Wednesday 13^th December, 2017 1900

I can't wait for spring festival. Six weeks during which I can sleep whatever hours I care. Except all that will change is I will sleep less than I need at odd times. For many years, seven hours was perfect and I kept a circadian rhythm largely along those lines.

These days I have nights where I am dog-tired but constantly waken at regular intervals. Even on days off I can't catch up. I have never considered sleeping pills, I suppose I was frightened I would sleep through my alarm, probably unfounded of course but I have had a lifelong aversion to being late. That time I set my alarm for 1100 by mistake when it should have been 0500? The awful realisation that it was light outside and the dreadful feeling that something was wrong?

Did you know that you can buy every medicine known to man over the counter here except sleeping pills and anti-depressants? It brings to mind the idiotic UK law where they can only sell you 48 aspirin at a time in case you commit suicide by overdose. How nanny state is that? In the UK I can be given enough prescription drugs to do the job satisfactorily but a supermarket has to restrict my aspirin. And what's to stop me going to ten supermarkets within an afternoon?

And no, for God's sake don't think I am thinking of topping myself, I'm not – although spending many waking hours trying to invent new menus for my young American friends is enough to make most people seriously think of it!

I hate Wednesdays. Seventh floor mountaineering expedition and then trapped all day. It was their last class for this term, next week I start their exams as well. One class has not had one student absent all term (or at least if they did they texted to ask for leave), Pat's class had two who had a day off and never asked and Alice's class had one. I pointed this out to each class.

The two miscreants in Pat's class were aghast, suddenly a points deduction loomed! For one lesson? Not going to happen. The sole transgressor in Alice's class was so concerned she enlisted Alice in the break to come out with her to protest her innocence as she had sent a message. She had but after the class. I don't envisage anyone even coming close to failing in the English majors but it was good to see that my threats at the beginning were being taken seriously and that they actually cared.

They will all pass. It only remains to be seen by how big a margin. A far cry from my day job on east campus. And do you know, it will be a very tight race for the top spot – there's Pat, our speech winner, Ariel her best mate and Alice. Two of them may get a shock because I am leaning towards Alice. Let us see how they perform in the tests.

Normally on Thursdays I feed the girls something simple, the more complicated meals being reserved for Tuesdays. Tomorrow though I don't have to prepare a second course and I have no intention of going to their bloody corner plus there's leftover crumble. So I shall do a roast pork and have another bash at Yorkshire pudding. I am determined to achieve light and fluffy results at some stage – not easy without a set of scales.

To that end I bought the necessary from the stalls tonight to save me having to do so tomorrow. Nice large lump of pig, some veg and an apple for the sauce. Whilst buying the veg I noticed that for the first time in weeks, the veg stall was now suddenly stocking pigeons again. Are they taking the piss? They remember only too well my purchasing and liberating three birds for Chinese new year's eve. Could it be that they are expecting a bumper payday again this coming new year? If I see a veritable aviary in stock this year I shall know. And they may well see my business going to the stall a little further up.

Haha! I just remembered something Steph said last night. She related how Trey (another Peace Corps slave – a walking bum who looks like a weeble) was complaining over how much weight he has lost since coming to China. Stephanie for some strange reason, has put ON weight............