Lanzhou seems to be somewhere that little goes right for me. Ridiculous I know but that’s how it feels! Not only has my UK debit card still not arrived after a second attempt but neither did the money I sent myself. The cash I have asked to be put back in my account (naturally minus the bank fees - burn!) and I will have to try and find out what address people who actually get mail here use. It’s idiotic that a bank computer system can’t handle a full address, meaning I had to try and second-guess which bits were important. Any normal system would simply need a postal code, name of university and my name but oh no, that’s far too easy.
Overall last night was a success. As usual my wings were perfect even though they looked revolting (see photo), pizzas were declared better than Pizza And More (Pizza Hut) by Janet and the only slight quibble was the apple pie. As someone remarked on a photo of it, it looked a bit pale. As it was my first attempt , with hindsight, yes it could have been baked longer as the pastry was still a little moist around the sides - however that never detracted from the fact it was a half decent apple pie. I live and learn in the culinary department.
I wish the same could be said of the bread making. With the pizza dough I actually used the flour that has always failed to rise in the bread maker and managed to get it to rise spectacularly to produce a near perfect, fluffy result. With nothing to cook to hand that was quick and easy for tonight when I finished work, I decided to use the good flour and come home to a loaf freshly baked. Utter catastrophe. I swear it never rose a millimetre and I know I didn’t forget the yeast.
That would have given me options such as cheese or beans on toast or if it had been as expected, fried egg sarnies. Mortar would have been the useful ingredient instead on this occasion. I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that I need a new machine. Kevin almost always gets a good loaf and can walk away feeling confident, I on the other hand have to simply hope. I now have another loaf baking on the quick cycle but it may well be that I need to just make dough in future and hand bake rolls and loaves in the oven - the pizzas certainly proved that to me!
Today on a day I was rather hoping my voluntary class would repeat last week by not turning up, I had 14 students! Ok so during the break exactly half of them did a bunk at the prospect of a game in the second period, Countdown, which they had never heard of so know not that they missed a great time - the seven that stayed thought it was wonderful. Next Friday will be interesting.
I topped up my electricity yesterday. That was not without difficulty, for everything was locked up even after lunchtime and it was only when a worker saw me there and presumably called the woman in charge that I learnt she had moved offices to somewhere completely different. Nice of them to let me know. Yet again she only gave me 200 units so I spoke to Brenda and apparently that’s the maximum she can give (funny when the first time I got 400) but she did say that I should be given more during the spring festival. My comment was that if she didn’t then the school would be paying for a hotel room once I ran out of power!
I had a message from Molly (remember I made a speech at her wedding earlier this year?) and it seems she really does want to come here in the winter holiday! I would love to have her visit (preferably minus Hubby!) and hope she comes good on her intentions. I only have a vague idea of how to get to the train station or the airport and haven’t myself seen any local attractions but I am sure I can show her around the city a bit at least.
Oh, nearly forgot again. Yesterday Janet told me the closing ceremony for the arts week was yesterday afternoon and the school wanted me to attend seeing as I went to the opening one. Well, naturally I had to be a bad boy and decline due to the dinner party - which she herself was invited to! Can’t you make it another day? Not on your Nellie - quite apart from the fact others have been invited and I don’t break promises, the apple pie is already made and won’t keep for a week. On this occasion I really couldn’t care less if I blotted my copybook - it happened in Chizhou with the other foreigners and it marks their cards to the effect westerners don’t just drop every prior arrangement at a moment’s notice.
No comments:
Post a Comment