Friday 8^th May, 2020 VE Day 1615

So today's the day the UK will celebrate 75 years since America single-handedly won WW2! Seriously, it's an even bigger shame than the Chinese spring festival being cancelled that there will be no proper street parties, or if there are the police will break them up anyway. I don't know why they bother with so many ignoring the rules that the measures aren't working. However, to any of my readers celebrating either victory or liberation today from a far greater threat a few years before I was born, I hope you enjoy your somewhat muted observances.

I've just had a shower preparatory to popping out to the shops to get an aubergine and some digestives, I forgot yesterday and I want to make steamed veg with rice for you know who - “Oh I LOVE veggies!”.

Today though I departed from my usual bathroom routine. Instead of brushing my teeth before showering I decided, as I occasionally do seeing as it is a “wet room”, to brush them whilst under the shower.

I was confronted by not one but two toothbrushes in my glass. She has her own and both were identical bar one being yellow and the other white. I don't know about you folks but when I am done with a brush I keep it on the shelf until the current one has reached the end of its useful life when it is replaced by the newest old one. Why? To clean the grouting and those hard to reach spots at the back of the toilet seat.

The reason why there were two in my glass? Someone decided to clean the shelf yesterday! I almost had to ditch both but closer forensic inspection showed the white one was markedly more frayed. Wait till she gets home....

The three days of rain turned out to be one, forecasting here is not a strong point, so today it is simply overcast and cool. Tomorrow though is said to be warmish and sunny. I hope so, we are supposed to be going out for dinner. I rather fancied the Holiday Inn AYCE&D buffet but I have a suspicion it will be elsewhere. Just as long as it's not a hotpot.......

As for work, so far this week I've had one student redo an assignment for which she received zero marks. That's it. Maybe I shouldn't go online tomorrow in case I am deluged. I am doing absolutely no work at all tomorrow.

I have been getting info from Our Man In Shanghai re the tracking whatnot on smartphones with the traffic light system to allow unhindered (or otherwise) travel in-country. He asked for hotels here so I got over-excited thinking he was visiting until I realised there are no ships on the Huang He (Yellow River) here. He's not coming, he just wants to get the green screen for Lanzhou.

You see, this is where I am confused.

If a city is a participant in this scheme (I have no idea if we are here) then for it to be effective I would have assumed the phone holder – or at least the phone – would need to actually visit but it seems that's not the case. I honestly don't understand. I may be as thick as in some areas but logic isn't normally one of them. Maybe I am interpreting badly. But maybe I can get “green” for anywhere I want to go without moving a muscle. About as effective as the Isle of Wight UK thing that doesn't work with phones over two years old......