Wednesday 27th September, 2017                2330

It had to happen. Even I knew it would deep down. Alison cried off the trip to the Rainbow Mountains. By now I am used to disappointment when it involves Chinese girls. The slightest ailment and you would think it was terminal. To be fair to her she did offer to pay for any money I lost as a result but I told her I didn’t want her money, all I ever wanted was her company.

However, last night Annie came to dinner. As promised I made her macaroni cheese which was good bar my slightly over-salting it but by God she packed a fair amount under her belt so she must have liked it! I also offered her the chance to take Alison’s place on the trip. She is champing at the bit so we are waiting until tomorrow to ascertain if she can travel.

Tomorrow Brenda is taking her to the PSB to turn over her passport to be sent to Beijing for a residence permit to be affixed. I am almost certain that she will still be able to fly using the receipt from the PSB but just in case I have emailed the travel people to ask.

It will also save me a trip. I was going tomorrow to collect my own passport which was ready today but Brenda can get it for me. That way I don’t have to pay the 400y and then go through the rigmarole of claiming the fee back from the school - I’m still waiting for that air fare to be reimbursed.

Hopefully though, the trip will still be on, Annie has threatened to introduce me to the local Peace Corps volunteers in Zhangye, they seem to be all over China like a dose of chickenpox!! I shall try not to get as pickled as I did last night.

Today was awful. My first day teaching English majors on Peili campus. The students were great but climbing seven floors was not - and I had to do it again after lunch! Worse, when I walked home at noon the gammy hip returned. I feel injections to be now inevitable.

Tomorrow I am free so I have invited Annie again for dinner along with the monitor of one of my new classes, Pat - a very comely lass who also won the school FLTRP competition and who will be my wife here in respect of Taobao shopping. Very handy. Another monitor (another Alice) is also keen to help in any way she can so there are plus sides to the latest developments.

So tomorrow I am making a mystery Chinese dish for my two guests (well a mystery to them!)  of my famous chicken wings, followed by a roast pork and apple sauce dinner. I just pray the potatoes around the corner are half decent and that the little chicken stall actually sells wings - I have only ever bought a whole bird, breast or legs before. If not it means a trip to BHG.

There is an English corner again tomorrow night. If I go it will be for an hour or less. With an 0500 alarm call I won’t want to be standing around until 2100 but as some attendees are now my students the guilt factor will kick in.

One weeks work followed by a week holiday!