Saturday 3rd November, 2012          1030

I suppose this weekend in the UK there will be bonfires and fireworks aplenty, here of course they know nothing about Mr Fawkes - we’ll probably have fireworks though, we do most days!

Yesterday was quite tiring teaching six lessons even though the classes themselves were good and active. At lunchtime Kevin cluttered off to meet Prof Fang as they were going to Hefei for the provincial heats of the speaking contest. I never get invited to go, probably because Kevin’s students always win and qualify to take part and to be fair he devotes an enormous amount of time to coaching the contestants so they never think to ask me. Actually that looks bad on me! In my defence I should point out that the two English majors who are competing (Daisy and Jim) have in fact both been taught by me. I taught Daisy for one term but Kevin had taught that class for two years previously and I taught Jim for his first year until inexplicably the school gave that class to Kevin for their second year. I had originally put him forward for the competition and I am sure last year he would have been good enough to qualify for Ma’ha’shan which was where the regionals were held but he pulled out because he was so annoyed the class had been given to Kevin.

He got over that and has proved my original judgement correct and actually I do get students bringing me their speeches for correction and suggestions - I even had a non-English major come to me this time but I think because we don’t teach them they think we would refuse to help them, when nothing could be further from the truth. I’m not sure I would relish going to the affair anyway. Sitting for an entire Saturday listening to goodness knows how many speeches on the same topic is not my idea of fun and of course if a college student makes it through Saturday you have to do it again on Sunday! He is welcome to it.

Here is a perfect example of local knowledge coming in handy. Kevin asked Prof Fang where the university in Hefei was located and was told it was the downtown area. Due to our having been to the Hilton - in the downtown area - we both know the main road is closed for two years but she didn’t. Prof Fang said perhaps they should leave earlier and when Kevin said they could just ask the satnav to find an alternative route this was ruled out because she doesn’t know how to and Kevin can’t read Chinese! I wish all three of the students every success.

I was going to go to town today because I have no animal meat and only 100y in my wallet but as I am teaching kids tomorrow morning (only 0920-1100 this time after I complained about the ridiculous four hour break last week) I will go to the bank and shop then. I can go and get a couple of fish over the road today for the family and have sardines on toast myself for dinner.

Next week I just have to examine 16 students on Monday morning and teach six classes on Tuesday. The rest of the week is the sports holiday, so if  my students text me as I asked to let me know when they are taking part then I will endeavour to go and watch them, if they don’t then I may probably just relax.

2100

News in from Kevin is that Jim scraped through to tomorrow but Daisy bombed. It was hard for me to believe she did until he explained she fluffed the second of her questions which are posed after they deliver their speech, especially as the American judge commented when she had finished that she would be a hard act to follow. She didn’t understand the question. Neither apparently did Kevin. Why? Because the judge posing the question was a Phillipino. How in God’s name can you run a national English speaking competition and have non-native speakers appointed as judges???!!! It’s bad enough that in-house only Chinese teachers get to judge, but in a provincial? After the debacle here and this, to be honest I have lost all interest in the bloody thing. Yes, of course I will help anyone who asks in future but I reckon if I posed as a Chinese student even I wouldn’t win - and without blowing trumpets, I have delivered a host of speeches in my time. Maybe Daisy didn’t deserve to progress further (I doubt it personally) but to have a foreigner from a country where English is not the mother tongue as a judge in an important round is just plain ludicrous. I give up.