Sunday 29th June, 2014 1930
Well this time I have just been either plain lazy or enjoying my holidays!
Wednesday was Joanna’s last time at school (and who knows, maybe the last time she will be in this city?) as she collected her paperwork for her degree and tidied her affairs. I couldn’t let it all come to an end without taking her for one last meal and so took her to the Lotus Branch. She could have ordered anything she wanted but she chose pizza. So did I because it has always been half-decent there.
Not this time.
It was horrible and I left half of mine. Thankfully she had also ordered some desserts for herself so at least she didn’t go hungry but it wasn’t the ending to her university life I had envisaged. We had gone early because her classmates were having an evening in KTV singing and croaking, so rather fortuitously Kevin came at 1930 on his way back to school and gave me a lift.
On Thursday I was really missing her and so turned to my other good friend Yvonne. Despite being in the midst of her exams she very kindly cheered me up by coming to the sweet pork place for dinner with me. She also came to town shopping on Friday. I promised I would buy her a late lunch/early dinner and she expressed a desire to go and try the pizza which I so disliked the night before. It transpired that she just fancied pizza so I took her to a place near McDonalds where I had one once before that was passable. It was edible but nowhere near so as on the previous occasion.
Once back on campus I collected Pepsi and went for a beer. At about 1845, and having thought all day it was Thursday, I looked at my phone and it told me it was in fact Friday. My brain went into overdrive. I was supposed to be doing something! At seven o’clock!
Then I remembered. Georgina, one of my ex students, had invited me for dinner in town. Panic. Not only was it impossible for me to be there on time but no way could I eat again, so knowing her phone number has changed I frantically looked in my phone for her new number - from which she had sent me texts.
Of course, a couple of days before my text repository had reached its limit and I had deleted the lot! I had no way of telling her. Praying that she would call me rather than simply getting the hump, I waited for that call. It came. I can’t recall ever having done that in my life and was mortally embarrassed. Happily she took it in good stride and I insisted that now I must take her for dinner and foot the bill. Having already committed to Saturday lunch with Kevin and his friend Cassandra, I asked if we could do it on Sunday but she was off to Hefei so it had to be Saturday. I can’t eat lunch and dinner the same day - no idea why but I haven’t had a big appetite for some years now. I had no choice though if I was to redeem myself and so on Saturday I was a busy chap indeed.
I went for lunch as planned at the BBQ restaurant in town, ate sparsely but then I wasn’t that hungry anyway. Came home tired and went to bed, hoping to get some stomach space before seven. Yvonne had declined my invitation due to revising her history so I took one of her classmates Kate instead. The three of us went to the Sichuan restaurant for me to make amends. Unbelievably, as big as the place is, we had to wait for a table, that’s how busy they were. However it was a good evening, neither of the two girls had been there before and they enjoyed all the food with the (unusual) exception of the pickled cucumber in soy sauce that I particularly like. I escaped with a bill for 200y and in return have some photos from Georgina’s camera (I forgot to take mine) which is an expensive piece of kit. Sadly I can't upload them to the blog as they were in a strange format for me, for which I had to download software to even open the file.
I am now turning my attention to my finances and what I want to do over the holidays. I am having a week away at the end of June (there will be no blog then) and I also want to go to see Air in Huainan in the north of the province, possibly also Yvonne in Anqing for a couple of days plus maybe a couple of days in Shanghai to see Joanna. Flights to the latter seem to have skyrocketed since I went in 2011 so I am investigating the trains. The outbound one (there is only one a day either way) is fine, leaving in the morning and arriving late afternoon but the return leaves at 2330 and arrives at 0700. I could book a sleeper but I will also get someone to check out the buses.
For now though, there is a pig heart boiling for the brood, following which I will make myself a nice salad with bologna, cheese, egg and the like. I just don’t know whether to have salad cream, picallili or Branston though. A pork pie would be perfect.
Monday, 23 June 2014
Monday 23rd June, 2014 1300
Yes it has been a while but since my last writings I have either been really busy or too tired to come here.
So, Wednesday I checked out the e-cars. When I asked the price in the showroom I nearly fell over when the salesman said they were 21,800y. Pointing to the two secondhand ones outside I enquired as to their prices. Except they weren’t used vehicles, just dirty from having sat outside for weeks. That was the end of that idea, or so I thought.
Kevin found some cheaper ones online - the ones I was looking at had music systems and all sorts. Online there are some for 7,000y but looking deeper into the translation from Chinese it seems for that price you only get a range of 20 miles, not enough to even let me do a round trip to town. To increase to a respectable range you need to specify a “package” depending on how many batteries you want installed so very quickly the price enters five figure territory. I have now almost abandoned any thoughts of buying one (and finding a used one has so far proved impossible) and will probably now either keep my current bike or part exchange for a new one later in summer. While I was in town on that trip I had both tyres and brakes renewed which was pleasantly cheap though at 220y.
On Friday I finished examining the last halves of my final three classes, finished at five o’clock and therein started my 82 day summer holiday. That’s it now until September 10th. Having told my student Ellen (the only one who was staying here the whole time and was willing to live with me) she had got the “job” she then asked if her classmate could stay too because she gets frightened alone. I readily agreed, I already have a camp bed for her and Kevin is lending me his spare one.
However the classmate was vacillating over whether or not to do it.
Saturday and Sunday I rode to town to shop and eat, both times dining in style at McDonalds. There are currently three options for getting a glass (I now have eleven!!) - big mac meal or one of the two “specials”. I’m not sure what one of them is but it looks like hamburger topped with frankfurters and it’s quite spicy and the other one is a most odd combination of chicken burger with a prawn burger. On the last three occasions I have been there I have asked for the strange one but every time I am told “mayo” - either it’s hugely popular or nobody is buying it, more than likely the latter.
Last night when I was having a quiet pijou in my “office” Yvonne happened by, accompanied by her classmate Holly. It turns out Holly is staying during the holidays also and from what I have been told by my students, this year only a select few (probably the juniors and all mine are sophomores) are being allowed to remain as the school says it’s not safe for them. Something to do with the government inspections I suspect. She was trying to find a place to rent with her boyfriend for the duration but here the landlords are only interested in long term tenants and not short term lets. She was in a bind, could she stay? I think my spare room might just squeeze three camp beds with an inch between them (and no, I won’t swap rooms as my bedroom has the aircon) so I agreed to help her out. Ellen is happy as she doesn’t have to cajole anyone into staying so everything is (hopefully) set for me to come and go at will, although Pepsi will not be amused at being put in prison so many times. Were she a normal mutt I could get the girls to take her for walks but I just know she will simply cower under the bed and refuse to move for anyone other than me.
Speaking of walking the dog, last night at around eleven I took her out into the warm for her stretch. We had almost completed the circuit and as so often happens the Mum dog that had the puppies in block two came out to greet me. Pepsi then started barking at a shirtless man walking our way. I didn’t see who it was at first as he was in shadow, the street lights in our section having only ever worked for a few days.
Now ever since The Great Escape and not being entirely sure it wasn’t my fault for not ensuring my door was properly closed, I have taken particular care when leaving for the nightly stroll.
As the man approached I saw it was Ollivier. I thought it strange that he was out at that time half naked but he told me my cat had escaped again. Immediately I replied by saying I was sure I closed the door properly but he said yes you did, I heard your cat opening it after you left! And yes, just as last time, (Tigger wisely decided not to go with him on this occasion) Pooh had gone downstairs and taken fright - in the process disturbing our entire section with his howls. Ollivier had managed to shoo him upstairs again and shut him in. so now, because of an extraordinarily resourceful feline, whenever we go for walkies I have to lock the door and carry my keys. He’s a little sod.
The DVD player in this laptop stopped working some time ago and finally Kevin came last night to take a look at it. He removed it, cleaned it up and tried it with no success and so took it away again. This morning he brought the one from his laptop, put it in mine and it worked, so we know the drive is kaput. He has now ordered a new one from Taobao for 90y (£9) so in a couple of days I should be able to watch DVDs again - handy at the moment as due to the world cup there isn’t much on offer from the BBC.
I can’t be bothered to go downtown today to eat, nor can I summon enthusiasm to cook here even though I bought a sirloin steak I could have with a jacket potato. Instead, the plan is to feast on French baguette with cheese and some good, thick celery accompanied by the recommended monthly allowance of salt!
Yes it has been a while but since my last writings I have either been really busy or too tired to come here.
