Xing had got a place at Winchester, but had never been to England except for his interview at the school and had no idea what to expect, as he had spent his whole life in China. I was hired by his father and went to live with the family in Shanghai as a full-time tutor to prepare Xing for what he would find when he went to Winchester. I spent two months living with the family, became his mentor and it was a very happy time for me as the family was very good to me. 

Xing was obviously bright, as he would otherwise have not got into Winchester, but he had no idea at all about English life, manners and customs; he had never had an English friend, in fact had never met anyone English. Winchester was going to be a shock. 

It took about three weeks for Xing to accept me, but soon thereafter there arose a closeness and trust between us that made it very easy for me to get him to understand what English life is like, what were the manners expected of someone going to Winchester. I taught him about English mannerisms and what the other boys would talk about, what they would wear and what their aspirations would be. Xing came to trust me and we really became great friends after the first weeks of distrust. And we had fun together. 

I was pleased when I heard from his father after the end of Xing’s first term that in his report his housemaster said ‘Xing settled in so well and so quickly that I would have thought that he had been to an English prep school’. NW