Not sure who I hate more at the moment – Xi or freshmen!

The latter have, as always in September when they arrive carrying new viruses, given me a bloody cold. The former is completely disrupting my internet.

Today I spent all day (well, in my free time between classes and at lunch) trying to connect so I could get Facebook and BBC to no avail. Right now I can do so but only if I am “in” Hong Kong, so no streaming rugby world cup matches for me. Every sodding time it happens - 6 nations, world cup, you name it, he screws it up. I can but pray once the big parade for the 70^th birthday is over the Great Firewall will relax once again. And that Hong Kong is peaceful. Of all the things I hate about China, internet censorship is top of the list.

I hate Thursdays. Teaching all day from 0800 is bad enough but I start off with a class of mixed Chinese and Uzbekistanis and when he hasn't spent all night on the piss, a Kiwi. I arrived in good time, early enough to enjoy a cigar by an open window before the first lesson but a strange bloke came and shook my hand and insisted I come into his office.

I protested, indicating I wished to smoke. I had no idea who he was but he insisted and so I followed, only for him to open a window in the office and offer me a fag. No thanks, I smoke these cigars. He's the boss dean of one of the departments I now work for and whilst I remember him not, he knows me well enough to know that I can out-drink any Chinese at the university – he came on the epic Rewi Alley/George Hogg trip.

He has no English at all and ended up dragging in Jody to translate. Neither of us wanted to be there and it was uncomfortable, I hope he doesn't do it again. If the bugger spoke English I think it would be great.

Jody then discovered her classroom had been seconded for a teacher meeting and so decided to sit in my class. It's my worst class and I warned her but she just wanted somewhere to sit. Later at lunchtime she said there was “nothing there”. Absolutely correct, that class is dead. Hard work. I need to gee them up somehow or I will lose my temper at some point.

The concert/welcome show scheduled for tomorrow is now delayed until Sunday. Dean Delia (another dept I work for – English language) told me today. She also tried to back out of taking part in my egg game on stage. I think I have shamed her into still taking part, after all, who better than the Dean to get the raw egg smashed over her head? The students will love it. Delia will shit herself. Nobody knows the ending bar me.

I do have a handful of students who are starting to stand out though. There are some who volunteer or come out for a chat during the break. One today asked me if they would be seeing the second half of Stuart Little because she loved mice, she once kept one as a pet as a child. She showed me photos of it on her phone and boy, it was a fat mouse!

So I must press on regardless, at least for now.