So, Wednesday I checked out the e-cars. When I asked the price in the showroom I nearly fell over when the salesman said they were 21,800y. Pointing to the two secondhand ones outside I enquired as to their prices. Except they weren’t used vehicles, just dirty from having sat outside for weeks. That was the end of that idea, or so I thought.
Kevin found some cheaper ones online - the ones I was looking at had music systems and all sorts. Online there are some for 7,000y but looking deeper into the translation from Chinese it seems for that price you only get a range of 20 miles, not enough to even let me do a round trip to town. To increase to a respectable range you need to specify a “package” depending on how many batteries you want installed so very quickly the price enters five figure territory. I have now almost abandoned any thoughts of buying one (and finding a used one has so far proved impossible) and will probably now either keep my current bike or part exchange for a new one later in summer. While I was in town on that trip I had both tyres and brakes renewed which was pleasantly cheap though at 220y.
On Friday I finished examining the last halves of my final three classes, finished at five o’clock and therein started my 82 day summer holiday. That’s it now until September 10th. Having told my student Ellen (the only one who was staying here the whole time and was willing to live with me) she had got the “job” she then asked if her classmate could stay too because she gets frightened alone. I readily agreed, I already have a camp bed for her and Kevin is lending me his spare one.
However the classmate was vacillating over whether or not to do it.
Saturday and Sunday I rode to town to shop and eat, both times dining in style at McDonalds. There are currently three options for getting a glass (I now have eleven!!) - big mac meal or one of the two “specials”. I’m not sure what one of them is but it looks like hamburger topped with frankfurters and it’s quite spicy and the other one is a most odd combination of chicken burger with a prawn burger. On the last three occasions I have been there I have asked for the strange one but every time I am told “mayo” - either it’s hugely popular or nobody is buying it, more than likely the latter.
Last night when I was having a quiet pijou in my “office” Yvonne happened by, accompanied by her classmate Holly. It turns out Holly is staying during the holidays also and from what I have been told by my students, this year only a select few (probably the juniors and all mine are sophomores) are being allowed to remain as the school says it’s not safe for them. Something to do with the government inspections I suspect. She was trying to find a place to rent with her boyfriend for the duration but here the landlords are only interested in long term tenants and not short term lets. She was in a bind, could she stay? I think my spare room might just squeeze three camp beds with an inch between them (and no, I won’t swap rooms as my bedroom has the aircon) so I agreed to help her out. Ellen is happy as she doesn’t have to cajole anyone into staying so everything is (hopefully) set for me to come and go at will, although Pepsi will not be amused at being put in prison so many times. Were she a normal mutt I could get the girls to take her for walks but I just know she will simply cower under the bed and refuse to move for anyone other than me.
Speaking of walking the dog, last night at around eleven I took her out into the warm for her stretch. We had almost completed the circuit and as so often happens the Mum dog that had the puppies in block two came out to greet me. Pepsi then started barking at a shirtless man walking our way. I didn’t see who it was at first as he was in shadow, the street lights in our section having only ever worked for a few days.
Now ever since The Great Escape and not being entirely sure it wasn’t my fault for not ensuring my door was properly closed, I have taken particular care when leaving for the nightly stroll.
As the man approached I saw it was Ollivier. I thought it strange that he was out at that time half naked but he told me my cat had escaped again. Immediately I replied by saying I was sure I closed the door properly but he said yes you did, I heard your cat opening it after you left! And yes, just as last time, (Tigger wisely decided not to go with him on this occasion) Pooh had gone downstairs and taken fright - in the process disturbing our entire section with his howls. Ollivier had managed to shoo him upstairs again and shut him in. so now, because of an extraordinarily resourceful feline, whenever we go for walkies I have to lock the door and carry my keys. He’s a little sod.
The DVD player in this laptop stopped working some time ago and finally Kevin came last night to take a look at it. He removed it, cleaned it up and tried it with no success and so took it away again. This morning he brought the one from his laptop, put it in mine and it worked, so we know the drive is kaput. He has now ordered a new one from Taobao for 90y (£9) so in a couple of days I should be able to watch DVDs again - handy at the moment as due to the world cup there isn’t much on offer from the BBC.
I can’t be bothered to go downtown today to eat, nor can I summon enthusiasm to cook here even though I bought a sirloin steak I could have with a jacket potato. Instead, the plan is to feast on French baguette with cheese and some good, thick celery accompanied by the recommended monthly allowance of salt!
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Monday 16th June, 2014 1330
Despite protestations from Kevin and a cunning plan by yours truly involving pointing out that if we signed the contracts we had already been given and Kevin’s assistant took them to the FAO, hence making it easier for her, it was an early start this morning. We were due to meet the FAO at 0810 - a time lately I have not been conscious for. It was only after I made the suggestion that it dawned on me we only had the English version and of course the contract is in both languages. Anyway, we have to sign three copies so that was the end of that idea.
I arrived exactly on time, Kevin came late, arriving 10 yards behind the FAO and her child who were also late. Typical. The FAO was at pains to point out she doesn’t start work until nine. Sadly her English is extremely limited or I would have pointed out that had she had some gumption this could have been done last week and anyway she set the time and not us but she wouldn’t have understood so I contented myself with retorting that on Mondays I don’t start until 1020. However, the worry is now lifted and unless anything catastrophic happens, that’s it for another - possibly final - year here.
The South Korean teacher Park is leaving on Wednesday. Considering the current contract ends 30th June it is early by any standards but apparently that’s the arrangement with the opposite school in Korea. Ollivier opined that it was wrong that the school wasn’t going to take her to Hefei airport (3 hours drive from here) and that her plane was at 1130 Wednesday morning. He said it meant he would have to drive there and back. The school only ever picks foreign teachers up from the airport if it’s their first time (after that you are on your own) and they never take you when you leave. I suggested that she should do what I would, which is take the bus on Tuesday, book a hotel in Hefei for the night and then go to the airport in the morning. Lord knows she has saved enough money, it’s not as if she spends that much - although it would seem she does like the odd can of beer with the students she invites to her home for dinner. Somehow I think Olllivier will be missing in action on Wednesday.
This week is the start of my final working week for this academic year. Thankfully this morning was just a film and this afternoon just twelve students left in the class to test so not too arduous.
Tuesday 2000
Well Park actually left at lunchtime today, presumably doing what I said I would do. At least that way she gets a relaxing night in an hotel and in the morning will be within strike distance of the airport. Fair play to her, she made a point of coming and saying goodbye to Kevin and me and as it happens, in a way I will miss her next year.
This afternoon I swear I encountered a case of “ringing” in my exam. I have no proof of course and it could be just a misunderstanding due to language barriers plus, without my demanding ID cards every time there is no way I can remember two hundred students names (or even faces) over a three week exam period. Definitely food for thought and which next year I will ensure doesn’t happen. If indeed it did this time.
Yvonne, who was coming this Friday to stay until Tuesday is now not doing so. Instead she wants to come in early July but for five nights so I shall settle for that. This afternoon I also found a student who is staying the entire holiday here so unless I can find another it looks like she will be my lodger, cleaner and cat sitter for the duration.
As for the shall I/shan’t I new bike situation, Kevin threw a spanner in the works this evening. He told me of a street I am unfamiliar with where there are loads of bike shops and some of them sell e-cars along with little e-vans and suchlike. I have no idea what they cost but I will certainly find out. I could keep the bike for the summer but have a car for cold ands rainy days. No heater mind, but no icy wind either and from what I have read they are as fast as my bike and will travel 160km instead of sixty on a single charge. One of those would open up a whole new world of possibilities. I may well go to check the street out tomorrow if I am not as tired as I was today.
Despite protestations from Kevin and a cunning plan by yours truly involving pointing out that if we signed the contracts we had already been given and Kevin’s assistant took them to the FAO, hence making it easier for her, it was an early start this morning. We were due to meet the FAO at 0810 - a time lately I have not been conscious for. It was only after I made the suggestion that it dawned on me we only had the English version and of course the contract is in both languages. Anyway, we have to sign three copies so that was the end of that idea.
I arrived exactly on time, Kevin came late, arriving 10 yards behind the FAO and her child who were also late. Typical. The FAO was at pains to point out she doesn’t start work until nine. Sadly her English is extremely limited or I would have pointed out that had she had some gumption this could have been done last week and anyway she set the time and not us but she wouldn’t have understood so I contented myself with retorting that on Mondays I don’t start until 1020. However, the worry is now lifted and unless anything catastrophic happens, that’s it for another - possibly final - year here.
