They say that 'the Chinese eat anything on four legs, except an table' and 'anything that flies, except an airplane'. I think it's true. Also, it's very common to select your dinner when it's still alive. If you like, they'll show you how they kill it. Yuk! With my dietary restrictions, it isn't easy to find food that I can eat and that I like. When I tell Chinese people that I don't eat pork and beef, the response I usually get is:'Are you a monk?!?' No, I'm not, but I'd rather be a monk than eat duck head or the internal organs of an ox.... Even in the supermarket, you can buy fishy snacks in plastic bags. Fishy snacks are quite ok - think 'kroepoek' -, but the eyes staring at me through the plastic really make me lose my appetite....

The Chinese in Yangshuo have 3 price levels: one for locals, one for Chinese tourists and one for non-Chinese tourists. You know you're being ripped off because of your skin colour. I can't stand that! I know it won't change. My classes about honesty haven't made any impression at all....

Yesterday, I looked at a few apartments, but with October Festival coming up, the prices go up as well. Bad timing. I really hope the Outdoor English College can put me up somewhere, because I checked out from the hotel this morning, so I don't have a bed for tonight... We'll see.

Yesterday, I also had dinner with Kathy, the Belgian teacher. We went to a place where you can eat rice and vegetables - freshly 'wokked' - for only 6 yuan (about 60 euro cents). It was very good food! When I went to the supermarket for water later on, I met a lovely Dutch couple. It was good to talk in Dutch for a while. When I walked out of the supermarket, I bumped into Johnny, a teacher from England. We went to a bar for a drink and he persuaded me to have a gin-and-tonic. Uh-oh! Freaky Frank (think: Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, golden tooth and all) was also at the bar and later, a couple from Canada joined us as well. We had good fun, but I did have to teach this morning... Ooops! Of course, I overslept, but I don't think my students noticed that I wasn't really awake yet...!! At least, I slept last night! Oh, I've got more shocking news: it's so hot here, that even I wear shorts (the only pair I've brought) and dresses. My white legs don't seem to scare the Chinese. Sorry, what are you saying? Oooooh, is that why they stare at me...?

Talk to you later!