A Typical week for a Hutong School Student

Monday:

The week starts early; half seven. After a shower I’m off to work. Because I’m running late I leave my bike and get the subway a few stops along Line 2. I pick up a quick breakfast on the way and enter work just in time. Its going to be a busy week so I need to get prepared. It’s a good day at the office and I’m out on time for my classes at quarter to five. By the time I get to the Hutong School most of the students are finished classes but some are still around to have a chat with before my teacher calls “Shang Ke” – the lesson is to begin! The lesson goes quickly and I’m off again to check with some of the others whether they want to go for dinner. The three of us walk around the corner to our favourite Muslim restaurant and each get a bowl of “Lanzhou Lamian” – spicey soup with noodles. After that I go back to the apartment and watch a DVD and web chat some friends back home before going to bed.

Tuesday:

My alarm drags me out of bed, and my shower cleans me. I have a meeting today so I have to be smart. Because of this I get the subway again. By the time I get to the office I have enough time to organise for the meeting. It goes well and the rest of the day flies by before I get out and head back to the school. Today we’re learning about food, its flavour and how to order dishes. The guys at Hutong School have arranged a calligraphy lesson tonight so I grab a quick dinner and come back. There are a few already there and its a great fun, despite having trouble holding the brush correctly! Dinner is at a new local restaurant and goes well because I can order a few new dishes. By the time I get home I have a short while to catch up on my emails before dumping myself into bed for the night.

Wednesday:

Mid-week and I’m awake before my alarm goes off. Its a nice day so I take my bicycle out to work. My breakfast came from a street vendor and was something I’d not tried before, but it was delicious. I must remember where he sets up and ask him the name of  it for the future. Work is over and I’m off to learn more Chinese. Afterwards the class go for a meal at a vegetarian place next to the school. Its great as all the dishes pretend to be meat dishes, taste like meat, but have no meat at all. The class move on to a small bar called “Propaganda” and we enjoy a few drinks before going our separate ways.

Thursday:

The alarm goes up and my body knows exactly what to do, even if my brain is still submerged in sleep. I’m showered and on my bike to work. I pass by the street vendor from yesterday and but decide that I’ll stick to a couple of bananas for breakfast. Work is good; on Thursdays people are always nearly ready for the weekend. Back at Hutong School the lesson goes well and I’m beginning to feel I can talk Chinese quite well; I’ve been working on my pronunciation. Tonight is football night and there are a good 14 of us going down to the pitches. It’s tiring but it certainly nice to have a few beers after the game. Getting to sleep is certainly not a problem tonight.

Friday:

At last, the end of the week and this is the last half seven start I have this week. I go to my new friend – the street vendor – for breakfast before getting to work. Work is busy as we try to finish all the week’s work today. Classes are always fun on a Friday as there is such a good atmosphere. From there I go home to whip up support for big Chinese meal. Using my expert language skills at ordering we order several dishes and are very full! Then we all move off to Sanlitun, the renowned bar street. It was a good night and went well past my weekday bed-time.

Saturday:

Late start this morning – its nice to have my alarm clock turned off! Today the school has organised a trip to the Great Wall. I’ve been in Beijing for a long while and not had a chance to get out to the Great Wall, so I’m very excited about it now. The Wall is amazing. We went to an un-renovated part and trekked along the wall. It was great fun and we took many jaw-dropping photos! We had plenty of stories afterwards when we ate Pizza in a big Italian place back in Beijing. Saturday nights always lead on to a party and I’m not complaining!

Sunday:

Another late, another alarm-less morning. Getting up and showering, I decide to go for a wander around some of the city. I’ve managed to find myself in the Forbidden City and walking through some of the 999 rooms. I meet up with my flat mates and some classmates for a large and very chilled out dinner at Club Obiwan and watched as the sun goes down. Back at the apartment I catch up on my emails and watch a DVD before going to bed.