Monday 10th July, 2017             1900

I have just seen one of the most ludicrous sights possible. When I got back (will tell you where I had been later) and was carrying my “carry-out” from the jing jo shop, as always I passed by the Shijia hotel which is on my doorstep.

It was as much as I could do not to literally laugh out loud. They have built two small concrete ramps up the entrance steps and emblazoned them with “Wheelchair Accessible”. Quite apart from the fact I am not sure I have ever seen a wheelchair with such a narrow gauge, if I were to push someone up either ramp their feet  would bang into the glass frontage long before the rear wheels made it to the top! And there is no way you could turn the chair to gain access because I swear the patient/invalid would be catapulted out and back onto the car park. They put two ramps in such a position they are impossible to use when with a minor amount of thought they could have put ONE dead centre of the actual doorway.

Anyway, everyone knows how my travel plans go awry. It has started already. This morning I was informed that the school trip doesn’t start next Monday as I had been told but this Saturday. Luckily I sent an email last night asking for confirmation of the arrangements because I had mapped out certain tasks to do on certain days before we left. My days of cramming everything into 12 hours are long over so now I have a mild rush on to remember and do everything I need to.

So today was hunt the cigars day again, this time all the way to where I teach. Of course they didn’t have any so I ended up buying two cartons (about a fortnight’s worth) for 400y which was hardly pleasing. As I had gone in the afternoon I decided I would have a Big Mac to save cooking this evening. I have a ham that is now cured so shall do that tomorrow. Then I decided to take the school bus back at five.

There was an email waiting from Janet (I think it’s my Janet) re travel arrangements. My ticket is booked on the fast train (never noticed before there is one fast one per day - still takes over 10 hours though). The price is 844y and if they had emulated my price watch tactics, for 200y more we could have flown. I will put money on the leaders flying though. Information is as always terribly sketchy and getting it is like herding cats. I have a feeling that Mr Zhang may not be going but I may be wrong and that Janet is travelling with me. God, I shall have to feign sleep for hours on end. She is sure to take the seat beside me.

In the email I also asked if I had to make my own way to the station or would I be collected and if so how would we get there. “We will go together” suggests I will be collected but it could mean we all get the 131 bus. If it’s a taxi then I for one will be taking my big suitcase, the small one is fine for a few days but not 10 or 11. If everyone does likewise we have a problem. I was also asked if I could go and chat with Miss Shi, who is in charge of the expedition. I can fit her in on Wednesday afternoon BS (before shopping at BHG) except on the phone I was told she was on west campus yet in the email it says east campus, where I teach! There’s only 2 hours difference on public transport betwixt the two! If I ever actually get to see her I might eventually get some straight information.

So tomorrow is haircut day and hopefully buy some earphones for the laptop to save taking the speakers. Then cook the ham. Whatever’s left I shall take on the trip. God only knows what I am up to Wednesday now until someone gives me an unequivocal answer, Thursday is for anything I have forgotten and Friday is laundry, packing and baking day.  Thereafter starts 5 weeks of countrytrotting interspersed with a week’s rest.

Suzy in Cyprus contacted me on Skype before I started typing, first time in months. The ones who treated my classes as unnecessary are by all accounts really struggling. I am not saying I could have helped them much  (getting them from the cat sat on the mat to the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain in one term is beyond me and them I am afraid) but they failed to even try. I have asked her to write me a letter in Chinese to my next lot so I can have it printed out and give to the students. Some ignore me but they may take notice of someone who is actually doing what they will do. I can but try. Anyway I hope to see Suzy again here when she comes back in August for a break.

For now though there is a bottle of red with my name on it and more true life crimes on YouTube, which perhaps goes some way toward explaining the seeming morbidity of the last entry!