Monday 4th November, 2013             2015

Yesterday was horrible. I spent hours cobbling up yet another term’s lesson plans but at least they are done now.

Today in contrast was a lovely one.

Firstly, late morning I had a message from Qing saying she had Friday and Saturday off, if I was free would I come to Tongling? I was hugely disappointed as I am busy all day Saturday and told her so. She changed her days off to Thursday and Friday instead, so Pepsi will be spending two nights in the care of the vet because I will go Wednesday afternoon and come back Friday afternoon. I am really looking forward to seeing her again.

Secondly, after class (as is my habit when the weather isn’t wet or too cold, although it is getting a bit chilly at 18-20 these days) I took Pepsi to the sweet pork place. Halfway into my first bottle three of my students arrived for what I assumed was a mini shopping trip. It wasn’t, they were having dinner there - at four o’clock. They invited me but I declined because I was going to make tuna pasta for myself at home and anyway it was too early. They were very persistent and eventually I caved in. It wasn’t just the three of them, there were fifteen girls from my last class on Fridays celebrating a birthday girl who had also just won a 5,000y scholarship grant. And she paid!

So tuna pasta was put on hold and I had a very nice meal as the only male in a room full of girls. At the end - now bear in mind these girls were only drinking coke, lemonade or juice because they had an evening class later -  they decided to play spin the bottle/truth or dare. Actually it was a tissue holder on the lazy Susan that was spun but they picked on me. Twice girls were dared to kiss me. On the first occasion I was glad it was a peck on the cheek but on the second I would have been more than happy to do a little more! It was Amy (she is a little cutie who has been to a western Wednesday) but at the end, seeing as I had escaped being caught by the spin myself they decided I had to take a dare anyway. I had to show them how I would propose to Amy. Now Amy is the class monitor and also my wife. I have a wife in each class for role play explanations but although the reality is I would happily marry her I thought it may be too embarrassing for her so I declined on the grounds that I would have to get down on one knee and wouldn’t be able to get up again.

They were having none of it - they said they would pull me up afterwards! Amy was a good sport and I did the whole proposal thing with at least half a dozen phones taking videos (ditto with the kisses) and they did indeed help me to get to my feet afterwards. I would think by now it is plastered all over QQ - the Chinese Facebook.

I am glad that since I started a new life here I have pushed myself to accept invitations I have felt inclined to refuse because I didn’t fancy it. Sometimes you get the very best of times from the unexpected and today was a thoroughly all-round good day.

Please don’t think I am dead if you don’t see a blog until maybe Sunday - I will I hope be having a great time in Tongling with Qing.