Friday 7th July, 2017                 0300

Yes, 0300. I stayed up rather later than intended, distracted by various programmes I was watching on the laptop in between hunting for flight prices. About half an hour ago I thought I really should call it a day (even though I can stay in bed the entire day should I so desire) and duly put head to pillow.

Since then I have been overcome by a persistent bout of coughing. I don’t have a cold so there is no reason for it but plainly it will prevent me sleeping until I am exhausted, not to mention disturb the old folks sleeping immediately above me. So I got up again to await the moment when nothing will be capable of keeping me awake - but that may be some time coming.

So far I have booked four of the six intended flights (that includes the two for Alice) and by the look of things later today I will be in a position to purchase my remaining two. First or business class seats (for Chinese domestic flights they are one and the same) to Shanghai are at a good price and from Hefei home they are getting there. I even looked to see if it was feasible to upgrade Alice for her Nanjing flight but considering the economy seat I bought cost 700y and even now 1st class is showing at 1700y I decided not to! Sorry Alice, it would have been  nice to treat you but you are only little and you don’t drink anyway.

I had a call from Brenda yesterday. I had sent her an email regarding the “tourism” money asking her to take the form to accounts and on my behalf explain how I saw the legal standing where there was a conflict inasmuch as the Chinese version failed to mirror the English one, yet it says both have equal standing. Well that’s a nonsense for starters, how can they be equal when they are at odds? I vaguely inferred that if I was so minded solicitors may be involved and of course newspapers may take an interest.

Oddly, in China this is often completely the wrong approach but to be honest I can’t be doing with the calm, level-headed smiling method. It has never got me anywhere in the past. I sincerely doubt Brenda used my suggestions but it seems she is a star. The form was signed this afternoon and with luck and a following wind I will get the payment sometime today lumped in with my pay. Fingers crossed. With no pay in August I need all I can get.

It turns out Mr Zhang is coming on the Hogg/Alley tour as well. That came as a surprise and not a particularly nice one. As much as we have gotten on on the few occasions we have met, being in close proximity for 11 days with one of the three people who get to decide my future each year is, well, you know. I just pray they stick me in a sleeping compartment on the Shanghai train with Kiwi students.

When I was signing my new contract with Brenda she completed the online application for the new Chinese ID card for foreigners which does away with the Foreign Expert certificate and allegedly can be used in lieu of your passport for everything inside China - train tickets, plane tickets, hotels etc. I reserve judgment on that score. Anyway all foreigners will now receive a classification of either A, B or C. And people think the British have a class system! To get an A you have to be superman, most teachers will get a B but I will lay odds right now that I end up with a C. No degree and a qualification they have no idea about and points allocated descend until you hit the magic six-oh when they disappear entirely. Third class citizenship here I come, unless they decide I shouldn’t be here at all, then I have a problem!

Brenda did ask how could she contact me once I was off on my travels (travails?) if she had any problems with the Foreign Affairs Bureau wregarding my application which I thought was rather odd. She knows I am not leaving China. I said I will have my phone (naturally it doesn’t work outside China) and my laptop seeing as I was writing up the trip for the university. I think I have all my documents stored on the computer even if the school miraculously doesn’t seeing as they photocopied the lot when I came.

With my mint seedlings having all perished, today I ate a peach and put the stone in the pot. I must remember to put more compost on top and water it tomorrow. God knows what I will do if a peach tree actually starts to grow though. Probably have to enlist help to transplant it among the trees outside the opposite building……..