The South Korean teacher Park is leaving on Wednesday. Considering the current contract ends 30th June it is early by any standards but apparently that’s the arrangement with the opposite school in Korea. Ollivier opined that it was wrong that the school wasn’t going to take her to Hefei airport (3 hours drive from here) and that her plane was at 1130 Wednesday morning. He said it meant he would have to drive there and back. The school only ever picks foreign teachers up from the airport if it’s their first time (after that you are on your own) and they never take you when you leave. I suggested that she should do what I would, which is take the bus on Tuesday, book a hotel in Hefei for the night and then go to the airport in the morning. Lord knows she has saved enough money, it’s not as if she spends that much - although it would seem she does like the odd can of beer with the students she invites to her home for dinner. Somehow I think Olllivier will be missing in action on Wednesday.
This week is the start of my final working week for this academic year. Thankfully this morning was just a film and this afternoon just twelve students left in the class to test so not too arduous.
Tuesday 2000
Well Park actually left at lunchtime today, presumably doing what I said I would do. At least that way she gets a relaxing night in an hotel and in the morning will be within strike distance of the airport. Fair play to her, she made a point of coming and saying goodbye to Kevin and me and as it happens, in a way I will miss her next year.
This afternoon I swear I encountered a case of “ringing” in my exam. I have no proof of course and it could be just a misunderstanding due to language barriers plus, without my demanding ID cards every time there is no way I can remember two hundred students names (or even faces) over a three week exam period. Definitely food for thought and which next year I will ensure doesn’t happen. If indeed it did this time.
Yvonne, who was coming this Friday to stay until Tuesday is now not doing so. Instead she wants to come in early July but for five nights so I shall settle for that. This afternoon I also found a student who is staying the entire holiday here so unless I can find another it looks like she will be my lodger, cleaner and cat sitter for the duration.
As for the shall I/shan’t I new bike situation, Kevin threw a spanner in the works this evening. He told me of a street I am unfamiliar with where there are loads of bike shops and some of them sell e-cars along with little e-vans and suchlike. I have no idea what they cost but I will certainly find out. I could keep the bike for the summer but have a car for cold ands rainy days. No heater mind, but no icy wind either and from what I have read they are as fast as my bike and will travel 160km instead of sixty on a single charge. One of those would open up a whole new world of possibilities. I may well go to check the street out tomorrow if I am not as tired as I was today.
Sunday, 15 June 2014
Sunday 15th June, 2014 1310
Not long after I posted the last entry I took Pepsi out for her walk. It is a little earlier on Thursday nights by virtue of the early start I have on Fridays. When we were approaching our building on the way back I could hear a Godawful commotion coming from within.
On the outside steps leading up to the entrance stood quite a large Chinaman holding a bouquet of flowers but it wasn’t him making the racket. It was cats but it was too loud to have been emanating from my home. Thinking we had been invaded by the feral variety - which Pepsi would have immediately set about chasing - and guessing (probably correctly) that the Chinese fellow was too scared to actually go in so as to present his flowers to the lucky lady, I strode boldly in.
The caterwauling was a veritable cacophony and imagine my astonishment at seeing Tigger and Pooh on the ground floor in separate corners wailing, spitting and hissing like never before. Emboldened by my apparent display of courage, the Chinaman had entered behind me and gabbled something when I spoke to the cats. I picked Tigger up and went upstairs wondering how the hell they had got out. On the second floor it was obvious - the door was open! I never lock it when it’s walkies time at night and my heart sank, thinking I had been burgled. No time to check, just put Tigger in, shut the door and then go and get Pooh who was still creating merry hell downstairs. When I got back up Kevin was coming down, having got out of bed and dressed to investigate the unholy commotion. “Are you killing them?” he enquired. I explained what had transpired and he went back upstairs. I hadn’t been burgled. After thinking for a while about the cause of this security breach I have three possibilities:
1. Someone opened the door out of badness - not likely
2. I didn’t shut the door properly when I left - possible
3. Pooh did his party piece and swung on the handle to open it - highly probable
There has been no recurrence as yet so it may well be that they don’t want to recreate the Great Escape again simply because once out of sight of home they were gripped by blind panic.
On Friday Mulan invited me to go to dinner. I guessed (rightly) it was to get me to reinforce my offer to help her recruit and make the odd guest appearance at the summer school she is going to open. I think I have discussed her before here, both parents abandoned her and her brother, she was a chemistry major but changed after one term to English and ended up as Kevin’s student although she still attends my classes voluntarily.
So after a long day of testing her and her friend (who it turned out was the chap I briefly met when she bought a secondhand e-bike from his shop) and another of Kevin’s students, Sally, came to pick me up in his ageing and rickety minibus. It also turned out that he was paying so although he is forty I suspect an involvement is developing there. I had to pick the restaurant so I suggested the Sichuan place. None of them knew of it but they loved the place and the food. Being Friday night it was busy and noisy and so rather than sit at one of my usual tables the girls asked for somewhere quieter, which ended up being in the raised area at the back.
The restaurant has two covered areas, that one and another at a lower level to one side of the airy central area. Above the central area is a ballustraded second floor which sports rooms for private parties.
About an hour after we arrived and had almost finished dinner, there was an almighty crashing and smashing in the central area. People at the tables concerned leapt to their feet, including one woman who had a newborn in her arms. At first we assumed a chandelier or a glass ceiling panel had fallen from on high but later enquiries by Mulan elicited the fact a fight had erupted in one of the private rooms. Quite what had rained on the diners below I know not but whatever it was was in a thousand pieces. What I do know though is that had I been on one of the tables there would have very shortly been bodies flying over the railings!
Yesterday I rode to town. Given that this may well be my final year here I am undecided as to whether or not to buy a new bike as usual or just retain the old one. Regardless of what I decide the current one needs new tyres and brakes so I thought I may as well get that done. On arriving at the repair shop I was confused. It was locked up. It’s always open! I went to the showroom some distance away and asked what had happened. They showed me the new place. So I went there. It’s half the size, there were only two people working, neither of whom I recognised and there were loads of people waiting. Sod that, I will go when it’s quieter midweek.
We haven’t signed new contracts yet, although we have been summoned to do so at 0810 tomorrow. As usual the FAO has left everything to the last minute and she has to get everything to the police station tomorrow. Not unexpected but eminently preventable had last Monday’s signing not been cancelled. We could have signed then and as a contract is not binding until both parties sign they could have simply held them until the medical results were in. But no, that would be forward thinking - not an option where the FAO is concerned.
What has now surprised both Kevin and me is to now learn that Ollivier did in fact sign his as scheduled on Monday but singularly failed to tell us. Not that it makes a great deal of difference but that knowledge would have told us that although the medical exam was not a prerequisite, it was that the school were expecting the old farts to fail it. Well we didn’t.
Next week is again solid exams but come Friday night I am on holiday until sometime in September, although it is shaping up to be a busy holiday period for me at least.
Not long after I posted the last entry I took Pepsi out for her walk. It is a little earlier on Thursday nights by virtue of the early start I have on Fridays. When we were approaching our building on the way back I could hear a Godawful commotion coming from within.
On the outside steps leading up to the entrance stood quite a large Chinaman holding a bouquet of flowers but it wasn’t him making the racket. It was cats but it was too loud to have been emanating from my home. Thinking we had been invaded by the feral variety - which Pepsi would have immediately set about chasing - and guessing (probably correctly) that the Chinese fellow was too scared to actually go in so as to present his flowers to the lucky lady, I strode boldly in.
The caterwauling was a veritable cacophony and imagine my astonishment at seeing Tigger and Pooh on the ground floor in separate corners wailing, spitting and hissing like never before. Emboldened by my apparent display of courage, the Chinaman had entered behind me and gabbled something when I spoke to the cats. I picked Tigger up and went upstairs wondering how the hell they had got out. On the second floor it was obvious - the door was open! I never lock it when it’s walkies time at night and my heart sank, thinking I had been burgled. No time to check, just put Tigger in, shut the door and then go and get Pooh who was still creating merry hell downstairs. When I got back up Kevin was coming down, having got out of bed and dressed to investigate the unholy commotion. “Are you killing them?” he enquired. I explained what had transpired and he went back upstairs. I hadn’t been burgled. After thinking for a while about the cause of this security breach I have three possibilities:
1. Someone opened the door out of badness - not likely
2. I didn’t shut the door properly when I left - possible
3. Pooh did his party piece and swung on the handle to open it - highly probable
There has been no recurrence as yet so it may well be that they don’t want to recreate the Great Escape again simply because once out of sight of home they were gripped by blind panic.
