Saturday 8th December, 2012        1945

I certainly won’t be posting anything today but thought I may as well jot down a couple of things while I remember.

The campus supermarket ran out of my preferred pijou and have not restocked for two days, so as it was a lovely and sunny (albeit cold at 12C) day I decided to take Pepsi to the outside supermarket where I bought a case. On previous occasions I have taken her she has sat as good as gold on the bike and waited for me. This time, when I emerged she was gone. A group of Chinese were sitting on an outside table and knew I had arrived with a dog, so seeing me looking for her they indicated “she went that away”. I knew exactly where I would find her and did - sitting where she always does behind the parked e-bikes outside the sweet pork restaurant. Far from being annoyed I was pleased because it means if it happens again, and it will in the spring festival holiday when I have to use the shop regularly, I will know where to find her.

I stopped and had a swift one and aimlessly paced outside. A white Kia car arrived, dropped off a passenger and then turned around and left. You know those idiotic stickers/signs that drivers often put on their cars in the mistaken belief it will affect other motorists’ behaviour? The ones that say “Baby on Board”, “Princess on Board” etc? this one had the Chinese version:

                                           BABY ON ROAD

Unbelievable.

Happily after three days of not being to access civilised websites following a govt clampdown, this evening service has been restored after a fashion. I can now access UK TV in the times I don’t get booted off. That I can live with because being able to start a download is important , once it has commenced as long as my laptop stays on it will carry on. And as long as it stays connected for three minutes at a time I can also watch something I saved, in fact shortly I will watch a film even though I have been kicked off again.

Sunday 9th         1945

It was indeed a cold day but a nice bright one too. An hour and a half of teaching this afternoon was again a pleasure because the full time Chinese teachers whose classes they were, sat in on the lesson, meaning best behaviour. I may actually start looking forward to it!

Afterwards a quick trip to the bank and then on the spur of the moment I decided to go to the commercial centre to shop instead of Lottemart. I am glad I did because at last they had some bacon (guess what’s for dinner tomorrow?) and with only one pack in my freezer I thought I may be forced to buy online. It is most odd the way supermarkets here stock something, it sells well, they run out and nobody thinks “ooh, that’s a nice earner, we should order more”. Hence the absence of cat litter for over six months now.

On the way to town and along my shortcut bumpy track, there is a small clutch of houses. The one that is on the track rather than in a small cul de sac has been keeping a dog for about a year now. The poor thing is outside all the time and “lives” in an open, draughty lean-to , tethered by a rope no longer than four feet. I have occasional stopped when passing to say hello but it has been most unfriendly and I can’t say I blame it. Today though, when I passed in a hurry the dog did the usual thing of hurtling out of the “kennel” barking, only to be brought up short by the rope. I carried on and became aware of a noise behind me. I turned my head to see the dog, which had snapped its bonds, chasing after me. It followed all the way to the end of the track and then stopped. I smiled inwardly, hoping it would have the sense to use its new found freedom to get a decent life. Sadly, on my return it was back in place with a new piece of rope.

It was with astonishment today that I read of the panic setting in globally as the 21st December approaches. Underground shelters are selling like hot cakes in the US, candles are in short supply in Sichuan etc as people gear up for the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar. The Mayans on the other hand are rubbing their hands with glee because they anticipate their tourist numbers will double! Personally, even if I believed the apocalypse really was about to happen, I somehow doubt a shelter or a candle would save me. What I WOULD do is buy plenty of booze so when the time came I would neither care nor know about it!