It’s so good to be back - after almost 2 weeks of nomad-y life transversing Inner Mongolia, almost daily inhalation of second hand smoke, and the constant danger of being hit by the spitting locals. On the flip side, it was an economical trip where we get to experience various mode of public transportation in less developed parts of northern China, and a local insight of the way of life there.
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Back to AF, I am most happy that we are back in our favourite classroom - salon 200! Manu is still ‘trying’ to teach us but most of us have given up ‘trying’ to be on time. I was told that at 9.20 am, there were only 4 étudiants in the class!
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Leçon 21 était sur le thème de la ville, notre ville Singapour. After asking around the table ‘dans quelle partie de ville habitent-nous?’, we went on to more interesting questions:
- Manu: Quels sont les endroits que vous aimez le plus dans votre ville?
- Poh Ling: Les endroits avec colonial architecture comme le Chinatown.
- Albert: Ma maison.
- Manu: et ceux que vous détestez le plus?
- Kevin (without doubt): Le bureau!
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It’s role play time - Kevin and the new student Qing Qing played boy and girl friend who stay together. The girl friend tried to convince the guy to move to the countryside while the guy preferred staying in the city.
- Qing Qing: Il y a moins de stress à la campagne, tu peux encore organiser des réunions avec tes amis quelque fois par mois….
- Kevin: Mais je n’aime pas d’avoir une vache!
- Classe: …(laughs)…
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Then, the story continues with the girl friend (played by Ping) telling her mum (played by Poh Ling) about her new life in the countryside one month later.
- Poh Ling (as mum): Est-ce que ton petit ami déja trouvé un travail à la campagne?
- Ping: Oui, il..faire du cheval pour les tourists.
- Manu (correcting): Cette phrase donne un différent sens -> les tourists le regardent quand il fait le spectacle en cheval. Ça peut dire ‘il propose aux touristes de monter à cheval/faire du cheval’.
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Continuing the story one year later, the girl friend (now played by Louisa) can’t take it anymore and wish to return. She talked with her boy friend (now played by Meijia).
- Louisa: Je n’aime plus d’habite ici. Mes parents me manquent. Je n’aime pas l’occasion de voir mes amis, et je n’aime pas que tu toujours parle avec les femmes quand tu propose de faire du cheval.
- Meijia: Je peux changer le travail pour tu.
- Classe:….(ooh so accommodating)….
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For the first time in many many months, Manu gave us homework! I think it was because we couldn’t finish on time, since the class officially started at 9:30am!
