Summer Camp 2025: Reflection, Theatre Shows & Chinatown... Part 4!

How many days had I been in London? I didn't know because it had already been a whirlwind! Was I ready for another day of my extraordinary 'Summer Camp?' The weather held up, another day of glorious British sunshine would bless London that day! Not quite a West End show but we had our theatre tickets for the Eventim Apollo ready! 101 Dalmatians? Yes! Chinatown for tea?

Let's check-in because mornings were getting easier, it was my second get up of the week during the programme but third in total since arriving from China. The taxis had been adjusted to a little later and that change worked, I was able to get a little bit more time for breakfast without rushing or being too tired. I got used to the arriving taxis, it wasn't a long way from St. Joseph's to Southgate Hotel, I was learning and things improved within time. Staying on campus allowed me to be based at the school, that ensure I didn't have to run back to any hotel room for my belongings or tickets. I would've been a liar if I wasn't counting the days because I was exhausted but the experience was unparalleled, I knew that I was making the best of the situation because parents had been promised the world. The pace of the tour had been something to adjust to, I was willing to make allowances but we had all committed to this trip. I knew that my teaching responsibilities were on the back-burner that week, I had a a lot of roles! It was time for class? 

What were the parents doing during our English classes? The course after all was called 'English for Families', I knew that two out of the three families had attended the first classes. For me, it was up to their personal choice. The family from my class had brought the child's maternal grandparents to be there for him at the school, mom and dad would always join us for the afternoon activity along with their child and extended family. For me, it was none of my business whether families wanted to join the classes, it was a matter of personal choice for them. The second morning at St. Joseph's was calmer, most everyone in my group had re-established a normal sleep pattern on a GMT setting. Would I take another overseas trip in the future with the same responsibilities? Yes and no, that is the answer but under difference circumstances, definitely I would! If that week in London was training for a future as a tour guide, would I get the job? I did my best considering the card dealt, I would hire me again! Now, it's time for class! 

Paddington Bear, who? Of course, I knew who that bear was! I would never turn down a marmalade sandwich and a spot of tea! Are you mad? I'm not playing! So our lesson was all about Paddington Bear and the children were in for a real treat! How would I be involved in these lessons? The previous day I was there to monitor the children's behaviour, ensure they were listening to Ziggy and overall health and safety. No pressure, eh? I also needed to take photos and share them with both the school and parents, it was a dual purpose function that would be revealed later on. The four boys had no problem communicating with Ziggy and fully comprehended her instructions because all of them had foreign teachers in their classrooms at TCA in Ningbo, China. One boy had recently graduated from the kindergarten, he was enjoying his last summer before primary school. A three hour class? Yes, we had breaks during that 09:00 to 12:00 period, the second day saw us spend break time eating yogurts and drinking juice. Go!

The children completed many crafts and loved each one of them, one was a name writing activity. I wasn't worried about academics from a K2 into K3 point because we had a mixed aged classroom for those four days, flexibility needed to be exercised. In-between activities the children enjoyed playing with some toys, actions figures to be exact, we played a great game with them that required English spoken. I had confidence in my student from my class, he had worked very hard during the previous academic year. I was very busy during that mornings class, taking photos and taken part at the same time was a lot but I embraced it all! The children were very excited for the next days activity after-class because Ziggy had read theme a Paddington Bear themed book about his adventures around London. We had plans to see the 'Paddington Bear Experience' along the South Bank during our third afternoon. Ready to follow my lead, we headed down to Oakwood Station after class with the group reunited. Let's all fly! 

The afternoons plan was to see a theatre show because as a child growing up in London, there was nothing better than seeing a 'West End' show to soak up all of that culture! The thing was, I had a budget to stick to and needed to consider a show that all of the under 6s would love, also to minimise sudden loud noises because these children had never been to a large scale theatre show before! No pressure, eh? I was born for this project! Really? Yes! My inner saboteur was doing the most! '101 Dalmatians' was the show for us, it had recently opened at Hammersmith's 'Eventim Apollo Theatre' with rave reviews for small children being the core audience. The traditional West End part of London had done us dirty because we had to take the Tube 21 stops along the Piccadilly Line from Oakwood to Hammersmith but credit to the kids they did amazing, they napped the whole way! In a roundabout way, we all met at the theatre door with tickets in hand, we had been lucky to get seats on three rows that were mostly together. Lucky! 

With the coat checks done, the buggies had been placed in the right locations, everybody took their seats. I hoped to some god that the kids sat well and watched the show and by the grace of some god the show was an absolute hit! During the interval, I checked in with the parents and they were super impressed with the show that had been chosen. My students grandmother had narrated the story of the show in Chinese to her daughter, she was able to figure out that the main character was evil, was a fashion designer and wanted to make coats from the dogs fur! This show connected generations and even captured those who had never seen the film at all, I was so relieved. I bought each of the boys a Dalmatian dog from the usherettes, they had behaved really well and deserved something in return. Sure, 'Leicester Square' wasn't a mood for us but even for me I wouldn't be repeating that Tube journey again! Like clockwork, we separated after the show, I wanted the families to have their personal time. Boy, was I hungry? 

Craving some home comforts, I suggested we make at least one visit to London's Chinatown. Two out of the three families accompanied me, the family with just one son with them had organised a table at a Chinatown located restaurant. Chinatown was like it's always been to me, familiar and alive with colour and vibrant with a healthy mix of LGBT culture and Chinese flare. I certainly don't live under a rock nor have I ever, I did find it quite curious walked past those rainbow flags because did the one 'flight family' understand their meaning? We had already walked past two men embracing on the London Underground. For me, it was London but I wanted that family to confront that we express ourselves authentically in the United Kingdom. I'm not saying I wanted them to think about it, I just wanted their take from the trip to be they had seen something well-rounded. I was quietly proud of being British in that moment! Those noodles were expensive! Oh, I cherished my life in China because those Soho prices were mad! 

Now, I had not sourced the restaurant as mentioned before, we walked through the maze of street around London's Chinatown towards the restaurant. Had I sang for supper, already? I wasn't about to comment but graciously accepted my meal with gratitude. I was encouraged to order what I wanted, I didn't want to take the proverbial. We all sat in a cheeky booth on the lower ground floor in the restaurant, the food was delicious and for me it was a job well done. The afternoon had been long but the journey down to the theatre was what it was, traffic on the road is always unpredictable in London, a coach would've been risky. With a delicious meal finished, the journey back to the parent's hotel and my accommodation needed to be executed. Had we done too much? No, it was just the situation dealt to one family but I was open to tailoring my itinerary slightly for them and completing the rest of the program for the other family. I listened to the feedback but knew that my schedule would work, I just needed to pivot. 

Hooray For Another Day! 

Desperately Seeking Adventure