Still here but I have simply been too occupied and tired to find time to blog. In fact the last thing I want to do right now is that but I note it has been a week since my last.
I can’t remember much about the early part of last week other than the usual round of teaching and shopping trips. What I do remember though is Kevin being told that if he stays here next year it will be his last. The reason? Chinese teachers retire at 60 and next March he will reach that milestone. He has pointed out that he can’t claim his UK pension until he is 66 but apparently the school “authorities” decided all teachers including foreigners must be disposed of at that age. Fine for the Chinese as they get their pension and I believe a nice lump sum but no use to us. So, if they keep me on for a further year as well I would be faced with the same ultimatum this time next year. Kevin has requested a meeting with the brass but I don’t hold out much chance of a sea change, they are paranoid about people dying on them. In which case it means I just have to hope I have another year here and will then have to spend that year putting as much aside as I can in order to fund a move and two months without wages when I find another job somewhere they don’t have problems with wrinklies. If I have to move jobs I will certainly be looking at going further south where the winters are milder though.
Last Friday we had a student mini-concert (see photos) which I had forgotten about. Joanna was back for a couple of days to take an exam but luckily she was able to switch going out with friends to Friday, allowing me to take her for dinner on Saturday instead of Friday as I had arranged. That night I slowly developed a cough, which by the time I went to bed had worsened so that I got next to no sleep, which was great considering I was at the kids school in the morning. On Sunday I went to town and thankfully was finished just after eleven - I would have had to go anyway as there was no food for the pets - and came back at lunchtime determined to get some kip because Jeff the businessman was taking me out again last night.
I didn’t get any sleep at all because every time I was dropping off there were interruptions such as someone drilling elsewhere in the block (Kevin denies it), then students bringing me food from Park the Korean teacher followed by a six pack later with apologies for the noise. Somehow I don’t see students owning drills so maybe they had a party above me when I was out. Anyway, by the time Jeff came to collect me I was pooped.
This time he took me to a restaurant we have been taken a couple of times by the school and he had brought along a maths professor from another uni here. As we walked into the place he said he had something to tell me. I asked if it was bad news and he said yes. He had invited three other friends - hardly bad news when one turned out to be a famous chef (famous at least in this city) and the two others were rather good looking cousins, one divorced with a very young daughter. Actually when they arrived it was quite humorous. We were in a private room near the top of the stairs but had the door open. I spotted the two young ladies making their way up and when the divorcee (I only got told their Chinese names and never remember those) lifted her head near the top of the stairs it was a picture. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widened like saucers and her chin hit her chest. Clearly Jeff hadn’t warned them there was going to be a laowei.
Anyway, before the food started to arrive I looked on the wall where there was a framed menu, presumably of the specials, printed in English as well as Chinese. I was aware of this of course but had never seen it in all my time in China. You can dine on crocodile and alligator there. Bizarrely the most expensive “cut” is 268y for a crocodile head. I would have given it a try had it been ordered but thankfully mein host doesn’t like it so I was spared that ordeal.
Which is not of course to say that I was spared any ordeal at all, for after he and the prof had both drunk 250ml apiece of Jing Joh it was decided to hold me hostage. Aside from my fatigue I never minded at all because I was sitting directly opposite the divorcee who kept giving me enormous and beaming smiles (in fact I hope he invites her again!) and the ransom to be paid was that as I had only drunk six pints of pijou I would not be released and driven home until I had emptied ten bottles. Manfully I tackled the task and eventually an end was called to proceedings. Jeff wasn’t driving of course, in fact it was the divorcee who had been invited to dinner so she could drive us back. She owns a restaurant which is currently being redecorated and when it opens again we will go there for a meal. I look forward to it and regret not having taken my camera with me.
It was about 2230 when I got back - making it the longest ever meal I have had in China at 5 hours - and I couldn’t face cooking for the animals so opened a tin each of Pedigree and Whiskas. Swines never touched them but I can’t blame them really, all they have ever had is plain boiled meat but I shall leave it out tonight to see if any of them at least nibble. At 18y (£1.80) a can it’s a damned site more expensive than a slab of liver costing 10y, hence I don’t buy it - imported.
Joanna left yesterday. She quit her job and departed to start a new one selling women’s clothing in Nanjing. The plan is for me to go there during the Qingming Festival (tomb sweeping holiday) a week Saturday and stay for two nights. I got all excited about seeing the museum devoted to the Japanese massacre there and was intent on going to the shipyard building Titanic 2 to take pictures of her under construction. Sadly, yesterday I learnt the keel won’t be laid until September. Rats.
And last night again I hardly got a wink due to the cought so I hope tonight exhaustion takes over. No class until after lunch so I shall get up when I wake up.
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