Since I began commuting by train a couple of months ago my circle of "aquaintences" has grown dramatically.

Travelling by train with two dogs id fantastic - everybody talks to me! It's like travelling with two black hairy people magents (the dogs are hairy, they don't just attract hairy people.. although there was this one woman...!). I haven't had a journey yet where I've been left to my own devices for the duration of the thirty minute journey.

Staff at the stations at either end of my trip always come and chat. In fact, we're normally ona first name basis and get the odd little "perk" like a coffee on a cold morning, or the loan of a brolly on a wet day.

Fellow travellers come up and chat at the platform, and many will stand with me on the train (I usually stand at the carriage end - it's easier than trying to get a seat with the two dogs) and talk away as the miles pass.

Expanding my network has been great: I've managed to secure some shooting, a few days fishing, been invited to parties and functions, and I always manage to "push" the virtues of my company www.solutions4finance.com.

I've met some really interesting people too. There was the guy who makes his living out of being a travel writer without travelling, the woman who works for a particularly interesting government department, and students hoping to complete their studies and go on to great things.

One morning last week I entered the station and saw a lady smiling at me - or rather the dogs. She was standing with her two children on the other side of the waiting room. When I had purchased my tickets she strolled over and started chatting. She asked all about what I did, where I was from, about the dogs (mostly!), and where I was going. As we chatted I was thinking that she looked familiar, so questioned her as to where I knew her from. Was it through business? Had she hung around in the same haunts as me? Had we freinds in common? She smiled politely, then it dawned on me that her familiar face was from a staring role in one of my all time favouite sit-coms!

This weeks interest was meeting a young Chinese girl on the morning train. On the first day that we met Yan, like so many others, strolled up the short platform attracted by the hairy magnets. "Hi" I greeted. "Ni hyo" she replied. "Oh. You don't speak English?" She replied with a shoulder shrug and bemused look, so I guessed not.

using a system of sign language and the universal language of numbers we managed to establish that she'd been in the country for just a few days and was here for six months with the sole purpose of learning the English language. English is from what I can gather, the key to the door that will help her to break out of her very rural community to explore the big wide world. Fair play to her, but I can't help but think that she may be better off staying where she is.

Over the next few months we've agreed that I'll help her with her English and in return, she will teach rudimentary Chinese. No longer will I have to rely on numbers to order from the menu in The Royal China!

That's it for this instalment, so it "zai jian" for now!