Saturday 6^th July, 2019 2045

I have now had communication from the Chinese teaching college (emails mostly, for some reason my flat appears to be less than perfect for mobile calls) and to my astonishment they asked me for teaching plans!

I don't do them.

Especially when they said there will be no course book!

Ok, I've been there before and I can make my own lessons but no way was I providing detailed teaching plans, I don't even do that for English majors, waste of everyone's time when you are teaching oral English or any language for that matter. Five minutes in and the plan goes out of the nearest window.

Oh no, just an idea of the topics would be fine. Thirty minutes later they had it, straight from the book I wanted them to buy but they won't. In addition I stamped my ownership and told them I do not teach the full two lessons, we have part of a film or an activity after the unit is done, I trust this is acceptable? You can guess the rest.

I teach my way, the way I wish my teachers had taught. There were a couple I could mention in my learning years, Woollie and Hawkeye at Conway for instance but in the main the others ranged between oh and oh no.

Andy my cleaner came today. Last time this academic year. He finishes his exams on Wednesday and then at the weekend he, along with the rest of the foreign language department students, move to the main campus.

I guessed correctly that as he has found a summer job in Baiyin or the environs that today was the last time until next academic year. He wants to become a teacher. A baptism of fire is what awaits. Private summer school, kids aged ten to twelve. Been there, done that. I never dismembered any but I felt like it. He gets 100¥ a day for working all morning and a bed to sleep on. No food but he assured me he and his roommates will be given money to prepare or buy their own meals. Slave labour but common for students and to be honest, damned good experience and a chance to see whether they can cut it in the real world later.

I gave him all the tips I could from my time teaching the little brats in Chizhou and I hope they come in handy.

I have been reading the news lately and headlines in various places have been saying north China should get relief from the heat soon. What bloody heat? A stone's throw from the Gobi desert and only a few days ago I stopped using my heater entirely. Yes, lately it has been rather pleasant outside at 25-27C but unlike Chizhou or Shanghai, here the humidity is non-existent. I don't even have air-conditioning in my place and so far thankfully I have not needed it.

I do have one problem though.

Somebody above me now keeps a bird.

I have a problem with birds in cages anyway but I have a bigger problem when it seems they are put outside at night so I can't sleep! Normally birds sleep after dark and wake at dawn. That I can understand. This sodding thing makes a noise all night – two, three in the morning as well – and it's bleeding loud.

I haven't had the impetus yet to walk all the way around to try and see whose it is yet but I will. Can't see it by looking out of my bedroom window.