Tuesday 9th August, 2016                        1235

Sunday was indeed uneventful. It was nice just to go shopping in the morning, have a couple of cold ones afterwards then back to the hotel to relax. I have been eating dinner in Yumeic’s pretty much every night since I have been exiled from Chizhou university.

Having been unable to finish even their smallest pizza, I have been exploring other offerings. Their Bolognese is quite unlike any other I have ever had and nothing resembling the ones I make but it IS cheesy! I can also finish it and it suffices for the next 24 hours.

Tonight I am mulling over having butterfly deep fried prawns together with a thousand island salad. It’s the salad that concerns me - I worry that it will in fact materialise as a fruit salad (which is fine, I need to eat more fruit) but ruined by dressing. I hope I am wrong.

Yesterday was much of the same but when I went to exterminate some of my remaining balance on my medical card I hit a snag - it had expired again. I have long since ceased to be embarrassed by such things when they aren’t my fault, explained to them I would get another renewal and return today, please keep the drugs in a bag ready. It took twenty minutes for them to locate what I wanted and I didn’t want to go through all that.

More pasta at Yumeic’s for dinner and back to the temporary office. Whilst there, a father with his young son and daughter came in. they never ordered anything but clearly know the owners because I reckon they live out at the back of the café somewhere near. Dad works opposite in number one hospital although it is unclear if he is a doctor, however he does speak a bit of English, as do the kids, the boy being 12 and the girl 13 or 14 so I had some company for a while to actually talk with. Mum is a nurse at the hospital and she was on the evening shift. They left shortly before me and so I was surprised when I left myself to find them lurking outside.

I thought you were going home?
My sister wants to give you something.

At that, she rather bashfully gave me a small piece of paper, which when I opened read “I want to see you again” with an added smiley face! I told them I would be back again tomorrow (tonight) and they skipped away happily. Now I HAVE to go. Oh and the owners of the café complained my cigars stink! That’s a definite first in China! I decided against boycotting and resolved instead to do what I used to do at the sweet pork restaurant - sit and drink and smoke on my bike outside.

Back at the hotel I settled in for a night with old episodes of Messiah (I think Ken Stott is great). At 2040 I heard voices outside which were followed by insistent knocking on my door. I knew instantly what it was! This time I was not as amenable as the last. I whipped open the door and said “What do you want NOW?”

There were about ten, not all in uniform and not the same people who came last time. I caught them completely unawares and there were one or two gasps. The grandad of the group looked amazed  and immediately took them away, with “sorry, sorry, sorry” thrown over his shoulder.

I swear if they come again before I leave on Saturday I am taking the camera to the door and snapping them!

Kevin and I between us must have had over a hundred stays in Chinese hotels and never once been knocked up by the authorities. We now suspect some guests may be bringing prostitutes and using the hotel as a knocking shop but I haven’t been offered one myself, which is a tad disappointing. Particularly as the girl with endless legs on reception turns out to be married with a child.

The problem I have is that the place is in a great location, the room is comfortable (and I have paid up front, as you have to with Chinese hotels unless you have a credit card) and I can’t actually blame the hotel, except perhaps for not telling plod that room 318 has a laowei and you have already checked him out. Such is life in the Middle Kingdom.

This morning I actually got up before nine so I could go to get my medical card renewed for a further three months. I still have 334y to kill before I return my bike to campus to await Joan’s return next semester. The thought occurred to me whilst riding that until such time as I am employed again I have no accident or medical insurance so as you can imagine I was even more cautious than usual. When I went to the office I parked my bike facing outwards so that when I sat on it I could see life passing by but when I went inside they insisted I stay in the air-conditioning, just at the back near the galley so that my smoke gets extracted out! What the hell, I don’t care where I sit, especially as they gave me a big chair! They are actually a nice young couple plus Grandad and I must try to find out if they ever take any time off. I have a feeling they work the entire year because they also make food deliveries opposite to patients in the hospital.

Anna is coming back to Chizhou on Thursday from Shanghai to start getting her gnashers fixed. She needs six fillings in order to fulfil her army medical requirements and I think she is going to use my friend the dentist here - the one who won’t actually do any work on me in case she kills me. I am guessing that means Anna won’t be in Shanghai at the weekend when I am there. Why she couldn’t wait until next week I don’t know, on Sunday we are all going bowling and someone has to come last!

I am still awaiting news on my foreign expert certificate (I will enquire after lunch) and whether I need to do a run to Hong Kong. I hope I don’t. Quite apart from the expense, flights from HK to Lanzhou consist of ONE per week! That would mean a train to Canton and a flight from there. But then I still don’t know if I will still be in China at all next month.