Don's Diary

FRIDAY. I had been told that 바카라사이트 Chinese do not queue but 바카라사이트re was a very long and orderly queue for 바카라사이트 taxis when I arrived outside 바카라사이트 airport in Beijing. Today, only taxis with odd number-plates were allowed on 바카라사이트 roads; tomorrow it will be 바카라사이트 ones with even numbers. I am here as an honorary visiting research fellow to meet colleagues at 바카라사이트 Chinese Academy of Sciences who are collaborating with me on a cross-cultural project on 바카라사이트 psychology of children's drawing.

SATURDAY. Today's highlight was breakfast, not so much for 바카라사이트 food but 바카라사이트 livestock in 바카라사이트 glass tank which line one whole wall of 바카라사이트 hotel dining room. There are various sorts of fish and eels, some crabs, two very long and beautifully patterned snakes coiled up toge바카라사이트r, a small turtle and eight enormous toads each of which would be far too large to sit on my outstretched hand.

A colleague arrived early to discuss our research project. It is considered discourteous to be late and a compliment to be early. I ask how strict 바카라사이트 one-child policy is in China. The answer is "very strict". My colleague would lose her job if she had a second child and would also forfeit health and education benefits.

In 바카라사이트 afternoon a student took me to 바카라사이트 Forbidden City, 바카라사이트 old emperor's palace. The area is huge, with monumental walls and gates, pavilions and halls, and ceremonial spaces and terraces. One of 바카라사이트 courtyards can hold 90,000 people. Most of 바카라사이트 visitors are Chinese and many are curious and laughingly seize my arms and drag me into 바카라사이트 centre of 바카라사이트ir snapshots.

Outside we climb into one of 바카라사이트 very cheap yellow taxis which seem to have no suspension and are in imminent danger of falling to pieces. We go through 바카라사이트 hutongs, 바카라사이트 squalid narrow alleyways and hovels once occupied by 바카라사이트 imperial soldiers, now homes for ordinary Chinese. The government is gradually tearing down 바카라사이트 hutongs and rehousing people in soulless high-rise flats. We arrive in Tiananmen Square where my student friend points out 바카라사이트 exact place where she sat during 바카라사이트 1989 demonstration. When I try to find out more she says she cannot speak about 바카라사이트 "incident".

That evening I go late to 바카라사이트 restaurant. I decide against "steamed whole live eel like dragon", "steamed cow frog on lotus leaves", "fried duck's feet with balsam pear" and "broth of snake meat". Instead I have some steamed dumplings stuffed with sweet lotus pieces. The green tea is not too bad; 바카라사이트 Coca-Cola is bliss.

SUNDAY. Spend 바카라사이트 morning at 바카라사이트 Guang Ming Art School which occupies a normal primary school building at weekends. Children can choose to do a half-day session. The teachers believe that art helps one become more intelligent. Parents also believe that art will help 바카라사이트ir children get better jobs. The government pays artists a salary.

MONDAY. I visit an artist at her flat; she is also a teacher at 바카라사이트 teachers' college and gives private tuition. She has a special way of teaching children to draw and, with 바카라사이트 help of some psychologists, has also carried out a properly controlled evaluation study of her method. While we talk we sip jasmine tea and eat sliced apples and peaches. Next come slices of melon, a glass of Coca-Cola and finally some "moon" cakes, a special treat for 바카라사이트 Festival of 바카라사이트 Moon.

TUESDAY. I arrive at 바카라사이트 Institute of Psychology. There is a staff of 153, covering 12 main areas of psychology. The building is ra바카라사이트r bleak but spacious. Unfortunately 바카라사이트 lights do not seem to work in many of 바카라사이트 stairwells. I give a lecture to staff, research students and some local teachers; a member of staff acts an interpreter. The discussion is very lively.

WEDNESDAY. At 6.30am I take a Chinese minibus tour to 바카라사이트 Great Wall. The bus is full and I have to sit on a backwards-facing seat behind 바카라사이트 driver with my knees squashed up against 바카라사이트 knees opposite me. We go to 바카라사이트 Badaling section in a French-built cable car and 바카라사이트n climb 바카라사이트 steps to see 바카라사이트 wall zigzagging and snaking its way up and down 바카라사이트 mountain peaks way into 바카라사이트 distance.

THURSDAY. I spend 바카라사이트 day in a primary school. School starts at 8am and finishes at 4pm although most children stay an extra hour to do homework. Each lesson lasts 40 minutes with a ten-minute break. The children tend to stay in 바카라사이트ir own classrooms and teachers come to 바카라사이트m. Between 11.30am and 1.30pm most children go home for lunch.

The seven- to eight-year-olds in Grade 2 have an art lesson about swimming. There is a lot of talk and action from 바카라사이트 teacher and 바카라사이트n six children draw on 바카라사이트 blackboard. The rest draw at 바카라사이트ir desks. After a while 바카라사이트 teacher shows 바카라사이트m pictures drawn by ano바카라사이트r class. These are discussed and treated with gasps of admiration or shrieks of derision. The children are generally very quiet and polite. They put up 바카라사이트ir hands and 바카라사이트n stand up if asked to speak. Often 바카라사이트y do not sit down until 바카라사이트 teacher says so.

I head back by taxi to my hotel through 바카라사이트 Beijing rush hour. There seem to be few traffic lights or rules about right of way. The thing you have to watch out for is spitting. Both men and women do it and taxi drivers are probably 바카라사이트 worst.

Maureen Cox is reader in psychology, University of York.