Friday 5th October, 2012                2000

What a thoroughly miserable, misbegotten wretch of a day! Rain from when I woke and still raining now. Needless to say, neither Pepsi nor I went to town but as tomorrow is forecast bright and warm  the bike is on charge tonight.

Kevin has gone to Nanjing (previously Nanking of Japanese atrocity fame) for the weekend and Patrick the Belgian was still in town and indeed on campus this afternoon - still looking like a tramp as well. He liberated his June salary from his account but after travelling all night found his flight expenses hadn’t been lodged. I have a good idea why not, because anything other than the standard salary always needs a signature and he never had the sense to check first and have it all arranged in good time. Notwithstanding, you all know I feel the way he was treated at the end of his tenure here was abominable and I can see no valid reason why they cannot now release his expenses without a signature and pay it into his new bank account. I am not aware of any country where a court of law will not take evidence from a bank detailing deposits as being fact, so I (and I am sure Kevin) will try to assist him to save him having to travel fruitlessly in the next holiday for two days just to get what he is entitled to. Personally, in the same situation in June I would have taken food, beer and cigars and camped outside the FAO’s office, refusing to leave until I had the money. There is trust, but when you are forced to leave the country before a contract expires because they won’t extend your permit for a month then that dissolves.

Saturday 6th            2200

I took Pepsi to the vet just after lunch. Three injections, a takeaway of pills, cream and wash cost 210y and I have to take her back later this week for another jab. From the piece of paper I had on me which a student translated it appears I may have to take her for another four injections although until I get a student to translate the labels on the other stuff I haven’t a clue what to do except rub the cream in. Sodding animals, cost me a fortune but I simply can’t see them ill and not do anything about it. Oh, and apparently I am not supposed to feed her salty or sugary food, beef, fish or chicken. You would think by now the vet would know not only do I not feed them sugar or salt but with four others it is impossible to place one of them on a diet.

Anyway, at least I was rewarded with a “first” - today, accompanied by much coaxing and praise, she finally came up the stairs without being carried. Going down again is going to take a little longer but at least headway is being made.

I went out earlier with the two mutts to the sweet pork place but just before I left I heard the wailing of a police siren and observed the car racing down the road. When I got to the restaurant it was there with lights flashing. Two pushbikes were laying in the road. I have no idea what happened, and with the absence of any other vehicle in a position where it may have been involved I can only assume that A) the bike riders had already been carted off to the hospital or morgue and B) the motor vehicle had done a runner. Or perhaps C) it was a serious collision between two bikes but I think that highly unlikely. My guess is that both A and B occurred because another police pick-up arrived to take the bikes away and there were photos and measurements galore being taken. Now of course, this being China, as I arrived with the opposite carriageway blocked, in my mind I had the right of way over oncoming traffic - right? Apparently not according to the taxi driver travelling in the opposite direction who blasted his horn to warn me to get out of his way. This is within yards of a squad car showing blue and red lights on his side along with half a dozen coppers on the road. Not likely matey, if you want to kill me because you think you are above the law then go ahead with the most perfect of witnesses only yards away! I really should purchase a Chieftain tank.

Later Ollivier invited me to drink some bottles of original Guinness outside the shops, and I hardly needed encouragement to sample stuff I haven’t had for a while. Slight problem there though with it being twice the potency of the local brews but lovely nonetheless.

At present I have pig leg bones cooking for Pepsi (and Robin if she deigns to come in when I call her shortly) and then for me it will be a cheese and bacon toastie - I don’t like throwing away more than half a loaf and I only ate two slices last night with the chilli.

Tomorrow I intend to be lazy, maybe press some trousers but nothing else. I see no sign of the army so I assume this week I will be teaching all my freshmen as normal. I wonder when I will get my easy fortnight. Still no word from the kid’s school so I have fingers crossed the owner has decided he doesn’t need me any more and I can reclaim my weekends - next weekend will give me my answer although I will not be pleased if his way of saying so is simply not to say anything.

Have a good Sunday folks and thanks for reading.