Thursday 27^th June, 2019 1430

Yesterday I had a “medical” problem. Nothing really serious but I could have done without it. With my UTI proving annoyingly persistent I have been treating it with low dosages of antibiotics, I read that the medical profession does this for six months at a time. And it works most of the time!

But yesterday, before I left for work, I wanted to pee every two minutes, even after I had just had one. Clearly that was a concern because I needed to take two buses, one for about forty minutes, the other twenty, thankfully at lunchtime the journeys are shorter than early morning.

When the first bus stopped I was in dire need. I knew there was a public toilet above the Five Streams terminus but I also knew I wasn't going to make it! I found a side road leading to a covered car park and ducked down it. To my chagrin, there was someone there, quite why he was washing his hair using a bucket I know not but I found a quiet spot between cars and up against a wall and proceeded to go about relieving the pressure before I “leaked”. As it was raining I had an umbrella and hid behind that too.

Mateyboy decided to challenge me but there was no way I could have stopped even if he was police – and he wasn't wearing any kind of uniform. With him shouting and screaming at my back, I finished, zipped up and went to leave but I had to pass him. How do you explain you had no choice to an irate native who doesn't speak English? You don't. Instead he was treated to some choice Anglo-Saxon expletives and I in return was regaled by presumably suitable Chinese versions hurled at my disappearing back! As it turned out, I learnt on my return trip when I had the same problem, the public toilet is now cordoned off and workmen are beavering away in there so I would have been in real trouble anyway. I did find a very helpful restaurant though who took pity on me – I will be sure to go there in the fullness of time, it looked quite nice.

And at work, the recalcitrant monitor from tomorrow afternoon's class (the solitary no-show last week) never materialised so he's either out of luck or sensible because he can't speak English.

I was also told that the four boys from yesterday's class couldn't come as their dancing teacher had co-opted them for rehearsals! Could they come another day? No way! I have eight students left to test tomorrow and then I am finished on east campus for good. And what right did the dancing teacher have to absent them from MY class??? I informed the messenger they would receive zero marks.

Guess what? The last four students to present for testing were said boys! Probably better they had stayed away as they were awful but I relented and gave them all the lowest pass mark! I was just so pleased at achieving a small but significant victory. Many times in China I have been incensed when it is always my class that the Communist Party meeting is scheduled for or the form teacher decides to get students to run errands. I don't do it to them and I object to them doing it to me without so much as a by your leave.

As for tomorrow's party, I have realised I won't be able to go anyway. Annie's brownies will use nearly all of my stock of sugar and butter. Sugar isn't a problem, it's available locally, however butter needs a trip to BHG. It would stick in my craw to be the only one attending with no food while Annie takes chocolate delights!

And really annoying is that she wants to come at 2030 tonight to be taught how to bake them! I need to get up at 0630 tomorrow!