On Friday Mulan invited me to go to dinner. I guessed (rightly) it was to get me to reinforce my offer to help her recruit and make the odd guest appearance at the summer school she is going to open. I think I have discussed her before here, both parents abandoned her and her brother, she was a chemistry major but changed after one term to English and ended up as Kevin’s student although she still attends my classes voluntarily.
So after a long day of testing her and her friend (who it turned out was the chap I briefly met when she bought a secondhand e-bike from his shop) and another of Kevin’s students, Sally, came to pick me up in his ageing and rickety minibus. It also turned out that he was paying so although he is forty I suspect an involvement is developing there. I had to pick the restaurant so I suggested the Sichuan place. None of them knew of it but they loved the place and the food. Being Friday night it was busy and noisy and so rather than sit at one of my usual tables the girls asked for somewhere quieter, which ended up being in the raised area at the back.
The restaurant has two covered areas, that one and another at a lower level to one side of the airy central area. Above the central area is a ballustraded second floor which sports rooms for private parties.
About an hour after we arrived and had almost finished dinner, there was an almighty crashing and smashing in the central area. People at the tables concerned leapt to their feet, including one woman who had a newborn in her arms. At first we assumed a chandelier or a glass ceiling panel had fallen from on high but later enquiries by Mulan elicited the fact a fight had erupted in one of the private rooms. Quite what had rained on the diners below I know not but whatever it was was in a thousand pieces. What I do know though is that had I been on one of the tables there would have very shortly been bodies flying over the railings!
Yesterday I rode to town. Given that this may well be my final year here I am undecided as to whether or not to buy a new bike as usual or just retain the old one. Regardless of what I decide the current one needs new tyres and brakes so I thought I may as well get that done. On arriving at the repair shop I was confused. It was locked up. It’s always open! I went to the showroom some distance away and asked what had happened. They showed me the new place. So I went there. It’s half the size, there were only two people working, neither of whom I recognised and there were loads of people waiting. Sod that, I will go when it’s quieter midweek.
We haven’t signed new contracts yet, although we have been summoned to do so at 0810 tomorrow. As usual the FAO has left everything to the last minute and she has to get everything to the police station tomorrow. Not unexpected but eminently preventable had last Monday’s signing not been cancelled. We could have signed then and as a contract is not binding until both parties sign they could have simply held them until the medical results were in. But no, that would be forward thinking - not an option where the FAO is concerned.
What has now surprised both Kevin and me is to now learn that Ollivier did in fact sign his as scheduled on Monday but singularly failed to tell us. Not that it makes a great deal of difference but that knowledge would have told us that although the medical exam was not a prerequisite, it was that the school were expecting the old farts to fail it. Well we didn’t.
Next week is again solid exams but come Friday night I am on holiday until sometime in September, although it is shaping up to be a busy holiday period for me at least.
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Thursday 12th June, 2014 1930
Well that was a day from hell.
Of necessity this blog is of a medical flavour as you shall see.
Today as advertised, it was the laowei medical pre-contract signing medical day. Accordingly one of us fasted for the required time, one left it a little late and the other decided to have breakfast before leaving. Ollivier, Me and Kevin in that order.
Arriving at the hospital at 0830 we spent forever getting the paperwork to give over for each test and then another aeon waiting to actually pay for them before anything was actually done. Instead of the 400y Ollivier told me his last one cost, it was in fact 675y - not a bad way to liberate some cash from the medical card but the problem is I have already submitted 400y on my expenses in anticipation. Bloody continentals.
Nearly three hours after waking we finally had some blood drawn. None of your private consultation room here - oh no, queue up at one of six windows and when it is your turn sit there, stick your arm through an opening and they do it with everyone watching. It was tempting to cry out in fake agony just to put the jitters up those waiting behind me.
Then it was time to pee into a small cup with a spout for pouring into a phial. My phial was broken so after obtaining a new one I went to have a tinkle. The available toilet cubicles either had human detritus scattered about or were glaring at me full of what looked like droppings worthy of a Friesian cow so I used the cleaning cupboard. Sadly the cup was of insufficient size to contain my own effluent so at least the cleaner was given a little employment.
Off we went for the ultrasound, the one where they tell all foreigners they have a fatty liver (except Kevin but then he IS scrawny). This is where it became really infuriating. Now bear in mind we had Coco translating throughout, nobody had told us what order in which to do the tests. Consequently the ultrasound people complained they needed full bladders to get a better picture. After we had emptied them. We were told to complete the other tests, go for lunch, drink and return. Bloody marvellous.
Next was the chest x-ray. None of us have any problems except me. They very helpfully pointed out that I had had an accident because the eagle-eyed operative had spotted on the image half the Eiffel Tower embedded in my shoulder. I couldn’t resist pointing out that it was in that very hospital they had inserted the ironmongery.
And next was the ECG. I wasn’t particularly concerned about this because I knew I was keeping my BP under good control but when we were given the printouts Coco told me I had a slight problem but she couldn’t translate it into English. Shit! Bearing in mind the one thing that got me sacked last year was concerns about my heart, of course it troubled me greatly and I desperately wanted to know what the hell was wrong. If you want to see a doctor after you finish you can discuss it was what they said. I entered the slough of despond, thinking where the hell am I going to get a decent job at this late stage now all the universities have hired next year’s foreign teachers. My mood was sombre but we went to McDonalds to eat (and collect more glasses) where I had to stand Kevin a Big Mac meal because once again we weren’t paid on time. Just us again mind, Cinny told me she has been paid so is working on it and hopefully we will get it tomorrow. I thought all this had been sorted months ago.
Anyway, eventually Coco used her phone translator to tell me the problem. Tachycardia. I am embarrassed to admit that although I watch Casualty I confused that with arrythmia, which it isn’t, it is simply a pulse over one hundred and mine at that time was 103. Well to be honest it has been like that for years ever since I was changed from beta blockers to ace inhibitors. It was still worrying though because I knew the powers at the uni would seize upon it. There are medicines to sort it and naturally I wanted to do whatever is necessary.
We then went shopping while Kevin (who was on his bike) buggered off back to the hospital. Shopping with Ollivier and co is not a brief experience and I spent enough time in the underground car park to have smoked three cigars instead of the one I did. Kevin was getting tetchy because we weren’t at the hospital and he was needing the loo quite badly. The next text from him was to say that the ultrasound dept was closed from 1200-1400 for lunch. It’s only a hospital, after all!
Suddenly there was no rush so I suggested we find a place to have a pee and fill up again on beer - after all, even at this time of night it is still thirty degrees. We did and Kevin got the hump because he had thought I was joking and he was at the hospital and didn’t even have enough money for a bottle of water. When he realised I wasn’t joking and I told him to meet up with us he asked us how to find the place it was easy. I just told him head towards the commercial centre and when you see an accident and a fight you will find us.
Shortly after we had arrived a scrap had broken out between two men with a woman trying to stop it. The scenario involves divorce, a shop that owes the ex money and the ex deciding in lieu of cash to take their entire stock of cigarettes. Even the adults here don’t know how to punch and the fight was no different to the one I saw the other day, with the exception that there was no kicking. Still the crowd of bystanders of course and at one point the protagonists plus referee spilled onto the road, causing one car to brake sharply and another to run into the back of it. Chaos ensued and it was all great entertainment. Kevin found us easily. Police were summoned, the two men taken away and after the old bill had left various women carried on the kerfuffle.
Back at the place for sick people we had our second ultrasound tests and we were all told we had good bodies (mine certainly has been, given all the abuse it has had over the years and not just from me) and then it was over. Except I really wanted to see a cardiologist. If the tachycardia was to be held against me, I wanted to be able to say I was now taking medicine to slow my heartbeat. Kevin cluttered off, the blood in his urine having been attributed to a bad cough he has at present and we saw a chap who is one of the doctors Kevin sometimes teaches after hours. He never spoke any English to me, preferring instead to speak Chinese to Coco, but I told her not to give him the “book” the college will get. She did, much to my disgust. He listened to my heart and asked did it hurt. No!!! Bloody hell if it did they would have seen me long ago! Then the inevitable happened. I became the only one to have their blood pressure tested, hence my not wanting him to write it in the book.
Having just spent the last eight hours faffing about there or elsewhere, four of them fretting about my “small problem”, I thought my pressure would be up with the Gods. Even after all that had happened the reading was still only 120/70. Perfick as Del Boy would have said. At that point I demanded he DID put it in the book! Proof positive of what I told the school last year. Yes!
