Wednesday 7th August, 2013          1445

Just two lessons this morning which I was glad of with Mr Belly not only still complaining over the cottage pie but additionally because I bought a microwaveable pizza for last night. It was exactly the same as the slices I bought for sustenance in my first spring festival - revolting and even the animals turned their collective nose up at it.

Being finished before eleven, I had planned to pay the newly-opened (yesterday) RT Mart a visit. The students and Kevin had been intimating that it was an exciting development as there would be lots of foreign food sold there. En route I thought I would just pop into the bike shop to browse seeing as after a year of ownership I was bored with my current one and anyway it needed a good wash. Fatal.

Within two minutes I was test-riding one. At 20Ah it should have been quicker than my current 16Ah but I couldn’t get it over 30kph. I took it back and said it was useless (even though it wasn’t a bad looking machine in black), they tried it and immediately took it back to the workshop, asking me to wait. The woman returned with the same model but in grey/silver and I was invited to take that one for a spin. Ten minutes later I was paying for it. List price was 3980y, less 1,000y trade-in left 2980y to pay. I pointed out that this would be my 5th bike from them so I would like a bit more off. They dropped a further 300y so I handed over 2680y (or about £250 at today’s rates). It looks as if I will definitely have to go to take some photos of the ship on Saturday so I can take snaps of the bike too before it gets dirty!

Then I went to RT Mart. Being only the second day it has been open it was not unexpectedly busy and the KFC on the ground floor was absolutely rammed. I wasn’t too impressed with the hike inside the mall past jewelry, leather, fashion shops etc before even getting to the escalators to the store. You have to go up to the third floor (appliances, clothing, cleaning materials etc) and then back down to the second to get at the food. Yes, impressively large and modern but with a few exceptions it may as well have been a merger between Lottemart and the Commercial Centre, the same stuff was on offer. If there was any foreign food it must have been Korean. The exceptions I noted were that there is a small beef section (the home mincer may come out of the box yet), there was no sign of margarine or butter (the others stock margarine occasionally now) and they had bread flour. This may not mean much to the readers but of late my home baking attempts have been driving me barmy as whatever I did I produced brieze blocks - the bread flour made the best bread you could imagine.

I couldn’t get any liver for the animals and tomorrow as I only have one class early morning I will see if they have actually got any out the back because I have written it down in Chinese. I had to settle for a couple of tongues instead. If they don’t carry it then I will now have to shop at Lottemart AND there because…….

They do proper baguettes!!!!

Needless to say, tonight’s dinner will be cheese and baguette and if it is authentic then I will be ordering much Branston online soon.

The ten day forecast is solid with 39 or 40 every day and it is hard to believe in about four months I will be once again moaning about the cold.

On Sunday night I am treating myself to a Japanese meal and am taking Sonya from the ex-bank. She of course needs to bring a girlfriend in case anyone sees us alone together because her work colleagues will gossip. I couldn’t care less but of course office rumours regarding impending marriage to a laowei would cause her problems.

Oh, nearly forgot! I was involved in a road rage incident yesterday. I am afraid I was the one raging. The rule here is that you give way to the right but very few adhere to any form of traffic regulations unless there is a camera about.

I was crossing a junction at full tilt with a green light when an oncoming car decided to turn left, this puts him on my left. Thinking he might just be taking up a central position in the road so as to turn after I had passed (silly boy!) I carried on, expecting him to stop.

He didn’t.

My mirror told me taking avoiding action by swerving left to go around his stern was out of the question unless I wanted to be obliterated by the vehicle barrelling up on my own left. I couldn’t stop in time so would have hit him and most probably have catapulted over his roof - equally dead. My only viable course was to brake and veer right, in front of him. Eventually he stopped, just as I did right in front of his car. I flipped. I wanted to go and drag him from the vehicle and rip his head off for thinking that because I am only on an e-bike the rules don’t apply. Instead I bellowed every invective I could muster. He just sat there impassively. No acknowledgement, apology - nothing.

Then I really lost it.

There is nothing worse than someone being in the wrong when they just nearly killed you and they just stare at you with a deadpan expression. I rode my bike straight at his front end and hit it square-on with my bullbars. The car was new and I wanted to scar it. Yes, completely wrong of me I admit and indeed I hoped to provoke a reaction - namely, him getting out. Still nothing! It did make me feel a little better though I have to admit.

And no, that’s not why I changed bikes today, I have been considering it for a few weeks now!