Tuesday 19th February, 2013        2300

The body clock is still way out of synchronisation. I didn’t go to bed that late but found myself conscious at nearly midday! On switching my phone on I received a text from Kevin.

I was under the impression he was only landing in Guangzhou (Canton) today and had assumed he would at least stay the night there. Wrong. He landed in Anqing (about an hour away) this morning and was already in his flat downtown and asking what the snow was like on campus. Snow? What snow?? It was raining when I went to bed!

Sure enough, we had been snowed upon, although on the roads it was now slush. He was knocking on my door an hour later. I have to admit I have missed some English company. Of course he was a welcome visitor also because he brought my salt and pepper cellars, spare fuses (and some back-up fuse wire), another heavy duty garlic press, cheapie tin opener that won’t break like the expensive Chinese ones do plus a load of tomato puree. I know, puree sounds idiotic but it simply isn’t available here other than online.

By return I have lent him Skyfall and Bourne dvds and made him drive us to town for dinner. He hadn’t been to the all you can eat for 48y (with free beer) barbecue place so tonight was as good a chance as any to introduce him. He likes his grub and like most people ate twice what I did. Had he not needed to be back by 2130 for a Skype call with his father (Mum had a fall and is in hospital - they are both in their nineties) I would have made inroads into their profit margins by way of green bottles with fizzy stuff in them, as it was I only had time for three.  By way of repaying him for his troubles I picked up the tab. I have also - as he looks to be staying on campus rather than downtown because his electricity bill is huge - offered to cook that chicken stew at last!

Wednesday 20th        1815

A fine and bright day, if a tad on the chilly side. When I checked my provisions cupboard (a couple of carrier bags on the balcony) I found the only vegetable I had apart from spuds was one huge carrot! I must have used all the onions and mushrooms in the chilli. Well I had to go to the shop anyway so I also made a trip to the fish place where I bought garlic, onions and some rather odd looking mushrooms. Then I remembered I had something in my freezer that at times here can be rarer than the lesser spotted crested egret - frozen peas! I wonder if any comment will be passed later.

Goodness only knows how the stew will turn out, it is hard to know what to use when you haven’t got much in the way of spices and nothing at all in the herb department except mixed Italian ones. I have plumped for some chilli, two chicken stock cubes and salt and have my fingers crossed it will be all right on the night.

When I went out I noticed the campus supermarket was open, so enquired as to whether I could buy anything. No, they are only open for restocking, during winter and summer breaks they empty the place and put everything into a lock up. I did however discover why a few students have returned early. It is because they were unable to book train or bus tickets any later and their choice was a simple one between coming early or missing the start of term. My guess is that there will be a fair number who plump for the latter, and to be honest I can’t say I really blame them.

2200

The stew turned out ok - nothing to write home about but it filled holes. We ate in Kevin’s flat and he surprised me by having bought a couple of bottles of red, both now empty and I have left him alone in readiness for his dad calling him for their nightly chat.

The goose necks I cooked for the animals haven’t gone down well. It would appear in my absence Pepsi has had one but the cats turned their noses up. It is my experience that offering cats food they don’t like usually results in revenge on their part and tonight is no exception. I now have to go and sort out my bathroom because Pooh was undoubtedly the one who opened the door allowing the others to go and wreak havoc.