Friday 11^th October, 2019 1730

I am finding my timetable hard going. Up at a sensible time one morning, sparrow's fart the next, late morning next and then oh-Christ-double oh again. To be honest I would prefer all early or all late starts.

My Thursday early class continues to be the worst despite my entreaties, I did though have a minor breakthrough with one of the Uzbekistani lads who at least made an effort to answer questions. At least with English majors and translation majors I can justifiably have a rant in class but these people aren't here to learn English! I have to find a way of getting them on my side so they want to please me and they believe me when I say making mistakes is fine. Hell, I made one on Wednesday when I showed my class the second half of Stuart Little. What pissed me off was that they only told me later at English corner!

I said, “Why the hell didn't someone tell me??!!”

“Oh, we didn't want to disturb you”.

Quite aside from the stupidity of it all and the fact they have been told in no uncertain terms that yes, I do make mistakes and it's fine to tell me when I do, that class at least knows mistakes are wonderful.

On Thursday afternoon a girl (Well, I think it was a girl, whoever it was had the build of a brick outhouse and the English name of Doyle) gave me a gift once my class had finished. Thank you for teaching our students English. You do not get a gift in China without there being some form of payback and this was no exception. They want me to come to their English corner on Thursdays.

I have agreed to go next week but infrequently as my attention is demanded from all quarters (although with having Fridays off, Thursday evenings are not as bad as Wednesdays). And the gift? A bloody drinking flask. Of all the useless things I could have been given, that was top of the list. I have one, a decent one which actually keeps drinks hot for a while but given that I would need to buy an iPhone and instal an application to pay for hot water to make tea, I just take bottled water instead. If I had an office (there are communal offices but I avoid them) as I did on east campus, I would have my own kettle.

So tomorrow is another catch up day, once again, my Monday classes I missed this week. Will I bawl Philip out for doing exactly what I would have done as a student last Monday? Hardly. Will I tell them to keep schtum in case we also have to make up that class? Most definitely!

Today I went foraging. The other day I managed to break my nasal trimmer when cleaning it. Ok so it was twelve years or more old and I mistook a blade for old hair and snapped it off, my fault. They didn't have any in BHG so I tried the market. Success and 28¥ (about £3.10) including battery. Next candles, after the power cut the other day. They were more problematic. I was quite happy to buy a box of the standard white ones we put in candelabras at the dinner table or one huge fat one. In the end someone (after so many stalls had said “mayo”, found me one with medium sized red ones with their own stands. Two of them for 35¥. happy, I took the escalator up to go to the chemist for my monthly drug requirements.

At the top I noticed that these were the strangest candles I had ever seen. There were holes where the wicks should have been! Pondering on how exactly they would burn when required without said wicks, I decided either the Chinese were damned cunning or these were faulty. Back to the shop.

The owner, seemingly unconcerned, then retraced the steps I had taken to exit the market, with me in tow. The wicks were close together on the ground where they had fallen out when I must have pointed the candles downwards! I have never encountered candles where the wicks are not encased in the wax!

So now I know.