It's hard to believe that one year ago exactly, I was running around somewhere in Beijing, and now I'm back in China. That's how far I have progressed in my life, haha. So far I am liking China round 2 better than round 1!
Shenzhen is actually a cool place. There isn't much cultural stuff to do, but that's okay.
Wednesday I met the au pairs at the office from where we were going to Felix' goodbye lunch. It actually makes me really sad that all of the people I have met are leaving, well excluding a few. It was nice spending time with them again. They were actually in class, but Harika and I had planned to go to Dongmen, and tricked Felix and Mariana from México(!!) into coming with us. Dongmen is mainly shopping, which we didn't do a lot of that day, but I had the best mango smoothie/drink ever. Wauw! I'd move here just because of delicios mango smoothies and milk tea!
In the arvo I went to pick up my passport with my new visa. My passport is slowly turning into a miniature book with something on every page. The most educating book I have ever read, that is for sure!
Of course I only remembered the metro stop where the immigration office is, but not where it is once you exit the metro. So I was wandering around trying desperately to remember something, but I couldn't. I went down to the metro station and looked at a map, when a lovely Chinese lady working there, came over to me and looked at me with a questioning look on her face. I showed her the receipt for my visa and she told me the correct exit. This is why I love China. The people are so friendly. They want to help you even if they can't communicate with you.
There was so many people in the immigration office and I had to wait for just about an hour to pick up my visa. Something else from 20 minutes at the consulate in Melbourne!

During the days I usually take Michelle to school at 7, pick her up at 12 and then she goes back at 2.30 and I pick her up at 4.30. It is very different from schools I have seen. Firstly they wear uniforms, but that's not so strange. I have seen uniforms before. The following takes place when they exit the school: the class lines up in two rows in the school yard, which is fenced with guards standing at the fence so nobody can enter or leave. Their teacher stands next to them. One of the kids is holding a sign with the class name on it. Michelle is 5.2. Fifth grade, second class. Then they simultaneously walk outside, line up on the pavement, turn around so that they are facing their teacher and bow and say goodbye to their teacher. It's like a mini ceremony. Quite fascinating!
Today is teacher's day in China, when you show your appreciation of your teachers. Hence, yesterday I was helping Michelle making cards for her teachers and we went down to buy flowers. She only has three teachers which makes it easier, and as far as I understood her, she only has three subjects. Chinese, Math and English. Anyway, Michelle wrote me a card too. In Chinese obviously. I wrote her one too, because she is my Chinese teacher.

Yesterday afternoon deserves some mentioning because Michelle and I really bonded over Chinese emperors, Hangzhou and Chinese traditions. Basically we were just playing around but I was so happy and so was she, and that made me even more happy. It was particularly funny when Elisa was telling me a legend from Hangzhou and Michelle tried to say buddhist munk, but it came out as boogie monkey. I laughed so hard.

Tomorrow it will be exactly one month that I left Australia to come to China. Sunday marks my first month in China, round 2! So this weekend will be celebrated in Hangzhou, which is said to be the most beautiful city in China. A Chinese saying goes "above is paradise, below is Hangzhou".