Saturday 23rd February, 2013       2100

A busy day and not one helped by the cats breaking into a cupboard and cascading spice jars onto the floor in the small hours. Couple that with the dawn stampede and you get the picture that perhaps I woke up less than refreshed.

However although for the ride to town I did need my coat I certainly wouldn’t have if I was walking, it was a lovely day. My problem was that I couldn’t eat much at all at lunch because the frittata was still with me. I did enjoy my time with Crystal and Jim though, seeing as I won’t see either of them again for a while. He is taking driving lessons until going back to school in March, she is leaving for her school on Monday although as it is a year before she will go to America she did say perhaps we can do it again in the summer holidays.

It transpires her father is not the dean of the history department. He was a history teacher but is now head of the teaching dept - whatever that is. The best I could garner was that his dept oversees all the teachers but I am none the wiser. Mind you, in a place that has a foreign affairs dept with a staff of five to look after three foreigners it is not hard to be confused.

After lunch it was bank, chemist, supermarket. Then back home. I decided it would be too cold a ride home if I stayed downtown for dinner so I came back and then went out again by bus later. After meeting the childrens school owner and being taken to what admittedly was a very plush restaurant, he enquired about Kevin. When he discovered he was on campus he called and invited him to join us. Had he done so before I wouldn’t have needed the bus but at least it saved me the taxi fare back.

Even though I still wasn’t very hungry (egg seems to reside in the stomach an inordinately long time) I still enjoyed some of the dishes. My favourites were little triangular pastry/meat affairs and an aubergine dish which was quite different to anything I have tasted hitherto. The evening itself was most convivial especially as we four males comprised less than half our number and as usual there were gambays aplenty. I think only one of the Chinese teachers present - there were five new faces for me - had been at a previous gathering and there was much muttering in Chinese about my capacity for drinking Chinese water…..sorry, beer. The only male teacher, Rock, dubbed me the “Beerkiller” and I was surprised because he is a broth of a boy but he along with the others who were drinking any quantity succumbed to the tipsies in short order, I really thought perhaps he could hold more.

The owner as always got drunk quickly and the only one who has ever given a good showing, his wife, couldn’t because she is pregnant with their first (and presumably last) child. She stuck to water. But a nice evening as a precursor probably to next weekend when I may start there teaching again, this time it may be that for me the books are dispensed with and my classes (at my suggestion) will become activities instead. We shall see.

Students, although not exactly returning in droves - that will happen tomorrow and Monday - are trickling back and tomorrow the cafes will probably be open. I am undecided as to whether to go to town tomorrow or leave it until Monday. I really need to go and get some more cigars to last until Kevin’s place gets a delivery. I won’t fancy doing it once teaching starts.

There is now an hour until Wales and Italy kick off and I may last for that game but whether I can stay the course for England v France is debatable. I really would like to but I am fading rapidly in the west. For now though, here are some photos of the evening.