and it being so freezing cold he was having to try to sleep in a scarf and coat to try to stay warm, along with other stories i've heard it seems alot of people really have not been happy with their placements. Sofia was also in Hangzhou, like me her place is nice but she is completely alone too and wanted some foreign company. Aswell as hearing their miserable stories i was also to hear that Freddie and DJ Phil managed to blag their way on to the chinese version of Xfactor!! They got thru the audition stage during the week and at the wknd they were to perform on the live show!! Freddy was performing a song on the guitar that he wrote when he was at home in his room sitting in his pants. He said it was the most surreal thing ever to a few weeks later be performing it on national chinese television in front of a studio audience and being backed up by a chinese band! I was there at the live show rehearsals but unfortunately had to leave to go back to my school before the actual live show but from what i've heard Freddys performance was made even more surreal as they dressed him up like a drag queen, then slated his performance and he lost his round. Also at the rehearsal 'DJ Phil' after a little diva strop with the producers busted out 2 Pac!, Changes! Which we absolutely loved! However i'm guessing the chinese were not so keen on an american rapping about american racism live on national chinese television and so unfortunately DJ Phil was dropped from the live show. China missed out! Heres a link to the audition stage, hopefully they will put the live show up soon too. http://www.wyccp.com/video_details.php?id=207 The friday and saturday night out we've found a university bar thats full of westerners/ Indians/ all sorts?! but speak English and like to party. I also jined a Rugby team out here called the Hangzhou Harlequins and we met up with them on friday and saturday too for 2 epic nights out, involving lots of alcohol, a macho man contest and 'Miss March' sexy lady competitions on the stage of the club, dancing some hardcore indian bangra shapes to punjabi MC with a group of random Indians and many other shenanigans that i wish i could remember better. So the weekend was really good! Well worth the 2hour bus ride! Although it did make returning to Fenghua on my own pretty darn depressing. My phones not been working this wknd and i dont know whats wrong with it coz the womans voice is in chinese!! I think it just needs topping up tho which in itself will be a mission! China is by far the hardest country to live in i've been to. everything is such hard work. In Hangzhou they are used to seeing westerners all the time and its quite easy to go out and do shopping or whatever, where as here i'm like a complete alien! I went to supermarket yersterday and just wanted to buy some chicken and then had some chinese bloke shouting at me?! i was obviously breaking some kind of chicken supermarket buying etiquette but i couldnt understand what?! and because he was shouting, a load of other customers started crowding round laughing and piping up too..I threw the chicken down gave him a annoyed look and go away hand gesture and stropped off!! .. normally i'd laugh but i was tired and not in the mood! I only wanted some chicken!! And to add to it I'll probably be asked about it by a teacher or student soon as it seems every time i go into town they hear i've been seen there from someone! Its the downside of being famous i guess!! ;-) Anyway i've told the i-to-i / TTC team i like my school and placement but getting lonely now so at least they know and hopefully i'll be sent some fellow 'laowai' and never be a lone wolf again.

• China
• teaching internship