my class

1 Fin
1 Frenchman
1 Mexican
1 Kazakh
1 Jordanian
1 Uzbek
1 Tajik
1 Korean
1 Japanese
1 Ghanaian
1 Turk
2 Columbians
2 Pakistanis
2 Dutchmen
2 Ukrainians
and Me

I'm the only one in the class whose native language is English (although many grew up learning English), yet the class is taught English to Chinese.
One Pakistani for sure doesn't understand English the way our teachers talk, I think it is a little fast for him. So this morning(before class) in the cafe downstairs the Ukrainians were helping him through their broken English to help him practice. We have a really interesting dynamic in the class. Right now we are still getting used to each other, although the Ukrainians and I are already chatting all the time, the Turk speaks English and ok Russian. Regardless it is really nice that the only other girl in the class and I share a common language(she's one of the Ukrainians, her and her boyfriend are in the class together).
As we become more comfortable I hope we get less formal with each other. There are three in their late thirties I think...but most seem to be in their 20s.
Bonus! in our classroom building the restroom has western toilets, hand soap, paper towels and a hand dryer! Now this sounds like a lot to get excited about I'm sure. But Chinese public toilets are squatters and are devoid of hand soap, paper towels and often toilet paper. So it isn't really a mystery why the most advanced strains of diseases develop here, because the sanitation is poor, no one washes their hands properly after the toilet, and it is densely populated.
Anyways, I don't know if toilets like this are standard on campus, or if they are just like this in our building as a courtesy to us. Seeing as how we pay WAY more than the Chinese students to be there, and if that is what our tuition gets us...AWESOME.
So far I haven't learned too many new words, but I'm sure it will get difficult soon enough, over the weekend I need to ask our close Chinese friends to give me a Chinese name, we are supposed to pick one by next week or they will assign us one, but they said it is better to have someone who knows you pick a name for you, or help you pick a name. So for those of my friends that know Chinese, any suggestions?
PS - Also, I found Jelly Bellies at Toys R Us in Hong Kong...good day!