Thursday 4^th June, 2020 1800

Technology? It's leaving me in its wake.

This morning's classroom, I noticed, had the most wonderfully clean blackboard. I have never seen one so black and pristine – not even a brand new one that's just been fitted.

With merely having one lesson with the students before exams, I am not particularly interested in giving a structured class, it's futile. So, when the break came I asked them to fire up the computer ready for my return so I could screen them something. I did notice at some point that there was no screen.

After the break it was a case of Oh, that's unusual, the blackboard is the screen! Different. But I couldn't find the computer! The students found it highly amusing. The “blackboard” was the computer!! I have no problem admitting I was stymied and had to demand assistance. I've never seen anything like it. The USB goes into the side and then you touch the blackboard, I suppose it's like a gigantic smartphone – which is another thing I can't use. What the hell happened to 16mm reel to reel projectors???

Jody had no classes today but wanted to go to campus to study. I think she's taking HSK and if she stays here she just watches films on her phone. So she decided to come with me early, we left at seven. Shortly after we set off if was a case of “Whoa! Not so fast!” Within a hundred yards I was struggling and she decided we should take a taxi to school. I haven't before because I don't know what to tell the driver. I can come back home but not go. I think tonight I will get her to send me a text with the address so I can show cabbies. Somehow I think from now on, if my mobility doesn't improve, I'll shell out. Either that or against my better judgement buy an e-bike or moped after summer. But quite apart from the fact the roads here are utterly bonkers, in winter it is so cold. If there was a way to organise a car to be there to meet me both ways when needed I would happily fork out a thousand yuan a month if it saved me the agony.

So after yesterday's fiasco with the classroom cock-up it happened again today. This time I had no inkling because the class I was due to meet I had never seen before, previously they were Eli's. It turned out my room had been commandeered for an exam but to be fair, my monitor did come and tell me five minutes before class that our room had changed – just for this week.

The good news is, our man in Shanghai reports that domestic travel restrictions here will possibly be relaxed shortly. However, he is very kindly shipping one of his old smartphones to me so maybe I can get the green light to escape Lanzhou in summer. Who knows, maybe even use that hotel stay in Xining at Dragon Boat? Jody said she will help me sort out what to do with the phone. I did express my dismay on learning I need to put a SIM card in it, my stupidphone only needs charging every fortnight, not daily as these so called “modern” devices do. Apparently she will also get me another SIM and I won't need to use the blessed thing unless I am on the move.

We never had these problems in the 70s and 80s.................

But then we never had Trump comparing himself to Winston either..........