Sunday 10th September, 2017           Teachers Day            1130

I am sad to report that my offer to tutor FOC in my spare time notwithstanding, the school leadership are steadfast in refusing to countenance sending pupils to Cyprus this year. I fail to understand.

I was feeling cheated as teachers day fell on a Sunday this year and also because I don’t actually have any students yet anyway! I never expect gifts from my charges but often in class on the day I am given the odd titbit or sweet. This year is doubly disappointing as mid-autumn also falls during golden week.

However, I received a new wallet from Joanna which has now replaced the careworn one I have been using - incidentally also a present from her some years ago. I also got half a dozen salutary texts from last term’s students, including a very touching message from Alison, one of the joint top from last term. So I am happy.

Lately, and being an inveterate dreamer, I have been watching YouTube videos of first class international flights. Perhaps I am odd, in that all that interests me are the food in the airport lounge, the beds on board and the in-flight meals! The videos and other entertainments do not! Considering it costs slightly under £1 a mile and a London Hackney cab around four times that with no catering, suddenly it doesn’t seem that exorbitant. Maybe one day, after all it IS on my list.

For the past few days I have had notions of  going to BHG but as I get to mid-afternoon I have abandoned the idea! Same again today. Instead I am going to walk to the baguette place and then explore the stalls to see if I can find any decent potatoes. The ones on offer now elsewhere are both uncookable and inedible. I made a huge chicken and sage stew recently and the spuds completely disappeared!

I will go to the supermarket tomorrow but this evening is I think time to test my perambulatory ability seeing as I will complete my course of drugs on Tuesday. Fingers crossed.

1800

Ha. Bad news and bad news!

Instead of 5 it took 7 minutes for the limp to afflict me. I wouldn’t say that was an improvement. I did find spuds that looked as if they were normal and then went to the bakery for my baguette. Sold out, they will have more tomorrow. Fat lot of good that is when I’m in this state! Cheese and onion buttie firmly off the dinner menu, I went to Dicos. Didn’t fancy a curry so asked for an 8+. It’s like a chicken Big Mac. Mayo. Ok, so I ordered a burger with what looked like a slice of pineapple but turned out to be a hideous processed egg thing. The only decent thing was the portion of fries, which were hot.

Afterwards I took another tour of the markets, looking for salted peanuts. Every nut you can imagine on offer bar those!  I did spot potatoes that will certainly do me so all was not lost.

Walking back was a travail. 1kg of Murphy’s is hardly a lot to carry  but I was overtaken by geriatrics using walking sticks! Some of my problems may in fact be due to inactivity, it must be said, but not all of them. Thoughts of e-bikes and mopeds are now crossing my mind.

Whilst in Dicos I watched a woman leave with her strapping son of about 12. Mum hefted four bags and left one for the lad to carry - the smallest. Well you would have thought it weighed a cwt by the fakery the kid pulled! I did castigate him (much to Mum’s delight) but I would have preferred to clip him around the ear!!!