Friday 28^th February, 2020 2045

I hate to keep coming back to the coronavirus thing but it does rather dominate the world news now, not to mention my life!

I have been appalled at the sheer ignorance of people regarding China and the utterly hateful comments being posted on Facebook from people who have clearly never been here and have a primal fear of the unknown. Such things as “hateful people, I hope they all die!” and others in that ilk.

So the Chinese eat things westerners don't – and don't have to. Do you think I like pangolins being used for medicine is a good thing? That I want to know dogs are being treated so badly? Of course I bloody don't but equally I am aware that China has 20% of the world's population and only 10% of the arable land from which to feed them. Of course they are going to eat anything that sustains life!

However, now the virus is rapidly becoming the rest of the world's problem, whilst I do not in any way rejoice, I admit it is with some sense of schadenfreude that I observe the reaction in other countries.

I have read of panic-buying in some countries in case they have to self-quarantine for Christ's sake. How many deaths in Croatia, where a friend told me the supermarkets have been stripped bare!??

My last pictures were of a supermarket that deals predominantly in imported goods which has been closed for a month now due to the lockdown. The empty shelves are either due to a failure to restock yet or an inability to obtain imported goods seeing as ships are avoiding China altogether. The Chinese supermarkets have no shortages – although Jody did bag the last can of Spam from BHG!

Panic buying seems to be a uniquely western trait, one that thankfully I do not possess. Well, not unless there's an alcohol or tobacco scare on and that's never happened to me!

China seems to slowly, albeit after taking draconian measures, being getting this thing under control, it's now the people scorning China that find it dropping in their laps and not liking it one little bit.

It will fizzle out in time as they all do but humanity would do well to learn a lesson about being humane and not kicking people when they are down, it's a most distasteful thing.

Anyway, yippee!!! Today one class sent me their first week assignments! Not due until next week but with now an estimated 300+ to mark each week I was seriously worried about getting snowed under and not being up to the job. In fact last night I slept little, thinking I would be found wanting.

It took me four hours to mark an entire class this afternoon – properly – and make comments on each submission so now at least I know I will be able to deliver the goods. And it was great to have something I absolutely had to do instead of watching TV shows and films on my laptop. Plus I won't be embarrassed collecting my wages in eight days time.

Tonight Jody went shopping for me. She didn't want to go to BHG (and I only wanted to but didn't need to but wanted to use her as a mule for wine) so off she went. Should have been gone for twenty minutes maximum, yet took ninety!

She went on the bus to downtown to a bakery she really likes! Ok, she bought me some proper sugary doughnuts and then came back to get the vegetables I had asked for. She needed to get out as we all do here. Tonight was all about introducing her to minestrone soup.

I think I have already said I had wanted to make it ever since Joanna expressed a liking. Took me a while but some time back I made it successfully. One day I hope to serve it to Joanna as well.

Anyway, Jody, who cannot even boil an egg but has been watching me to learn, commented on the fact I was putting tinned tomatoes and puree in. You can imagine that I told her to try it when it was done and then tell me it was too much. I said that she would like it. “I can't give you a positive answer!” I responded that I could and she WOULD like it because she is all but a veggie.

Her comment on tasting it (and before her second bowl) was that to date it's the most delicious food I have ever cooked her. I am guessing her breakfast will be more of the same with some bread........

Sadly I think she will leave on Sunday or perhaps Monday morning because she needs to actually start live streaming her classes (although I can keep out of shot so nobody knows she is here). If she does go then suddenly with the lockdown and no company I will feel very alone once again.

Do you know, she asked me if she could stay at my place for two days a month ago?? I keep telling her it has been the longest two days of my life!

But we survive. Life always finds a way to survive. Until we die......