Wednesday 13^th May, 2020 2040

So the world is virtually closed for business, notwithstanding recent slight easings of restrictions. Now there's a spat between the UK and the EU (no change there) about the proposal to exempt France from the fortnight quarantine. Quite why they want to exempt France is beyond me considering throughout most of history we have been fighting to either keep them out get in there ourselves.

I thought perhaps I was the only one thinking the various international responses were being made up as we went along until I realised that is in fact exactly what is happening. Nobody has a clue and no country has ever really prepared for anything on this scale. No point in playing the Trump Blame Game, that's like having the Nuremberg trials before the war was won. It was too much to hope humankind had evolved as far as co-operating on anything other than oil and money.

It's knee-jerk politics and in many cases being ignored by the great unwashed. The New World will be much altered and somehow I don't think I will be particularly happy with it. What is it? Elbow bump instead of handshake? Well how the hell do you stop doing something you've done for six decades? Six foot gap? Do I take a tape measure with me?

What does really concern me is the real possibility of many pubs, airlines and small businesses disappearing forever. It's already obvious even to the hard of understanding that there will be no foreign summer holidays this year. Maybe Sweden had it right all along.

Talking of summer, Wuhu Alice tells me graduating students studying in Guangzhou university are only allowed back for four days at the end of the month to collect their gear and drop off paperwork required for them to actually receive their degrees. Graduation photos have been cancelled, which is a shame but at least she has one from her BA. Apparently some schools have photoshopped, with one she showed me with students with cartoon bodies with their superimposed heads leaping in the air. I suggested a blank white frame with “I graduated in 2020 and survived!” printed on it.

She is however, taking a trip to Tibet in July. Tibet is next door to us here and although I personally am not allowed to go there unless I am part of an organised and sanctioned tour, I have students from there. In fact, parts of Tibet are a stone's throw from here, Gannan is a case in point.

So she has threatened to visit me either on the way or on the way back, which would be nice.