Saturday 12th November, 2016                 0020

Apologies for the last entry being lengthy but it’s what I do.

You see, my pupils never see a bloody thing in their daily lives and if they do they more or less ignore it or look away. For six and a half years now I have implored them to open their eyes, take it in and bring it to the classroom. You can make a story about ants hunting a wounded fly or a cat stalking birds seem interesting if you try.

Well maybe I fail myself but that’s what I try to do. People are interested in normal (whatever that is) lives.

For instance, when I was at sea I read a lot. An awful lot. There was nothing outside of organised activities (which I ended up organising), listening to the BBC World Service on the radio or writing letters home. Yes, remember when computers and mobile phones didn’t exist?

I wrote home about my “normal” life. Wasn’t normal to them - they had never been in an engine room or double bottom. Never been to Japan, Canada or Indonesia. At that time I had never sat fascinated by watching a line of ants appear from the corner of a restaurant to come and tackle a fly I had wounded with a swatter. I wrote about it in this blog but you never know if people will be INTERESTED in it. That’s my problem - actually no it’s not. I write, you choose whether to read or not. My problem is making it interesting. I will never have children or grandchildren who will read my tosh, I just do it because I can.

The difference for my students though is that even if their contribution to the class discussion is the most soporific thing I have heard in a decade, I at least will be interested. Not because of the content but the delivery. I really am farting into a force 10 on this but I shall persevere. I know full well I have had good effect with those who embraced my methods. I am just fracturing my skull on the wall with most kids here and and I am damned if I will be held accountable for any perceived lack of progress - I can lead but…..

So having shopped last night and with everything I need foodwise around the corner, the plan was not to take the BRT at peak sardine time this weekend. But I might. Why? I now have the chance to get my dry cleaning done. Maybe I will never wear the clothes in Lanzhou (certainly I have never been taken for a meal by the school) but they ARE covered in Lyles golden syrup and who knows?

I also need an iron and ironing board if I am to wear a long-sleeved shirt. Those are in the future, as are a lot of things given my recent poverty. I want to have money left if they pay late again.

I would like to do a lot of things (and I am not intending on using the extra 5,000y on loan) such as revisit Chizhou next weekend (STILL they haven’t replaced me, great policy) or even fly to Shanghai to see the IMF but of course I would be out of money yet again at the end of the month.

I have been in Lanzhou now for 2.5 months and my opinion is that the city is OK, albeit sadly bereft of the facilities one would expect from the capital city of a province. As to my life here, I enjoy the teaching but but hate absolutely everything else about it.

I will bear it and probably grow into it, I am built that way and I hate change, hence my agony when forced to leave Chizhou. I don’t have to like it, just get on with it. There are good points here, the flat is bigger, central heating is on, I don’t have to worry about the breakers tripping out if I use too many appliances and many other good things,

But it isn’t Chizhou.

I am alone.

I miss Joan, Dumpling, Nancy etc.

Should I be posting this? Possibly not but this blog has always been warts and all. Anyone reading who is thinking of following a similar path should consider very carefully. My first job in China saw me strike it lucky. Ok I am well equipped to deal with what life throws at me now and anything China can but it isn’t always Nirvana.