Friday 21st August, 2015                             0100

Miserable day yesterday with light rain/drizzle when our wonderful forecasting sites promised sunshine. In fact, when I took the bike to the train station to buy the tickets for the weekend break I had not only to wear the cape but my fleece as well. I am not bothered what the weather is like for the trip, no sightseeing is planned, just dinner in BitBurger and a hotel breakfast before departing. Probably an incomprehensible reason for travelling five hours each way on a train to most but each to his own.

I felt guilty early tonight because Kevin came down to the business street supermarket having seen my bike was missing. He asked if I was going for a beer and I declined on the basis that I had ice cream cornets which would melt in my carrier bag. I knew he intended to leave for Huangshan later today originally but a conversation with him previously had elicited the fact the school want him there for the 27th (a week early) and that there was no internet on campus until the IT department returned at that time.  I assumed he would stay here for another week but no, he’s off tomorrow lunchtime. Had I known I would have taken the cornets home and ridden back down for a last beer. I do wish he had clarified it when I said no. I feel guilty.

My cat room stinks. Of course it does when the litter is a few days old but it hasn’t stopped smelling even since I replaced the contents. Due to the lack of pee on the shower floor I suspect Lottie may have taken to peeing in the corners of the room - a good mop out needed methinks as soon as Joan comes back (1st September). Or evict Lottie after three years.

 I now have a juggling act to do because I have only today discovered I have not one but two weeks of vacation left and about 8kg of pine chips left. No way am I ordering 40-60kg of cat litter to collect from town on the bike (although I can spend a fortune buying expensive stuff in RT Mart) but if the place still smells of cats after refreshing then what’s the point? Tomorrow I will buy another washing bowl, maybe that’s the problem - they aren’t expensive and the current one is a couple of years old. Oh and I inspected Bristle last night, I am pretty certain Bristle is a girl so ’ere long she will have to be seen to at the vets. I think that will set me back 400y but after Lottie and the half-job for 200y I am hardly likely to cut corners.

Bedtime now, I need to be up early for breakfast and a shop then back to say adieu to Kevin. Hopefully I will get to post this entry tomorrow night before I leave on my quest for western food.  

1400

Well I got up for breakfast, quite why I don’t know considering the cheese on toast last night still sat heavily down below but go I did. Waste of money and I won’t be repeating the error in the morning (as was my original plan) before the train. I will go hungry and hopefully do justice to whatever I order in BitBurger in the evening.

And having ascertained Kevin was leaving after lunch, of course I was going to be sure to be back by noon. Except when I was in the supermarket he told me he was off (at eleven!) and he would see me in October. Ok I understand he was rattling around in an empty flat with a car loaded up with the last of his effects and of course he wants to familiarise himself with his new workplace. But.

I feel guilty a-bloody-gain!

It won’t be the last time we meet that’s for sure, he can get here in less than three hours and who knows, although the train journey is circuitous, I may just go and see him. I got to thinking about his “empty flat” comment though. I wish I hadn’t. For now it means on my part “empty campus” - I have no bird of a feather to have furious rows with, fix my computer or any other odd job I need doing. More importantly, for now I have nobody that “understands” - if you get my meaning.

I don’t expect Joan, Joanna, Anna etc to really empathise with me, they can’t any more than I can with their unique view on life, try as I might. So at present I can’t see any laowei showing as teachers on the school website and even if there are I will wager they will be from across the pond. That will be difficult!

I can be an island most of the time if necessary but even islands need the occasional bridge to cross once in a while.

1730

Best finish this off and put it to bed.

Dinner tonight might be a ready-made pizza that looks good on the box and I hope doesn’t have that awful unidentifiable taste that every other pizza I have bought from supermarket freezers has. I’ve been to the local shop and bought jing jo for the trip (along with a can of what looks like it might be Coke in case I get thirsty) and a bag of spicy rice snacks.

Now I have decided not to go for breakfast first there’s no need to rise early, the train leaves at eleven and it’s odds on that I will take the bike and leave it at the station overnight so I will leave about thirty minutes before it departs. I’m even going to pack some playing cards in case anyone is up for a game of Landlord and Farmer. Must remember to pack everything I need to use my laptop though!

See you after Hefei!