Friday 4th April, 2014                      1245

Again it has been a while and again I have been hectic, sadly not with such interesting things as to blog about!

This week saw all the 4 year courses shifted to another block to the “experimental” classrooms. They have all been newly kitted out with computers. Screens, moveable desks, whiteboards etc but I am not too keen on them. My writing on a blackboard is decent but give me a whiteboard and it goes to hell in a handbasket. Computers I never use either. The only good bit is that the floors are soft so when I have 6 lessons on the trot it will be easier on my feet. It makes me laugh though - they are so concerned about my health and me croaking it that they put all my classes on the 5th floor!

On Wednesday Yvonne and I went to the station to buy my bus ticket to Nanjing. I was pleasantly surprised to find it only cost 80y although it is to the “wrong” station. Joanna was hoping I would book for the south station (although both are fine for her to get to in order to meet me) because apparently that one is the biggest station in Asia and she wanted to show it to me. If I am still here in the summer on the next visit I will make sure I go there. Another bit of good news was that Joanna has booked me a hotel costing just 128y a night. It will be bog standard but will have aircon, TV, computer (not lugging my laptop) and free toiletries so it will do for me as long as it’s clean.

Thursday Kevin came and fitted door handles to my rooms. Prior to that I had hasps and sliding bolts, meaning that the rigmarole of keeping the cats out of forbidden territory involved slotting screwdrivers in the hasps every time I opened and closed a door. Three doors done now with round handles even Pooh can’t open make life so much easier!

Lately there has been a spate of tandems around campus and in the vicinity. For some reason there is a craze for students to go out in pairs now the weather is warmer. Of late we have had 20-23C so it has been most pleasant and
Is reported to be set similar for my break, fingers crossed.

After I bought my ticket Yvonne and I went shopping for animal meat but I also thought I would see if I could buy a summer jacket. I have two really warm ones for winter but only my “lucky” jacket for the in between temperatures. Fine around here but as it’s decidedly tatty after being scraped along a road three years ago I didn’t really want to wear it to Nanjing. Yvonne experienced first hand the tribulations of buying clothing in China when you are fat! I found some fleeces for only 69y and they also found one that fitted. The problem was that it was rather a bright blue colour and one I thought was far too young for me so I asked if I could have it in black. Mayo, came the reply, they didn’t have that colour in fat porker size. A garish green one also fitted, as did a drab brown one. Eventually, and because style and colour aren’t a luxury I have here - if it fits buy it! - I ended up with a purple one which has Kermit coloured lining. The words of my navigation teacher at HMS Conway immediately sprang to mind (completely un-PC now but not in the early 70s), “Purple is a poofs colour!” However at least I now have a lightweight jacket that is at least presentable.

So, my overnight bag is all but packed now, trousers pressed ready for the off in the morning. I have a novel to finish and a book of Telegraph cryptic crosswords to while away the journey (along with plenty of Jing Joh) and so I am afraid it will be some days until the next entry. I do hope though to include plenty of photographs next time.

And I am looking forward to perhaps getting some western food.