Monday 22nd April, 2013        1240

As I promised myself, I did next to nothing on Saturday and even managed to grab an afternoon nap before I had to go and judge the speaking competition at seven. I was one of five judges, the others being two students, Cinny and a male teacher. As the sole native speaker I confess that these contests confound me. Every time I award high marks to someone they score badly and when I award terrible scores they end up in the top rankings! My consolation was that they did provide me with free cans of amber nectar.

Saturday was terrible. There was an APB out on the warm weather - utterly crazy when it can be 30C one day and 16C the next and of course when I left to go to town it was barely in double figures. I really wished I had put the down jacket on and taken my gloves. I did my solitary morning lesson, finished at ten and then went off for my four hour lunch break. I stopped at the bank to see Sonya but she wasn’t starting work until twelve, so as it was too early for lunch I went shopping first. KBW was a disappointment as they had no sweet pork and what I did choose wasn’t particularly enjoyable - I wished I had gone to KFC instead, which is saying something.

When I finished I returned to the bank and spent half an hour sitting at the counter chatting with Sonya but when I first went in I was surprised to see her wearing a face mask. Instantly my thoughts turned to the avian flu “scare” and asked her why she was wearing it. It wasn’t that, she had eaten some food that was too spicy and it had made her face “seriously ugly“, so she said. I asked her to show me and reluctantly she did. I ended up having to ask her exactly what the problem was because I couldn’t see anything wrong. Women!

When I got back the ham and mustard had arrived so you can guess what I will be having later! Better still, the shop included a price list which is written in both English and Chinese. To my delight they sell all kinds of meats - parma ham, prosciutto, beef mince etc and many types of sausages, including English butchers ones! They do other things as well but ham and bangers may see them getting repeat custom from me. I have even found a shop online that sells chicken pies and scotch eggs!

Last night I finally went for my free beers and pool with the teacher who owns the bar. I also visited Eeyore who has yet to catch a mouse (or at least if she has she hasn’t left any evidence) but is apparently doing the trick because they seem to have scampered frightened. She is not eating well but hopefully that is now solved. He was giving her fish but straight from a downstairs restaurant with sauce and vegetables all over it. He now knows plain boiled fish, liver, kidney etc will go down much better. I have also told him she is now his cat. In view of her impossible toilet habits I am glad to see the back of her and at least to somewhere where eventually he will learn how to feed her properly. He has already bought Whiskas biscuits so I think he will look after her.

1810

Well that was marvellous. When I finished typing the above I realised it was time to take Pepsi out before I went to afternoon classes. Despite it not being forecast until tomorrow it was raining and I had left the bike out in the open. I wasn’t happy at getting a wet backside when had I known it could have been prevented. So far it hasn’t stopped since and most of the time it has been heavy. After class I took her to the shops and while watering myself I realised that having donated the umbrella I kept under the saddle to a bereft student the last time it rained, I didn’t have one for myself. I bought yet another one for 21y (when I have plenty at home) knowing I would need it for the walk from cover to home after I parked up under shelter, but Sod’s law stated  that no sooner did I park than the rain eased off enough for it not to warrant breaking out the brolly!

My friend at the Hefei Hilton has confirmed he is coming on Saturday 4th May and has booked a room at the Phoenix Country Garden hotel, certainly one of our best here and on a par with his place - although I doubt very much the food will be. Not that it matters as we will take him to lunch, dinner and Sunday lunch while he is here. Trying to decide where to take him gave pause for thought but so far my idea has been the sweet pork place because he wants to see the school and it‘s close by, a prawn hotpot for dinner and then at Kevin’s suggestion Pop’o’Fish for Sunday lunch before he leaves. I will chat with Kevin about it because  my thoughts are for each of us (Kevin, Ollivier and I) to take a student - I hope to take Qing - so we will be a sizeable party and the last thing I want is my friend to think is that as we are in the sticks we can’t still enjoy a decent meal! Or three in this case……

The bread is baked, the ham is sitting enticingly looking at me when I open the fridge and I bought a nice firm tomato - ok so I had to go under the counter to pinch one that wasn’t all soggy. It must sound terrible that someone is looking forward to sandwiches for their main, and in my case only, meal of the day but truly I am. That ham had better be good!