So tonight Prof Fang has all our reports and hopefully I will get the go-ahead to sign next year’s contract tomorrow. At least she now has something to show to the upper echelons proving that my BP is not a problem and a specialist she can call about the heart rate for confirmation if they doubt.
I just want to get the damned contract signed.
Well that was a day from hell.
Of necessity this blog is of a medical flavour as you shall see.
Today as advertised, it was the laowei medical pre-contract signing medical day. Accordingly one of us fasted for the required time, one left it a little late and the other decided to have breakfast before leaving. Ollivier, Me and Kevin in that order.
Arriving at the hospital at 0830 we spent forever getting the paperwork to give over for each test and then another aeon waiting to actually pay for them before anything was actually done. Instead of the 400y Ollivier told me his last one cost, it was in fact 675y - not a bad way to liberate some cash from the medical card but the problem is I have already submitted 400y on my expenses in anticipation. Bloody continentals.
Nearly three hours after waking we finally had some blood drawn. None of your private consultation room here - oh no, queue up at one of six windows and when it is your turn sit there, stick your arm through an opening and they do it with everyone watching. It was tempting to cry out in fake agony just to put the jitters up those waiting behind me.
Then it was time to pee into a small cup with a spout for pouring into a phial. My phial was broken so after obtaining a new one I went to have a tinkle. The available toilet cubicles either had human detritus scattered about or were glaring at me full of what looked like droppings worthy of a Friesian cow so I used the cleaning cupboard. Sadly the cup was of insufficient size to contain my own effluent so at least the cleaner was given a little employment.
Off we went for the ultrasound, the one where they tell all foreigners they have a fatty liver (except Kevin but then he IS scrawny). This is where it became really infuriating. Now bear in mind we had Coco translating throughout, nobody had told us what order in which to do the tests. Consequently the ultrasound people complained they needed full bladders to get a better picture. After we had emptied them. We were told to complete the other tests, go for lunch, drink and return. Bloody marvellous.
Next was the chest x-ray. None of us have any problems except me. They very helpfully pointed out that I had had an accident because the eagle-eyed operative had spotted on the image half the Eiffel Tower embedded in my shoulder. I couldn’t resist pointing out that it was in that very hospital they had inserted the ironmongery.
And next was the ECG. I wasn’t particularly concerned about this because I knew I was keeping my BP under good control but when we were given the printouts Coco told me I had a slight problem but she couldn’t translate it into English. Shit! Bearing in mind the one thing that got me sacked last year was concerns about my heart, of course it troubled me greatly and I desperately wanted to know what the hell was wrong. If you want to see a doctor after you finish you can discuss it was what they said. I entered the slough of despond, thinking where the hell am I going to get a decent job at this late stage now all the universities have hired next year’s foreign teachers. My mood was sombre but we went to McDonalds to eat (and collect more glasses) where I had to stand Kevin a Big Mac meal because once again we weren’t paid on time. Just us again mind, Cinny told me she has been paid so is working on it and hopefully we will get it tomorrow. I thought all this had been sorted months ago.
Anyway, eventually Coco used her phone translator to tell me the problem. Tachycardia. I am embarrassed to admit that although I watch Casualty I confused that with arrythmia, which it isn’t, it is simply a pulse over one hundred and mine at that time was 103. Well to be honest it has been like that for years ever since I was changed from beta blockers to ace inhibitors. It was still worrying though because I knew the powers at the uni would seize upon it. There are medicines to sort it and naturally I wanted to do whatever is necessary.
We then went shopping while Kevin (who was on his bike) buggered off back to the hospital. Shopping with Ollivier and co is not a brief experience and I spent enough time in the underground car park to have smoked three cigars instead of the one I did. Kevin was getting tetchy because we weren’t at the hospital and he was needing the loo quite badly. The next text from him was to say that the ultrasound dept was closed from 1200-1400 for lunch. It’s only a hospital, after all!
Suddenly there was no rush so I suggested we find a place to have a pee and fill up again on beer - after all, even at this time of night it is still thirty degrees. We did and Kevin got the hump because he had thought I was joking and he was at the hospital and didn’t even have enough money for a bottle of water. When he realised I wasn’t joking and I told him to meet up with us he asked us how to find the place it was easy. I just told him head towards the commercial centre and when you see an accident and a fight you will find us.
Shortly after we had arrived a scrap had broken out between two men with a woman trying to stop it. The scenario involves divorce, a shop that owes the ex money and the ex deciding in lieu of cash to take their entire stock of cigarettes. Even the adults here don’t know how to punch and the fight was no different to the one I saw the other day, with the exception that there was no kicking. Still the crowd of bystanders of course and at one point the protagonists plus referee spilled onto the road, causing one car to brake sharply and another to run into the back of it. Chaos ensued and it was all great entertainment. Kevin found us easily. Police were summoned, the two men taken away and after the old bill had left various women carried on the kerfuffle.
Back at the place for sick people we had our second ultrasound tests and we were all told we had good bodies (mine certainly has been, given all the abuse it has had over the years and not just from me) and then it was over. Except I really wanted to see a cardiologist. If the tachycardia was to be held against me, I wanted to be able to say I was now taking medicine to slow my heartbeat. Kevin cluttered off, the blood in his urine having been attributed to a bad cough he has at present and we saw a chap who is one of the doctors Kevin sometimes teaches after hours. He never spoke any English to me, preferring instead to speak Chinese to Coco, but I told her not to give him the “book” the college will get. She did, much to my disgust. He listened to my heart and asked did it hurt. No!!! Bloody hell if it did they would have seen me long ago! Then the inevitable happened. I became the only one to have their blood pressure tested, hence my not wanting him to write it in the book.
Having just spent the last eight hours faffing about there or elsewhere, four of them fretting about my “small problem”, I thought my pressure would be up with the Gods. Even after all that had happened the reading was still only 120/70. Perfick as Del Boy would have said. At that point I demanded he DID put it in the book! Proof positive of what I told the school last year. Yes!
So tonight Prof Fang has all our reports and hopefully I will get the go-ahead to sign next year’s contract tomorrow. At least she now has something to show to the upper echelons proving that my BP is not a problem and a specialist she can call about the heart rate for confirmation if they doubt.
I just want to get the damned contract signed.
Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Wednesday 11th June, 2014 1200
For dinner on Sunday evening I had a supermarket pizza. During my first spring festival here, forewarned by a horror story from Kevin who was unaware of the shutdown in his first year wherein he survived for three days on coffee and apples because it was all he had, I crammed my smallish freezer with frozen spaghetti meals and pizza slices so as to be ready for a siege. I ended up giving the pizza slices away later (and they weren’t cheap) because regardless of what toppings they had they all tasted vile. I still have no idea what the “special” ingredient is that renders them completely inedible and so since then I have shunned them. The other day however, I saw a different brand and decided to give them a go.
It didn’t taste bad (although it wasn’t by any standards a decent pizza, the crust was too thick and crunchy) and it filled a hole. Later when I was walking Pepsi I had a coughing fit and ended up throwing up. It is over a decade since that happened and that was due to something my GP treated. Mystified by the cause (I still am) I wondered if the pizza was the culprit or possibly the coughing. I quickly dismissed these notions because even had it been off I had cooked it hot and long enough to kill any germs and anyway food poisoning takes longer than an hour after ingestion to manifest itself. In any event I had felt slightly queasy from before dinner. I then later developed the inevitable looseness at the other end of my body and had an uncomfortable night. All day Monday I felt nauseous, not to mention spending plenty of “quality time” in the bathroom! Thank God I managed to last out my classes because there is no way on the planet that I could use the school squat loos.
Virtually all gone now and just in time for tomorrow’s medical, upon which I am guessing hinges all our continued employment. I think I can confidently say that I am the only one who is a little nervous because I am the one they think will shuffle off this coil at any moment due to my having a rather common condition among middle-aged western men - hypertension. So, as I said I would do the other day, I dug out my sphygmomanometer and have since been checking my blood pressure at various times, both immediately before and after taking medicines and at various other times. Unless my monitor is wildly inaccurate, for a fat bugger fast approaching sixty I have the BP of an Olympic athlete - in fact this morning after my usual “cocktail” it was inordinately low although I would never have known but for the machine. I sincerely hope that is the case tomorrow morning and that I don’t for the first time develop white coat syndrome. I never have but there could be a lot riding on this so one never knows. As Prof Fang wants to see our reports before the foreign affairs office gets them I really want it to prove to her that what I told her last year about it being perfect and then she can relay that information to the axemen. Lucy was here as I typed this and I tested her for a comparison. She is slim, young and fit and returned a similar reading so I reckon it might be accurate.
