Day 2

As always (for those who know me) I cut the time a bit fine, jumped in a taxi and as usual as is my luck with public transport, got stuck at the traffic lights for 15 minutes!! I as you can well imagine, sat there fretting that I would be late 'for a change' to teach, but it finally changed! What a difference to Israel in terms of traffic, here they might mow you down on the road, even
a bicycle if you are not careful, but they wait quietly at the lights, no hooting or honking, just utter quiet - unbelievable.

Lessons at Berlitz are probably as they are at most Berlitz centres in the world, the lay out, color co-ordination, system and classsrooms look similar; here students fight with the teacher over the heating not the air condition, although I have been told it is quite unbearable in the summer months.

Most of the student assessments are done over the telephone, there are very few interviews held at the office and only level testing for corporate companies are taken at the premises. Children courses have the children in the classrooms at all times and they have both summer and winter courses running for two weeks. I didnt say that the children are co-operative or well behaved at all times, but they are used to discipline and conditioning. Mandarin is the major language at the centre with english coming a close second.

At the end of the day I found the secret to crossing the road safely, use the subway/underground passage! and once safely across I went to visit Beijiings 'local goods' store.
The richness of the silks and tradional clothes, had me wishing I was skinny, no tape measure needed, to see that only a well proportioned body would look good in their traditional gowns. Well you never know, by the end of the year if I am able to buy one, I will know that I have made it - but at present still only a dream.

Making my way home I stopped at a small greengroces and resisted the temptation of haggling over a box of strawberries that cost only 12 nis or 2.5euro. It seemed ridiculously expensive to me, which sounds ridiculous, but thrifty here is the name of the game. To my disappointment though they tasted rubbery and artificial, chemically treated, beautifully presented, but they soon found their way to the garbage.