Tuesday 23^rd July, 2019 1930

Many were the times in Chizhou that English major girls would come to me with boyfriend problems, looking for sage advice. Being a lifelong bachelor it seemed odd but I suppose having loved and lost more times than I can remember, perhaps there was some sense in it. After all, they are reluctant to speak to family, friends or Chinese teachers about such matters. The foreigner is viewed as open-minded, in many cases I am sure deservedly although there will surely be a few bad eggs among us.

But Marjorie Proops I am not. Imagine my surprise when an ex-student of mine (no names for obvious reasons but I will be meeting her again shortly) sent a text this morning.

If your husband forgets your first wedding anniversary is he still in love with you?

Maybe, maybe not but what he IS in is a lot of trouble! If it's today then give him chance, he may have a surprise planned for later.

Turns out it was yesterday. He is focussed on making money, a common Chinese trait, and the anniversary was yesterday. He worked until midnight so with a wife and baby to support I felt some leeway was in order.

Then she told me she forgot it as well! She only remembered this morning!

So, being reasonable and knowing the Chinese have two weddings, the one where they actually legally get married and another one later where they celebrate it with friends and family, I suggested that perhaps dates weren't that important to the Chinese.

Then the gates opened. She can't talk to him because he is always on his smartphone. Ok, so ask him which is more important – you and the baby or his bloody phone? I don't like to say anything, she replied.

Then ask him what is the point of the marriage? Did he marry you from duty because he got you up the duff or because he loves you? Apparently he said the same to her, what is the point of marriage?

I have no idea how it will play out but I did point out that a life of misery is no life at all and that they really need to have a long talk. When someone finds their phone more interesting than you, well, then it's time to tell them to marry the Samsung!

Bloody phones. I know it is pandemic but in China it is even more rife. Doesn't matter where I am with someone, if there's a bleep they simply have to check it! Mine will go and whoever I am with will ask if I am going to look at it? They are dumbfounded when I tell them it can wait, I am in company. I have said many times here that I have a dumbphone that texts and calls and nothing else. These sodding appendages people favour nowadays need charging once or twice a day, mine can go a fortnight because I turn the blessed thing off when I go to bed. I am going to prove a point to Alice when we go away for nine days. I am not packing a charging cable, just so she can see I am telling the truth and it will last the entire time.

It brings to mind a documentary I watched on the BBC last night about Extinction Rebellion hypocrites. Organising their protests in plush homes with huge flat-screen TVs on computers powered by, yes, electricity! Staging die-ins in the warm weather, let's see if they do so midwinter eh? Oh, and gridlocking London so thousands of vehicles idling belch out the very thing they are so against, before getting into one to go home afterwards.

Apologies, I normally studiously avoid politics here and strictly speaking it's not politics. It is though laughable that they are only active in countries that allow them to do it. I haven't heard of any such demos in China, India or Russia to name but three countries which between them boast half the world population! Great, get little old UK to come to heel. See what happens if you want to try it in Shanghai or New Delhi or Moscow!

Ok rant over.

Back to climate change. I know I have only been in this city for three years but suddenly someone up above has turned on the taps. More rain this month than I have seen the entire time and a positive deluge forecast for tomorrow – half an inch. I don't care, I did the shop today so I can stay in and to be honest, a desert-locked city can use all the rain it can get.

Today was lovely at 29C but I checked Shanghai. They had 37C. The magic figure is of course 38C which is 100F. Three years ago it would not have phased me in the slightest. Now after being here with low humidity and temperatures I wonder if I will melt faster than I can ingest Magners!