Eventually the missing dog food was “found” although Yvonne is convinced the receivers had to order a replacement because the docket on the box was addressed neither to me nor her, in four months when I need another 40kgs of litter it will be interesting to see if they are still willing to deliver it to my door…….
Fingers crossed, I have now partially solved my cat sitting problem occasioned by Yvonne’s change of plans but Flora (and possibly one of her room mates) can only stay for July. In early August they will both go on a four week course in Hefei where they will study for the exam which will enable them to do a further two years at school, thus upgrading a diploma to a bachelor’s degree - they are 3 year students and only 4 or 5 years sees a BA at the end. The hunt is now on for a student who is staying in August or who is willing (for a consideration and travel expenses) to perhaps return when I go to summer camp in the middle of August. If I can’t then it will present a logistical problem of shifting the zoo which I would far rather not confront. I can leave the cats for three days but baulk at the thought of four.
On Tuesday I was sitting outside the sweet pork place having a cold bottle in the glorious warmth when I saw a first. My first real fight in China.
Two young lads, presumably students at our place, had a very public argument which escalated into violence. This started about fifteen feet from me. The problem was, neither of them knew how to throw a punch! Instead there was slapping, kneeing, kicking and hair pulling galore. The commotion of course caused all passers by to stop and observe, along with all the shop and restaurant owners (including a bank security guard!) who came outside to stand and watch the spectacle. I’m pretty sure the spat was about money rather than being over a girl and one of them (the one I think who was owed the money) was ever so slightly besting the other.
This was all good, clean family fun until the slightly better of the two decided to pick up a brick. At this point I seriously considered getting off my backside to go and suggest the brick be dropped but then noticed that everyone else, in typical Chinese fashion, was completely unconcerned so I stayed put, resolving that if the kid actually tried to use said brick then I would simply have to do something rather than idly allowing it to continue. In the event it was simply used as a threat and after some time they parted company, at which point the presumed debtor went into the bank to get some money with which I assume to repay the lender later whilst the lender (with only one button left on his shirt) departed in the opposite direction with some friends of his who had appeared from nowhere. Show over, I returned to campus.
Never a dull moment!
For dinner on Sunday evening I had a supermarket pizza. During my first spring festival here, forewarned by a horror story from Kevin who was unaware of the shutdown in his first year wherein he survived for three days on coffee and apples because it was all he had, I crammed my smallish freezer with frozen spaghetti meals and pizza slices so as to be ready for a siege. I ended up giving the pizza slices away later (and they weren’t cheap) because regardless of what toppings they had they all tasted vile. I still have no idea what the “special” ingredient is that renders them completely inedible and so since then I have shunned them. The other day however, I saw a different brand and decided to give them a go.
It didn’t taste bad (although it wasn’t by any standards a decent pizza, the crust was too thick and crunchy) and it filled a hole. Later when I was walking Pepsi I had a coughing fit and ended up throwing up. It is over a decade since that happened and that was due to something my GP treated. Mystified by the cause (I still am) I wondered if the pizza was the culprit or possibly the coughing. I quickly dismissed these notions because even had it been off I had cooked it hot and long enough to kill any germs and anyway food poisoning takes longer than an hour after ingestion to manifest itself. In any event I had felt slightly queasy from before dinner. I then later developed the inevitable looseness at the other end of my body and had an uncomfortable night. All day Monday I felt nauseous, not to mention spending plenty of “quality time” in the bathroom! Thank God I managed to last out my classes because there is no way on the planet that I could use the school squat loos.
Virtually all gone now and just in time for tomorrow’s medical, upon which I am guessing hinges all our continued employment. I think I can confidently say that I am the only one who is a little nervous because I am the one they think will shuffle off this coil at any moment due to my having a rather common condition among middle-aged western men - hypertension. So, as I said I would do the other day, I dug out my sphygmomanometer and have since been checking my blood pressure at various times, both immediately before and after taking medicines and at various other times. Unless my monitor is wildly inaccurate, for a fat bugger fast approaching sixty I have the BP of an Olympic athlete - in fact this morning after my usual “cocktail” it was inordinately low although I would never have known but for the machine. I sincerely hope that is the case tomorrow morning and that I don’t for the first time develop white coat syndrome. I never have but there could be a lot riding on this so one never knows. As Prof Fang wants to see our reports before the foreign affairs office gets them I really want it to prove to her that what I told her last year about it being perfect and then she can relay that information to the axemen. Lucy was here as I typed this and I tested her for a comparison. She is slim, young and fit and returned a similar reading so I reckon it might be accurate.
Eventually the missing dog food was “found” although Yvonne is convinced the receivers had to order a replacement because the docket on the box was addressed neither to me nor her, in four months when I need another 40kgs of litter it will be interesting to see if they are still willing to deliver it to my door…….
Fingers crossed, I have now partially solved my cat sitting problem occasioned by Yvonne’s change of plans but Flora (and possibly one of her room mates) can only stay for July. In early August they will both go on a four week course in Hefei where they will study for the exam which will enable them to do a further two years at school, thus upgrading a diploma to a bachelor’s degree - they are 3 year students and only 4 or 5 years sees a BA at the end. The hunt is now on for a student who is staying in August or who is willing (for a consideration and travel expenses) to perhaps return when I go to summer camp in the middle of August. If I can’t then it will present a logistical problem of shifting the zoo which I would far rather not confront. I can leave the cats for three days but baulk at the thought of four.
On Tuesday I was sitting outside the sweet pork place having a cold bottle in the glorious warmth when I saw a first. My first real fight in China.
Two young lads, presumably students at our place, had a very public argument which escalated into violence. This started about fifteen feet from me. The problem was, neither of them knew how to throw a punch! Instead there was slapping, kneeing, kicking and hair pulling galore. The commotion of course caused all passers by to stop and observe, along with all the shop and restaurant owners (including a bank security guard!) who came outside to stand and watch the spectacle. I’m pretty sure the spat was about money rather than being over a girl and one of them (the one I think who was owed the money) was ever so slightly besting the other.
This was all good, clean family fun until the slightly better of the two decided to pick up a brick. At this point I seriously considered getting off my backside to go and suggest the brick be dropped but then noticed that everyone else, in typical Chinese fashion, was completely unconcerned so I stayed put, resolving that if the kid actually tried to use said brick then I would simply have to do something rather than idly allowing it to continue. In the event it was simply used as a threat and after some time they parted company, at which point the presumed debtor went into the bank to get some money with which I assume to repay the lender later whilst the lender (with only one button left on his shirt) departed in the opposite direction with some friends of his who had appeared from nowhere. Show over, I returned to campus.
Never a dull moment!
Sunday, 8 June 2014
Sunday 8th June, 2014 1315
It is now confirmed that three of the four foreigners have another year. Park was only ever staying one year as a South Korean school has an arrangement with the university apparently and I assume she was only on loan. We weren’t officially advised though, however on Thursday I was asked if I was free to go and sign contracts Friday afternoon. No I wasn’t, because I teach all Friday afternoon, also Kevin, so it was rescheduled to tomorrow.
Then the FAO realised we hadn’t been for a medical. Obviously we have to pass that in order to remain. Could we do it Monday? Kevin could, I can’t due to classes and Ollivier will be travelling back from collecting his wife and eldest child (they have now played “pass the offspring” and are swapping with the grandparents). We are all going together on Thursday morning now. However tomorrow we all need to submit our passports and foreign expert certificates to be sent for residence permit and FEC renewals. At least it hasn’t been left to eight hours before we became illegal immigrants like last year. Now I really MUST dig out my wrist monitor and make sure I am controlling my blood pressure well!
On Thursday I took Yvonne to a barbecue restaurant, having been informed by her that she can’t stay here for the summer vacation as she has taken a part time job working for a relative in her hometown of Anqing. That rather put a spoke in my plans for any travelling. Whilst it is a simple case of taking Pepsi to the vet when I go away, there is no way I can transport three fat cats on the bike - nor do I have a cage big enough to hold them all. In fact they have all outgrown the cage I do have so even one would be cramped. She will however come and stay for a long weekend after her exams are finished.
