Canadian teacher, pupils get excited

English teacher Jan Raymond attended yesterday's opening ceremony for the torch relay in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, with dozens of her students who cheered and clapped as the event got under way.

The Canadian, who teaches at Hunan University, said she was delighted to see the relay first hand, but said her joy was overshadowed by the delight of her pupils.

"They have been excited about it for a month," she said.