I left Tianjin on the 14th July after a wonderful and unforgettable 18 months. I finished as I had started: in a frantic horrible rush to say goodbyes, buy presents and pack. I was still working on the school’s website the day before I left.

I would have liked to have stayed in Tianjin but it was the right time to move on. I was on holiday in Paris after I returned. I used some Mandarin in a Chinese restaurant. It wasn’t the same. Life in China was anything but mundane and that’s what I miss the most.