Yesterday afternoon though I hopefully solved the problem. Flora (another of my students who has featured elsewhere in this blog when I took her to the now-defunct Japanese restaurant) seemed delighted when I told her if she wanted, once Yvonne had gone home she could move in and stay all holiday. My plan is to go away for a week in late July.
Yesterday the kid’s school owner asked me by text if I had any plans. I responded by saying “plenty” which I do. There is the real estate company nearby I have agreed to visit four times, Helen will probably want me twice for a weekend morning (plus free lunch for me afterwards) and hopefully the mountain charity school will call on me twice as they have done in previous years - the latter I will invite Flora to, as indeed I may ask her to the estate agents. It depends on what hours she will work downtown herself. I also told him I didn’t want to do summer school this year and waited for a response.
Surprisingly I did not receive a phone call telling me how much he needed me, which was a great relief - maybe he now realises what I have been trying to tell him is true, he doesn‘t need me except for organised outings as a token laowei. It also now leads me to tell him later that I don’t want to teach there any more. Instead he has invited me to come to a summer camp for four days and play games with the kids. They are going to a scenic spot near Hubei province to the west of here and I will find out more later. I have however informed him that I am not sleeping in a tent! I will find a nearby hotel with air-conditioning and internet instead.
Once the rain disappeared it has been consistently in the low thirties which is lovely although it does present me with a bit of a quandary. During the next fortnight I will be doing the exams. Four of my six classes were moved to the new rooms which have aircon but I won’t do the one to one tests with the rest of the class present. The question is: do I make the students wait outside while I do the tests in the cool or do I take two chairs outside and do them alfresco while the students keep cool?
1400
I have now found out more about the summer camp. It is being done in conjunction with a company which provides transport, accommodation (not tents, presumably a hostel for the kids and a hotel/motel for the adults) and this is where it is:
http://english.anhuinews.com/system/2014/04/24/006406071.shtml
It looks lovely. It also looks as if I am still going to have a very busy “holiday” despite my wanting a quiet one.
It is now confirmed that three of the four foreigners have another year. Park was only ever staying one year as a South Korean school has an arrangement with the university apparently and I assume she was only on loan. We weren’t officially advised though, however on Thursday I was asked if I was free to go and sign contracts Friday afternoon. No I wasn’t, because I teach all Friday afternoon, also Kevin, so it was rescheduled to tomorrow.
Then the FAO realised we hadn’t been for a medical. Obviously we have to pass that in order to remain. Could we do it Monday? Kevin could, I can’t due to classes and Ollivier will be travelling back from collecting his wife and eldest child (they have now played “pass the offspring” and are swapping with the grandparents). We are all going together on Thursday morning now. However tomorrow we all need to submit our passports and foreign expert certificates to be sent for residence permit and FEC renewals. At least it hasn’t been left to eight hours before we became illegal immigrants like last year. Now I really MUST dig out my wrist monitor and make sure I am controlling my blood pressure well!
On Thursday I took Yvonne to a barbecue restaurant, having been informed by her that she can’t stay here for the summer vacation as she has taken a part time job working for a relative in her hometown of Anqing. That rather put a spoke in my plans for any travelling. Whilst it is a simple case of taking Pepsi to the vet when I go away, there is no way I can transport three fat cats on the bike - nor do I have a cage big enough to hold them all. In fact they have all outgrown the cage I do have so even one would be cramped. She will however come and stay for a long weekend after her exams are finished.
Yesterday afternoon though I hopefully solved the problem. Flora (another of my students who has featured elsewhere in this blog when I took her to the now-defunct Japanese restaurant) seemed delighted when I told her if she wanted, once Yvonne had gone home she could move in and stay all holiday. My plan is to go away for a week in late July.
Yesterday the kid’s school owner asked me by text if I had any plans. I responded by saying “plenty” which I do. There is the real estate company nearby I have agreed to visit four times, Helen will probably want me twice for a weekend morning (plus free lunch for me afterwards) and hopefully the mountain charity school will call on me twice as they have done in previous years - the latter I will invite Flora to, as indeed I may ask her to the estate agents. It depends on what hours she will work downtown herself. I also told him I didn’t want to do summer school this year and waited for a response.
Surprisingly I did not receive a phone call telling me how much he needed me, which was a great relief - maybe he now realises what I have been trying to tell him is true, he doesn‘t need me except for organised outings as a token laowei. It also now leads me to tell him later that I don’t want to teach there any more. Instead he has invited me to come to a summer camp for four days and play games with the kids. They are going to a scenic spot near Hubei province to the west of here and I will find out more later. I have however informed him that I am not sleeping in a tent! I will find a nearby hotel with air-conditioning and internet instead.
Once the rain disappeared it has been consistently in the low thirties which is lovely although it does present me with a bit of a quandary. During the next fortnight I will be doing the exams. Four of my six classes were moved to the new rooms which have aircon but I won’t do the one to one tests with the rest of the class present. The question is: do I make the students wait outside while I do the tests in the cool or do I take two chairs outside and do them alfresco while the students keep cool?
1400
I have now found out more about the summer camp. It is being done in conjunction with a company which provides transport, accommodation (not tents, presumably a hostel for the kids and a hotel/motel for the adults) and this is where it is:
http://english.anhuinews.com/system/2014/04/24/006406071.shtml
It looks lovely. It also looks as if I am still going to have a very busy “holiday” despite my wanting a quiet one.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Wednesday 4th June, 2014 2000
An important anniversary in China but not one most people here are aware of!
No, Monday I was my usual lazy self and did as little as possible.
Tuesday saw me start the exams for the second of my large classes, following that it was time to nip home, take Pepsi out for a short time then return home to start doing my bit for our western evening.
As I rode up the ramp to the entrance of the shopping area I was struck by the fact that there seemed to be very few e-bikes parked there when usually it is rammed with them. Unusually two of the security guards were also standing there. Clearing the top of the ramp, it was apparent that there were no e-bikes or bicycles at all parked there. Undaunted, I parked up next to the security guards, let Pepsi off and gave a grin and a thumbs up to the guards. I also gestured to the uncluttered space and using body language ascertained the space was being cleaned.
I went and bought a bottle of wine for the dinner, put it in the bike and grabbed a cold beer. When I got to one of the outside picnic tables with benches I noticed something further. For months they have been abysmally filthy - so much so that you were loathe to lean your arms on them - but someone had given them a good scrubbing. Hallelujah! I thought as I opened my beer.
Then it dawned on me. This week is the first government inspection! All this was being done for that. I watched as e-bikes and bicycles were sent away by the guards and even cars weren’t allowed to park on the road outside. There was just one bike in the prohibited area - mine! I think they should have an inspection every week.
Once home I set to work on my part of the meal. it wasn’t too hard and I managed to cook early for the animals while I was at it. I knew there was no way I would want to cook for them after dinner. Ollivier inveigled his student Annie into making the batter (and had to nip to the shops to buy more eggs, he used 32 eggs yesterday!) and I duly set about preparing the Toad, spuds and onion gravy (home made but cheating with Bisto).
The other students invited were Ida (with Kevin) and Yvonne. I had given Ollivier a tin of luncheon meat and a block of smoked cheese to put with his salad. Now the salad was supposed to be an entrée but with the amount he made we could all have just eaten that and been full! He now has plenty of it in his fridge for later consumption. I in turn introduced the students to that most quintessential of English salad accompaniments, Heinz salad cream, which was well received.
To my relief the toad in the hole turned out just fine (had it been awful Ollivier was going to get the blame) with the exception of the sausages. I only had them delivered on Monday but compared to the last two consignments they weren’t up to much. Very disappointing and why the butcher cannot maintain consistency I have no idea. The mustard mash was liked by all except me and the students also had their first ever Heinz baked beans.
Desserts were Ollivier’s “biscuits” which are more like bits of bread with nuts and fruit in it (again I don’t like them but the students do and he always makes plenty so they can take some home to share with their roommates) and mousse au chocolat. That wasn’t to his usual high standard for two reasons. He left it too late for it to set properly in the fridge and also he used both dark and white chocolate, the latter not setting at all.
All in all though, the evening was a success regardless of the minor problems.
Today Lucy came to clean and aside from popping out with the dog for campus shopping and a couple of bottles I have done little other than my laundry. Tomorrow I will go with Ollivier shopping and force another big Mac down me to get a glass, hopefully I can get one I don’t already have!
An important anniversary in China but not one most people here are aware of!
No, Monday I was my usual lazy self and did as little as possible.
