Summer's Coming - 9th-16th September

It isn't really a very nice thing to do, rubbing something in people's faces but I promise you I will try to make this the last time. I'm still trying to understand the concept of Hong Kong currently heading towards summer. I mean, the church I'm at is having beach baptisms (people getting baptised in the sea if you don't know) on National Day so lots of people can come if they want. That's the first of October!
I can hardly believe that it has been nine days since I arrived in Hong Kong, just under 10 days since I left British soil. If I were to say I didn't miss back home, I would be lying my face off. I do miss home but being here allows me to explore and do so much more so that I hardly find time to miss anyone. Hopefully soon I will be able to show you my finished collage of pictures that I have gained over the years of my family and friends, it has been my own project since I arrived and is a lot more work than I thought.
The food in Hong Kong is something really special, I am starting to get a little bored of rice but that's life, I knew it would be a staple food. I've started to cook for myself as you can see below but it isn't sometimes quite the same as corner cafes with beef, noodles and a col drink for HK$28, that's about £2.50!
I didn't realise until Wednesday that I would start teaching lessons on my own this week. Luckily thanks to the monthly Birthday Party the school holds on Wednesday, all lessons cancelled and they celebrate the birthdays of the children who have their birthday in that month, and the Mid-Autumn festival which gives us Thursday and Friday off, I only have to teach two days. But it was still a daunting task to have to walk into a class of 15 4 year olds who expect you to deliver a top notch lesson things you honestly don't know much about, it was on the festival this week.
But I did get through all 6 lessons in the day and I now just have to repeat it with a different lesson tomorrow! Perhaps then it won't be so bad. One of the best things about teaching here are the names. There are several boys called Alvin (I know 99.9% of you would have immediately thought of the Chipmunks, I still do every day) and I can say without (well maybe a small one) a smile on my face that I get to teach Obama every Wednesday and Thursday. No joke.
Perhaps I need to keep a list of all the awesome names I come across, it would be quite astounding the list. And being a Thunderbirds fan when I was younger has meant that I am still looking for a 'Virgil' among the crowd of kids seeing as there is a Jeff, Alan, Scott and Gordon.
Until next week!
Batkinson xxx

Cantonese word of the week - pronounced: 'dough si' translation: good morning!
Prayer points:
-  I'm still pretty shattered so for rest would be amazing
- patience with the more difficult children who struggle to sit still and be quiet.

Gyozas and Campbell's Minestrone Soup!

Pork and rice, a staple meal almost every day

My route to and from school, does anyone from school recognise the number??!!

The view from my bedroom window onto the streets of Hong Kong below, at night! Quite different from in the day!