Valentines Day  2014                     1830

Well actually, here it is not Valentines Day but instead the lantern festival - here much later in the year they have what they call a Lovers Day, 11th November I think.

Yesterday wasn’t good for much with snow everywhere. Whilst the roads on campus were ok for cars an e-bike was an entirely different proposition. I really didn’t fancy chancing my arm with Pepsi aboard travelling to the outside supermarket but I did go to the campus shops to check if we had been paid at the cash point. We hadn’t and so seeing that as to my delight our own supermarket was open I withdrew most of the remaining cash in my account in England. My guess is that we will all be paid on Monday and I hope the foreign teachers are not the only ones putting in complaints about this unacceptable and cavalier attitude towards peoples’ money.

Anyway Kevin returned late yesterday afternoon bearing a couple of sachets of gravy for liver and bacon casserole, some Twinings teabags and a box of mixed herbs when I had requested mixed spice! I was not the only one glad to see him back, doubtless today when he went to the bank to sort out the 10,000 yuan someone put in his account by mistake a month ago they will be happy. Mind you, he seems to have profited 49y in the process even though he was ninety minutes in the bank.

Last night at about eight I heard yips and barks from our new family and looked out of the balcony window to see the shutter was once again pulled shut. I saw no sign of mum and assumed they were all shut in together and so left it until what has become the norm, Pepsi and my midnight stroll. Certainly mum was glad to see me to liberate her, for she immediately bolted around the corner to one of the two pups who had not only been excluded but is too small yet to even scale the steps down which he or she came to be outside in the first instance. The pup was soaking wet and freezing cold in the slush so immediately I took it inside where mum started licking it dry and offering her body warmth. I shudder to think what would have become of these little things had I not been here this holiday. One thing for sure though, mum and I are now best friends!

Today the snow on the roads has melted completely so I bussed downtown. It was fine outbound but all the buses going in the opposite direction were full of people standing. That meant a taxi home. The students are starting to return and in fact I noted something an hour ago that is typical of China - a girl locked out of her dormitory block standing with her suitcase and two others locked in and sending frantic texts for assistance.

In town I bought meat plus some veg for me to make a pork stew and then I went to the Lotus Branch for a pizza. I would have gone shopping at the commercial centre and eaten at the barbecue place so I could see Melinda but for the fact I wanted to be sure I could get liver for the animals and my best chance of that is Lottemart. Melinda is being rather coy about coming to lunch with me, saying she doesn’t want to until she passes CET4 as her English is not good. I am trying to get through to her that considering my job it might just be a good idea to spend some time with me to help her achieve that.

As for the water heating, it was a bucket job again today. Cinny contacted the vendor on Thursday evening and they are going to send someone to repair it (if they can) but said that as today is lantern festival they might not get anyone to come. As I had every intention of going to town today I indicated Saturday would be a good day. I hope they do indeed turn up.