The Big Sleep

After one of the longest days ever listening to lectures in Chinese and watching the local kids perform we were taken out for dumplings and beer. It was the first informal meal we've had since we arrived and as always it starts out all nice and polite until the toasting starts. If someone raises their glass to you personally and says "Gambei" it means 'dry glass' and you have to drain your glass or in this case bowl.

Our friend Yichon who is Korean and coming to work for IDP in London this year isn't much of a drinker but he did his best until we stepped in, worried that he might pass out, I hope we haven't put him off.

The good thing is that with booze being a great leveller and all is that the atmosphere lifts, much laughter ensues and you feel a great bond with people who you can't actually hold a conversation with. With stuffed bellies and flushed faces we were driven back to our hotel where I managed to stay awake until 8.oo before passing out for a blissfull, uninterrupted 9 hours of sleep; no dreams, no vile ex-coworkers.

Egg on toast and cake for breakfast, now we're off to do some training followed by a visit to the Dunhuang Mogao caves...and I'm late.