Friday 9^th February, 2018 1930

God I am so lazy!

I was going to have a haircut and if necessary buy that hat, then go food shopping. My normal wake-up routine follows a strict pattern: see what downloads are available on iPlayer, check email and Facebook, then newspapers in turn – Luton, Bucks, BBC, Telegraph, Mirror, and when I want fiction, the Mail. Every couple of days I check China Daily.

Sometimes that takes a while, it did so today. Instead of showering afterwards I started watching catch-up TV on ITV and there was a fair amount. The more time that elapsed the more my plans changed. I went from going out late, haircut, dinner out, shopping through every variation, culminating in going to the jing jo shop and making my own dinner of poached eggs on toasted stale burger buns! It was rather silly because I hate weekends in the supermarket so now shopping may well be Monday, although the haircut I can get tomorrow or Sunday. In fact that is probably a good plan. A big shop so I can stay away after Monday. Friday next is new year and I avoid supermarkets like the plague a couple of days before – it's like arriving at a Primark shop as they are about to start their new year sale! So I will be eating out (or not eating as the case may be) this weekend.

Another good thing that came from Joan's visit (of course the most important was seeing her again) was that she was pragmatic about her exam failure. I think deep down she knew. With all the wisdom of someone whose first university was as a teacher, I offered examples of successful people who never attained degrees and said it was hardly the end of the world. The problem is, in China, no degree IS a problem, even though the degrees are often in pointless subjects.

A little later she decided if she didn't study another year in an effort to pass (I don't think she will) and she cannot get a decent job, she wanted to open a bar with her sister (real sister, not Chinese sister, which usually denotes a cousin). To my dismay she never came out with what I was hoping she would which was, would I be interested? Maybe she thought I would laugh, she cannot have realised that would be my ticket to retirement here.

So I emailed her when she was home. As someone previously suggested, I stipulated I would need to be the majority shareholder but only to safeguard my future in China. It's all pie in the sky at present and actually quite frightening with initial set-up costs, not just for a bar but one which sells western pub grub, proper stuff, not frozen supermarket fodder, made on the premises.

I won't want to actually work beyond dispensing the odd beer and plenty of bonhomie but I am happy to teach a chef how to cook lasagne, pizzas, chilli etc and if we started it in four years' time I wouldn't need a salary and wouldn't take one until we turned a profit. I got the impression that she was hoping I would offer.

Of course the plan could evaporate if she actually finds a good job, marries a millionaire or any number of things but it is entirely possible. Most importantly, if it happens, we trust each other implicitly.