Christmas Eve 2012          1815

Bloody students! My invitation for their concert said 3rd floor, 1800-2100. Not only was it on the 2nd floor but when I arrived at six I was informed it doesn’t start until seven!!!!! I wouldn’t have minded if I hadn’t had to rush around to make it on time and it wasn’t -4C! Needless to say I came back to keep in the warm a while longer. Being marginally south of the Yangtse the school doesn’t have heating in classrooms or public rooms which is fine for more southern locations but means here it is ridiculous in winter.

So far today I have started receiving many texts from my kids wishing me merry Christmas and have been given a boxed apple, wrapped orange and a cuddly Santa. I also have invitations to another party tomorrow night and also drinks with an unknown student, neither of which of course I can accept, given that we are off for an expensive meal which Kevin estimates will cost 100y a head meaning theoretically we three will pay 300y each to cover our guests, plus the cost of two taxis there and back. I can‘t see us getting much change out of 500y..

Today I discovered another flaw in my best laid plans for the exams (caused by the confusing two one week, one the next schedule I have) which I have managed to sort. Also I have not been told officially - although Kevin has - that we are supposed to work the weekend after new years day to make up for not working the 2nd and 3rd. Due to my having Thursday off this term I should only have to work Saturday to make up Wednesdays classes but as I am working extra this week and next in order to complete all my work on Friday 4th I will not be complying - I will have made them up beforehand. I did find the notice on the uni website but the Google translation is as clear as mud!

Yesterday’s bread was also awful, heavy enough to break your toe if you dropped it on your foot but I shall use some of it tonight for a dinner of beans on toast - at least it won’t all go to waste and the sauce should soften it I hope. I will add to this entry later hopefully with some photos from the party and then post it because as sure as eggs is eggs I won’t be posting anything tomorrow!

2230

Concert over and apologies to my Mum who rang half way through and I had to curtail the call! It was enjoyable seeing as it was just two of my classes staging it but seeing as they are all majoring in English I have to say I was a tad disappointed that the whole affair was conducted in Chinese! It is however warming to watch when you understand the amount of effort these young people put into trying to entertain people.

I have a busy day tomorrow - I just know I will be shattered by the time we eat - so I am frantically cooking animal food now which will be followed by my beans on toast, the latter only after my laundry is hung up because I just realised I only have one pair of clean socks. Actually, that’s a lie because my baby sister got me some which are still unused because I want to wear all my old ones out first!

So, enjoy the photos and may I take this opportunity to thank all my readers around the globe for sticking with me for the past year. I hope everyone, no matter where you are or who you are with, enjoys their Christmas day and eats, drinks and enjoys themselves far too much. Merry Christmas to everyone!