Life In The End Carriage - Shanghai Metro Line 2

End Carriage - Metro Line 2
See more images by timbeckenham at flickr.

Keeping in line with my decision to blog a little more often, I've decided in the true vein of constant blogging to resort to a filler post.

Metro Line 2 is getting super-popular. I have been travelling almost daily on Line 2 for almost 12 months now and I have noticed over the past 2 months that it is increasingly crowded. Luckily for me I have the rarified air at the top of the carriage to myself. But I am sure as the weather gets warmer, I shall rue the fact that I leer above the majority of the commuter's as spring's heat & the dormant smells of Shanghai start to stir.

But for now, I try and find that not-so-crushy space where I can steal a chance to study Chinese by either (trying to) listen in on a conversation, read my notes, or listen to everyone's favourite Shanghai Torrent Download - Pimsleur Mandarin Chinese.

Tonight on the way home I got to speak to one of my work colleagues, our company's doctor, and some chatty HR woman from another site in Shanghai. The topic came around to my Chinese study - brought up by my work colleague that has noticed me using a lot more Chinese in day to day situations. My knowledge was reeled out in the form of an impromptu examination/interrogation by my co-workers, to which 2/3 of the examiners were super-polite & encouraging and told me I was doing well, and 1/3 informing me that I was crap and I should give up.

The moral of the story is that you have to just love HR people. They are so encouraging.

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