Paul, you really must read the travel brochures more carefully old son. China is a "developing" country. It is within living memory that teachers in "developed" countries would cane the hands of left-handed students to encourage them to conform to an "a droite" norm, and certainly your other protestations with regard to the present state of pedagogy in China were the norm in "western" countries even more recently than that. Of course 10 weeks shy of a part-time year would not normally qualify anyone as an expert on anything; we can only be humbled by the supernatural linguistic powers that have allowed you such perspicacious insights into the conditions here in such a contracted time, and look forward to more of the same from whichever country and/or occupation next reaps the harvest of your wisdom. Let's hope the next 10 weeks flies by for you Paul.

Mr Arro, I admire both your ability to analyse so exactly such a complex problem as you were faced with in a mere 9 days, and your courage in making such an important decision given that you were, - it seems - still not quite sure whether your conclusions were correct or not.Thank goodness for that omniscient and oft-published scribe Mr Hodge for providing scientific support to your instinctive yet financially exavagant bevahiour. I trust this week's soup is to your tastes sir?

Methinks it wasn't just Mike D's classes that got the "preemptory" treatment whatever that means. The Chinese can be so marvelously subtle! Bye!

Of course cheating, over-priced (yet recommended) textbooks and (usually sexual) favours for the lecturers are unheard of where you come from DoS...
and oh god spare us the Chinese students study harder clap-trap...or do you just believe everything your girlfriend tells you? perhaps you need to get out more.