If anything I have felt worse than ever since the last blog. So tired. The weather isn’t helping either, today it has drizzled constantly. All I can say is thank God my workload is light at the moment.
I was told to take a form in Chinese (no idea what it is about) plus teaching content and lesson plans to my classes today. We all had to submit two years worth of the content and lesson plans last year in preparation for the inspection. The first half of this week the teachers in the school “qualified” to assess teachers have been observing classes. Kevin did loads of work preparing for his to be observed yesterday, which was what he had been told, and was spitting tacks by late afternoon. Nobody turned up to sit in on either of his classes and he had spent quite a while the night before preparing.
As for me, I could see no point in them watching today’s classes as both of them will have graduated and left before the Big One. Nor did they turn up, which considering I felt like death, was a bonus. I have been told however that I will be observed after the golden week holiday. I have to get some students to have an extra class. The problem is, by the time that is supposed to happen I will have only seen one of my new classes so I can’t invite people I have never met. When I mentioned this I was told I could invite my ex students. Well, they are really going to want to do that aren’t they?!!
Anyway, exhausted, I hit the hay early last night in the hope of feeling better today. All I did was toss and turn all night and as a consequence felt even more tired. I can’t win.
The freshmen are happy today though. I never knew this before but if it rains they don’t have to do military training! They are given the day off. I wonder if the PLA follow suit as well?
Wednesday 24th 1830
Chalk and cheese. Raining all day yesterday and yet today was a beautiful sunny day again in the high twenties. Not that I did much mind, Lucy was supposed to come and clean at 1030 (accordingly I set my alarm) but her class ended up having a meeting so she was delayed until midday. I had planned to ride to town but that went by the board after that. I will go tomorrow instead because I need to start stockpiling pet food for next week seeing as I won’t be here for most of it.
As we are having seven days off (wed to Tue) there are the inevitable make up weekends before and after the break. I find it amusing that I will meet my first freshman class on Sunday for their Monday lessons and then again on Monday! The Tuesday classes will be caught up on the Saturday after the break.
Thursday 25th 1800
Well any thoughts of adding to yesterday’s ramble disappeared when the internet did. Thank heavens I had plenty of programmes downloaded to see me through. The problem is when it happens you don’t know if it is just you or everyone and I didn’t dare ask others at that time of night in case they were sleeping. So, you go through all the rigmarole of rebooting the router etc and eventually give up. It didn’t return until after eleven this morning.
It has been another glorious day nudging thirty degrees so despite my lethargy I decided that I would go to town as planned. Instead of shopping and then getting an early dinner, because RT Mart (a rare occurrence) actually had baguettes that were crusty outside and soft inside, I decided I would make that with bologna sausage slices my dinner tonight. The last pack was delicious and when I looked online to put it in my shopping list for next time I was disappointed to see they appear to have discontinued it.
I did though find tooth polishing kits online. I have been embarrassed for some time now by my brown teeth and have no idea how to find a hygienist to clean off the tartar from the cigars. Eucryl is good but not THAT good. Anyway, for about 80y (£8) I can get a battery powered thing that may just restore my ability to smile properly for photos! Fingers crossed.
I am seriously considering now whether or not I should just buy food for Pepsi. The damned cats now turn their nose up at almost everything. Liver they pick at, as do they with fish - whoever heard of cats not liking fish??? They don’t even like tinned cat food so I may just give them biscuits only from now on to see if they will once again eat chicken and suchlike.
I am hoping to get up early enough to feel human before 0930 in the morning in order to attend the military passing out parade. Not because it is particularly fun - certainly not when you can’t understand a word - but because my future chicks will be parading and I do like to show an interest in things such as that, sports days, competitions etc whenever I can. I might even go to town again afterwards to buy yet more food in preparation for my holidays because that will give me a free day Saturday and both those days are really my last chance before I leave for Yiwu.
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