Bucket & Broom in China

by Steve Howrie

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  November

  Monday 1

  A new month begins. We’ve been in Shanghai for two months now, and we’re still here. It was supposed to be the Halloween party yesterday evening, but Dr Wang realised it was a Sunday so it was postponed until tonight.

  Brought up the coin question with my maths class today. “Okay guys – a question for you to start the day. On a one yuan coin, which is heads: ‘Zhongguo Renmin Yinhang’ with a pretty picture of a man–eating plant; or ‘Yi Yuan 2005’ with a big number one’?” They looked puzzled. Then a girl at the front said, “We don’t have heads or tails on our coins; but if it has to be one or the other, I guess must be the plant.”

  “No,” said another student, “it has be number one.”

  So the Jury’s out on the marriage question (fingers crossed for a long lunch–break).