Friday 17th January, 2014                      1900

The exodus is almost complete.

My spare gas cylinder arrived an hour late much to my annoyance because I could have done with another hour in bed had I known and then I took Pepsi out “foraging”. By this I mean buying as much wine and beer as the bike will take before everything closes down. The outside supermarket will be open for all bar three days but if snow descends it will be nice to have sufficient stocks not to have to venture out seeing as I would have to walk and it is well over a mile round trip.

I had expected a severe winter considering we had such a scorching summer but so far it has not materialised. Today it was a positively pleasant 13C.

After our outing I decided to chance going to town in order to avoid having to do so over the weekend when the temperature is set to drop. Despite the volumes of students and suitcases I managed to bag a seat on the first bus I saw, and mindful of yesterday’s fruitless and ultimately expensive expedition I decided to go to the commercial centre to shop. It is far up enough on the line to virtually guarantee a return seat as well.

Instead of coming back to the intended spaghetti on toast dinner I treated myself to the little Korean restaurant next to the supermarket but was disappointed to find the menu has halved - still things I liked but it just smells as if the place is in trouble, odd considering it is in a prime location. I don’t use it that regularly but as a place for decent and swift food it is handy and I will miss it if it closes.

I don’t recall if I mentioned this before but some weeks ago I had a chat with Prof Fang during which I told her that (at least until I was “fired” last April for being inches from deaths door) that I had a dream of retiring in China and wished to get permanent residence or even Chinese citizenship. I also opined that I had rather hoped the college chancellor could exert some influence on my behalf. At the time she said she would mention it but naturally I thought she wouldn’t. On my way to the bus though I saw her leaving for her lunch and stopped for a talk. Unbidden she informed me she had mentioned my “dream” to the chancellor/president and that he had said such a thing was not easy. I replied that I was aware foreigners faced much difficulty in such matters in China but I had to try otherwise there would be a huge “what if” in my life and I don’t like those.

I’m not sure what inference I should take from this information other than the fact that I have sent a very clear message to the leadership of the school regarding my love of the place and the students. I can do no more but it was heartening when she said they view me as one of “them”. I am not and never will be in reality (they enjoy some awful foods!) but the sentiment was understood and very much appreciated. Whether it all goes pear-shaped in a few months  or even a year’s time only time will tell but nobody can say I haven’t given it my all.

On my return to campus I took Pepsi out again foraging. I emptied the campus supermarket of my preferred beer seeing as they will possibly not be open after tonight - all the cafes are already closed - and went to the sweet pork place to buy more wine and give them a copy of the dvd which they loved because their place features in it. They were actually doing a respectable trade as students who are not leaving until tomorrow are unable to eat on campus and so are having farewell meals there with their colleagues.

Riding back this evening I suddenly realised that the spring festival holiday evokes conflicting emotions in me. On one hand I am envious watching them trundling their cases off to the bus to go and be with their families and on the other I welcome it as a time of peace and relaxation.

Very soon - in four days time - it will be probably just me, the animals and security.