Monday 6th February, 2017                   1645

I haven’t cooked for days now and yesterday my Hilton Hotel boss suggested last night would be a good time to go out and tie one on. Not that I ever need much encouragement in that area, in the face of my unwillingness to actually cook and needing to eat somewhere, I determined that this was a jolly good idea, even if I don’t have any playmates here.

Accordingly (and fittingly) I decided to go to Buddy’s. They have proper steaks there (as opposed to the usual plastic ones the Chinese consider fillets and sirloins) and at my suggestion some time ago they started stocking cans of Guinness. The game was on. Anyway I didn’t fancy curried chicken three nights on the trot because when I went back there to try their pizzas, the café that does the curries didn’t have any pizzas despite the counter sporting mock-ups!

Considering I already knew what I was going to order, for some reason I nevertheless read through the menu, only to spot something I hadn’t before - probably because there was no picture beside it. Fish and chips!

Now this place actually does chips as opposed to French fries so instead I asked for that. I wondered why, when the cheapest steak is 70y, the fish was only 40y and I found out when it arrived. It was more like a child’s portion, although it wasn’t on the kids page. Eventually the waitress got the message that I wanted salt and brought some. The other waitress speaks a bit of English but she was busy. Now this place has foreign stuff such as parmesan and Tabasco but no malt vinegar or tartare sauce. Fish and chips aren’t really fish and chips without a generous soaking in Sarsons! They did however give me some lemon.

With a couple of cans of the black stuff it was nice but even with my smallish appetite I felt the plate could have been fuller. When I paid I suggested to the English-speaking girl that perhaps they could offer two sizes and charge more for a bigger portion because I could have eaten more. I also promised that the next time I go there for it I would bring my own vinegar and show them what they need, I have a bottle here at home. I am sure she thinks I am loopy because there are many vinegars here but for use with dumplings and they taste nothing like western stuff.

I woke up today (having done a thoroughly good job of anaesthetising myself on my return) feeling decidedly below par and it must have been three hours after I had sat in my office shivering before I realised the central heating was off. My little fan heater makes a difference but not THAT much. I had thought perhaps I was coming diown with something.

I shall not cook again tonight and to be truthful I don’t feel hungry but I noticed last night some of the food stalls have returned so if I get peckish I will simply buy some street food. One thing I absolutely must do after my shower is put the washing machine on, I’m almost out of clean underwear and socks, although I still have masses of shirts.

1745

As I went to take a shower the heating came back on so at least I will be comfortable inside tonight. I just had an idea, when I go to the jing jo shop I will check if the fruit stall has any pineapple. Haven’t had crackers with cheese and pineapple in ages.