So after a full day of teaching on Friday (I even took a lunch of pasta shells, prawns and cherry tomatoes in Caesar sauce as I knew I wouldn’t eat dinner later) I called the MNOPF.
I couldn’t get any information. I had expected it to be because of the bloody Data Protection Act but no, it was because the actuaries need to do their thing. I did however learn that despite what my 2000 paperwork said, I CAN defer drawing the pension right up until the age of 75. I can request 2 years’ quotes each time and so next week I will ask how much it would be in May this year, 2018 and 2021 when I am 65 so I can consider what to do.
It is not as simple a decision as deciding whether I think I will croak before getting any money, more a case of what will I do in 5 years time? Will I be able to, and want to, continue working here in China? Where will I retire to? Certain places require a sizeable bank deposit (many Asian countries ask for sums that are beyond my reach) and to stay in China (my dream) would require me to set up a business. All the aforementioned come with startup costs. It may be that the decision is already made for me in that if I start being an OAP whilst still working, I can save most, if not all of the pension.
For once in my life though I have a somewhat pleasant dilemma and for five years anyway, the choice of not flying cattle class or booking anywhere other than western group hotels. I just hope I don’t go and ruin it by pegging out in my sleep!
Yesterday I did little but I did need a rather large lightbulb. One had blown in my bathroom ceiling arrangement, a rather strange affair with one small lamp in the centre and four large ones in a square around it. The big ones emit heat and are damned handy in winter. I also needed some hypertensive tablets . They weren’t urgent but when I get down to a fortnight’s supply of anything (even toilet paper) I like to get back-up.
There is a chemists in the square but I had never been in there, fearing it would be a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) place. I am sure TCM works for some things but honestly, I can’t see it lowering a systolic of over 200 down to 80, preventing gout or easing the pain of arthritis regardless of how many powdered seahorses I drank as a tea drink.
To my delight, it is both TCM and western. Right on my doorstep so now I don’t need to go to the one at BHG which invariably either doesn’t have what I want or alternatively not as many as I want. Oh yes.
Then I went underground to get my bulb but whilst there I searched fruitlessly for a stall selling flowers. To be honest I couldn’t see there being one, after all, flowers need sunlight, and I was correct. I still need a decent pot and compost because soon the mint seedlings will need to be transferred to bigger pastures. I shall have to enlist the help of a student or two.
Later I made a roast chicken dinner and could only eat half (so what’s new?) and settled down to what I thought would be a great night of rugby. Well the Scotland game was dire and the scoreline in no way reflected what happened. The reality was that the Scots should have won by a mere five points. Enter France v Wales. Now THAT was a good game apart from the three days of extra time facilitated by the referee.
Then what everyone had been waiting for, the biggie. England to make history and come away with a world record, a grand slam and two trophies. Bring it on!
10-3 down at half time rarely disturbs an England supporter (as long as it is rugby) because the half time bollocking usually bucks them up. Unfortunately after they went to the dressing rooms I can’t remember anything else. I awoke at 0500! Facebook told me we had either drawn or lost (not the score itself) and I went to bed proper.
I avoided logging on anywhere this morning in order to watch part two of the game, knowing we never won the grand slam. Some people will vilify England for not playing better but I think that’s a trifle harsh, the Irish were quite simply at the top of their game (Guinness might have had a hand on Paddy’s day?) and on the day they were better. But do you know, even knowing we hadn’t won, right until the end I kept thinking England would snatch victory from underneath Irish snouts! Fair play and applause must go to the Oirish.
Today I have done little other than wash my bedding (which reminds me, if I don’t put fresh stuff on soon I won’t have a bed to sleep in!) and pop out to buy booze and bananas. I managed to panic a stallholder when I picked up a hand of bananas, go to pay and because there is no demarcation between stalls, went to the wrong stallholder to pay! They took it well though, no doubt once I left they were nattering about the potty old foreigner.
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