Wednesday 29th May, 2013            1900

Whilst sitting watching a film last night I realised that due to the dragon boat festival holiday - one day made into three simultaneous days by working the two non-holidays at the weekend but the other day not being caught up - this morning was going to be the last time I ever stood before Joanna’s class in a lesson. The other two classes will have that pleasure next Thursday and Friday but the realisation smacked me bang on the nose.

These are the kids I have been with from day one for them - and for me as a teacher. Sure, they have another year as seniors but there will be no oral English lessons from now on for them. These are the students I demanded back this term because they mean so much to me and now it is over bar seeing and occasionally chatting with them singly on campus.

So I stayed up far longer than I wanted to, remembering them as bright eyed and bushy tailed freshmen, the laughs and tears, the frustrations and triumphs and the pride I have felt in being able to say they were “mine”. Yes, I was bloody miserable and  really wasn’t looking forward to this morning.

I had an activity for them prepared but I gave them the opportunity to decide what we did for the first half of the double period. I was astonished that they wanted to nonetheless partake in my lesson, with the proviso that photographs could be taken. Funnily enough, I had taken my camera with me specifically for that purpose and here are the pictures we took. Sadly three students (including Happy) were absent as they were away in Hefei sitting a BEC exam, but this is one of the three finest classes I have had the privilege to be associated with and I am proud to be able to say that every single one of them is my friend.

At the death I made a little speech and the boulder in my throat threatened to beat me but I saw it off. My final comment before I let them go - and I meant it - was “I hope you have enjoyed our time together and thank you all for being MY teachers”. By sheer coincidence fate has seen fit to make this blog entry number 622 - that was my HMS Conway number……….

Anyway. Less of the maudlin stuff. In the break Joanna gave me my snuff. Yes of course I have tried it! It seems an odd thing to do with tobacco but then if I think about it, burning and inhaling it is as well. I do believe it will help a lot more on a flight than patches and I may well persevere with it in case it reduces my cigar consumption. Even taking into account the need for extra tissues, seeing as they only cost threepence here for a packet, it would still save money.

Thursday 30th          2000

An utterly awful day, long, wet at the beginning and by my standards for this time of the year flaming cold at about twenty. I had thought I had seen the last of my jumpers until the autumn but not so.

As of this morning we foreigners now have our social security cards. None of us really know what they are except that we have been told the 25y a month deducted from our salaries is paid onto it along with a bigger contribution from the school. We are also supposed to be able to use the monies on it when buying medicines from a pharmacy - that is something I will test in a couple of weeks!

I am facing a busy weekend. Tomorrow night I will be going back to Pop’o’Fish with a group of students, there is the philately exhibition in our library which various students want me to go and see and for my last weekend this term at the little school I have been “blessed” with one lesson on Saturday and two on Sunday. The start of the holidays can’t come soon enough so I can rest and start getting things done that need doing. I want to try and find a few shirts big enough for me (no easy matter here) and locate a bag suitable for carrying my laptop plus a few other things to use as hand luggage on the flight. No way can I use my expensive leather job after three years of cats sharpening their claws on it, people will think I am homeless!