Qing Ming 5^th April, 2018 1920

As much as lethargy dictated due to Adriana crying off because her school buses are not running again today (sounds suspect to me and to be honest long may it continue, I have no desire to go out drinking and blowing two or three nights in a UK hotel in the process) but threatened to come tomorrow, I realised my plan to perhaps go cigar hunting on Monday had a flaw in that I will also have to grocery shop for the Monday Meal then cook. Not good.

So yes, despite having actually washed the bedding (long overdue I must admit and now finally I have clean sheets tonight), I stirred myself and sallied forth to the one place I knew I would obtain my needs. En route I resolved once there to purchase 2,500 cheroots, enough to last me until mid-September – if they had that many. Decision made, I confidently approached the largest China Tobacco store in the province.

It had been a few months since my last visit in December but even so the entrance seemed to have shifted. I apologised and continued to where I remembered it having been. I found a gaping hole. I assume they are refurbishing. The original door I tried with a dingy little store is now from where they do business. Not one of my cigars did they have. That makes them liars either in that I am the only one in the city who likes them or that they would get new stock in January, which of those reasons I know not.

There was a box of Wang Guan full coronas on display so I thought ok, I will buy a load of those, they are good value at 20\ for ten and are four times the size of what I normally smoke. The display box was the only one they had. Three hours of my life wasted in order to get a single box of cigars. I was not elated.

When I left home I had debated what to wear. It was sunny yet the forecast said it would be 6C so I put on a fleece but never needed to zip it up. By the time I got to the train station coming home I needed to whilst waiting for the 131 bus. On the ride home I fell asleep, dropped my cigars and came to with a start. Gathering myself, I was amazed to see snow outside! Maybe there's a pattern. Last time we had a sandstorm it snowed overnight and caked the cars in mud, yesterday we had a huge sandstorm in t-shirt weather and today actually quite heavy snow and freezing temperatures.

I got off the bus, immediately froze and went to the sweet pork place where I managed to get some fried dumplings which I reckon were boiled and drained and never saw a frying pan. They filled a hole and were cheap so what the hell. Plenty to eat ( I left half) and a beer for 20\.

I was absolutely frozen on the way home. Only a five minute walk and I did after all have a fleece on but felt my winter coats would have been more appropriate. By the time I stopped at the jing jo shop I was shivering. I am still cold. My little heater is manfully trying to rectify the temperature in my office but it is crazy given that a few days ago I could walk around in a short sleeved shirt and bask in the warmth.

As for the cigars, I now need to hope the jing jo guy can come up trumps or I have to buy ones I don't want that cost double, treble or quadruple. It never rains but here it snows!