Wednesday we did indeed go shopping but first it was McDonald’s for lunch - I am forcing myself to have a Big Mac meal every time at present as you get a free Coca Cola glass! RT Mart may have cheap wine at 13y a bottle and they may have baguettes and butter but their butchery stinks. Well it does from my perspective because they only have liver (it seems) twice a year whilst Lottemart has normally got it, plus kidneys and other offal I feed the animals. The cats haven’t been pleased since then as it has either been bones or chicken breasts and they are too fussy to attempt to eat them. Pepsi is happy though!
On Thursday my idea had been to use the left over mince - I bought way too much for the lasagne - and stick it with spuds but I had a telephone call. It was from Hu (at least I think that’s his name) asking if he could invite me to dinner. He is a teacher at No.11 middle school and for the past year I have been correcting their English language newspaper in the same way I do it for here. I agreed and donated the mince to Ollivier.
It actually worked out very well, for my bike wasn’t charged so I thought it would be the bus. Kevin took me on his way to teach kids but it was a little early as he wanted a McDonald’s for his dinner. I was quite happy to sit with him and drink my Jing Jo medicine wine (gutrot but much tastier than baijiou as previously stated) and I had taken my camera with me. As luck would have it a really lovely girl who works there happened to be on duty at the time so I got a shot of her. I have no idea how far up the ladder she is but whenever a party of school kids go there she seems to be the one with the microphone, taking them outside after they have eaten and leading them in line dancing to disco music. She has far more patience than me.
Then it was off to meet Hu because in typical Chinese fashion he had set the time to meet but then arrived twenty minutes early himself. He had also brought his daughter Lynne along and when I asked where we were going he answered with a question, “Where is the place you mentioned before?” I had to think as it was so long ago (this was the first time we had actually met, previously it was just emails) I had to wrack my brain and then realised it was the Sichuan place, just around the corner. We had a nice meal during which it was agreed if I wanted to travel for a few days in China in the summer that Lynne was happy to come and live in my flat to look after the mogs in my absence. If none of my students are staying in the holidays and if I do in fact decided to take a few days to visit another city then I will contact her. Towards the end of the meal it all became perfect, as Kevin finished his teaching and was able to join us for a while, meaning I got a lift back - saving 30y on a taxi. Another bonus was that Hu had brought a bottle of Hennessy wine costing 300y that he had been given. Very nice it was too, and although I am familiar with their cognac I have never before seen wine from them.
Friday was the naughty boy birthday meal. I had let the little swine sweat for nearly a fortnight, insisted he invite two of my wives (Amy and Chris) and someone to partner him, who turned out to be one of the monitors, Lemon. We only went just off campus to the new place upstairs that has the photos on the wall. The food is fine as long as you don’t order the fiery stuff. They did, with the fish hotpot, one mouthful of which was painful enough for me not to do it again. On the table next to us was a group of girls and boys, the latter having imbibed possibly more pijou than they should, for late on one of them started getting tired and emotional. So much so in fact that the staff, who by that time were sitting at another table playing cards (people eat early here) were looking on, clearly concerned.
I decided to see if I could defuse the situation before violence erupted. I was successful but at a cost. The belligerent lad suddenly became my best friend, wanting hugs and photos! The girls with us did say though they thought I had done a good thing.
Today I was absolutely shattered and didn’t want to teach kids but at least I was done by just after eleven, did my shopping and then went to see the nice girl in McDonald’s - collecting another glass in the process. I had every intention of having a kip this afternoon but never did so it is definitely an early lights out for me tonight. We are set for heavy rain tomorrow, great, at 1630 I have to partner Cinny as a judge for an English recital competition. I’ve also just realised I need to get my skates on dreaming up exam topics. Dragon boat festival is next weekend and we have Sat, Sun and Mon off although we have to make up Monday’s classes another time. A week Monday is when I was going to start my exams and I am trying to get the two classes I have that day to agree a time I am also free to start them. I don’t mind doing them on my free Wed or Thur this coming week if it leaves me free the following weekend.
It’s all go!
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