Tuesday saw me start the exams for the second of my large classes, following that it was time to nip home, take Pepsi out for a short time then return home to start doing my bit for our western evening.
As I rode up the ramp to the entrance of the shopping area I was struck by the fact that there seemed to be very few e-bikes parked there when usually it is rammed with them. Unusually two of the security guards were also standing there. Clearing the top of the ramp, it was apparent that there were no e-bikes or bicycles at all parked there. Undaunted, I parked up next to the security guards, let Pepsi off and gave a grin and a thumbs up to the guards. I also gestured to the uncluttered space and using body language ascertained the space was being cleaned.
I went and bought a bottle of wine for the dinner, put it in the bike and grabbed a cold beer. When I got to one of the outside picnic tables with benches I noticed something further. For months they have been abysmally filthy - so much so that you were loathe to lean your arms on them - but someone had given them a good scrubbing. Hallelujah! I thought as I opened my beer.
Then it dawned on me. This week is the first government inspection! All this was being done for that. I watched as e-bikes and bicycles were sent away by the guards and even cars weren’t allowed to park on the road outside. There was just one bike in the prohibited area - mine! I think they should have an inspection every week.
Once home I set to work on my part of the meal. it wasn’t too hard and I managed to cook early for the animals while I was at it. I knew there was no way I would want to cook for them after dinner. Ollivier inveigled his student Annie into making the batter (and had to nip to the shops to buy more eggs, he used 32 eggs yesterday!) and I duly set about preparing the Toad, spuds and onion gravy (home made but cheating with Bisto).
The other students invited were Ida (with Kevin) and Yvonne. I had given Ollivier a tin of luncheon meat and a block of smoked cheese to put with his salad. Now the salad was supposed to be an entrée but with the amount he made we could all have just eaten that and been full! He now has plenty of it in his fridge for later consumption. I in turn introduced the students to that most quintessential of English salad accompaniments, Heinz salad cream, which was well received.
To my relief the toad in the hole turned out just fine (had it been awful Ollivier was going to get the blame) with the exception of the sausages. I only had them delivered on Monday but compared to the last two consignments they weren’t up to much. Very disappointing and why the butcher cannot maintain consistency I have no idea. The mustard mash was liked by all except me and the students also had their first ever Heinz baked beans.
Desserts were Ollivier’s “biscuits” which are more like bits of bread with nuts and fruit in it (again I don’t like them but the students do and he always makes plenty so they can take some home to share with their roommates) and mousse au chocolat. That wasn’t to his usual high standard for two reasons. He left it too late for it to set properly in the fridge and also he used both dark and white chocolate, the latter not setting at all.
All in all though, the evening was a success regardless of the minor problems.
Today Lucy came to clean and aside from popping out with the dog for campus shopping and a couple of bottles I have done little other than my laundry. Tomorrow I will go with Ollivier shopping and force another big Mac down me to get a glass, hopefully I can get one I don’t already have!
Monday, 2 June 2014
Sunday 1st June, 2014 Dragon Boat Day 2300
Events once again conspired against my blogging plans. Friday of course was too busy a day and I made the mistake of asking Ollivier if we could go early enough to do the shopping so we could try the McDonald’s breakfast yesterday. We did and I wished I hadn’t bothered.
Firstly I was absolutely knackered but buoyed by the thought of a bacon and egg McMuffin, my mood was light. Now once before I arrived at McD theoretically in time to have breakfast but on that occasion when I asked I was told breakfast had finished. On enquiring what time breakfast stopped I was told ten o’clock. Showing my (accurate) watch to the manager indicating there were still fifteen minutes to go simply elicited an apologetic shrug of the shoulders.
This time though we were in plenty of time. There was a choice of bacon and egg wrap and the bacon and egg McMuffin. I thought I would try both. Sorry. No McMuffins - we haven’t got the bread. Marvellous. Ok, I’ll take two wraps. I wished I hadn’t. It was a Chinese wrap full of herbs and not all of them I liked.
Anyway we went to the supermarket where I wanted to buy a camp bed and cloth wardrobe. I am absolutely delighted that this summer I will have a house guest in the shape of Yvonne. Not so delighted at finally having to try and sort out all the junk that has been shoved in the second bedroom since the beginning of December. If it weren’t for the cats I could store it on top of the cabinets in the living room but the cats would make mincemeat of anything up there.
So after giving Yvonne the choice by text of a soft or hard camp bed she said soft. I bought it and only later noticed her text amending it to hard. Too late. It’s not that soft anyway and the hard one was akin to a folding plank. It is going to be nice to have a bit of company - and someone I really get on with (she has the same temperament as Kiki) - here for the duration. It also of course will give me the impetus to cook for us. When you are alone you often can’t be bothered but of course I want to show her western food and she wants to experience “many delicious foods“.
Unbelievably, after we finished shopping Ollivier said he wanted to go back to McDonald’s for a big Mac meal to get another glass! TWO HOURS after having breakfast!!! Fine, we are collecting the free Coca Cola glasses but hell’s bells! And yes, I had one too but gave him the fries. I now have six glasses but only three styles - there are six. God only knows why I am doing it because I will only give them away but one of the girls in there is particularly luscious……
Last night there was an impending storm. The cover went on the bike and all was well when Pepsi went for her midnight walk, no umbrella required. Halfway around the circuit though I came across a young lady sitting on a bench. She was impeccably dressed but had a handbag plus two other bags at her feet. At 2330 and with her being alone something was not right. I asked her if she had run away from home and she said she had. Further probing revealed she had quarrelled with her boyfriend and walked out. Armed by this time with a spare bed (albeit a spare room full of clutter) I asked her where she was going to sleep. She didn’t know. I did the chivalrous thing and offered here somewhere to lay her head but she said it was still early. I asked if she thought her boyfriend would come after her and she said yes. Fine, said I, but insisted she take my phone number in case she was stuck. No call received so I can only assume they kissed and made up.
This morning it belted down, complete with lightning and thunder. I got up and put my laptop on. Shortly after ten all power and internet disappeared. Now storms here are synonymous with power cuts so I just thought “how long before they fix it?” Some time later Kevin sent a text asking if I had lost internet. Thinking he had lost his marbles because when the power goes so does the internet, I replied of course, there’s a blackout. It wasn’t long before he came to my flat to inform me that he still had power! Down we went to investigate the breaker boxes outside. Why the hell they put them outside is beyond me because the doors on them blow around in the breeze and this was in fact what had happened. The main breaker for my side of our section had become soaked by the deluge and tripped out. My side also powers the internet router for all of our part of the block. Resetting it didn’t work, as soon as Kevin did it tripped again. Great.
Ninety minutes later and after securing the offending door on the box with a length of a weed stem, Kevin was able to restore supply. The door has now been given some wire with which to keep it permanently secured until the next problem.
At two Yvonne came as arranged to help me try to clear the spare room. Having moved some of the stuff in the gloom previously I was at a loss as to where to put the rest so instead we just chatted a while and I said I would fix it before she wanted to move in in about three weeks. She will just have to put up with some of it being in the room because I am running out of cat-proof space now.
Tonight I took her for dinner, her choice was the barbecue restaurant. At times like that I bemoan the fact I can’t eat much - no way do I ever get my money’s worth but she put plenty away.
Tomorrow is supposed to be nice so the bike is charging. I may just go and get another Coke glass and do a spot of shopping or alternatively I may just do very little. The choice is mine seeing as it’s a holiday.
Events once again conspired against my blogging plans. Friday of course was too busy a day and I made the mistake of asking Ollivier if we could go early enough to do the shopping so we could try the McDonald’s breakfast yesterday. We did and I wished I hadn’t bothered.
Firstly I was absolutely knackered but buoyed by the thought of a bacon and egg McMuffin, my mood was light. Now once before I arrived at McD theoretically in time to have breakfast but on that occasion when I asked I was told breakfast had finished. On enquiring what time breakfast stopped I was told ten o’clock. Showing my (accurate) watch to the manager indicating there were still fifteen minutes to go simply elicited an apologetic shrug of the shoulders.
This time though we were in plenty of time. There was a choice of bacon and egg wrap and the bacon and egg McMuffin. I thought I would try both. Sorry. No McMuffins - we haven’t got the bread. Marvellous. Ok, I’ll take two wraps. I wished I hadn’t. It was a Chinese wrap full of herbs and not all of them I liked.
Anyway we went to the supermarket where I wanted to buy a camp bed and cloth wardrobe. I am absolutely delighted that this summer I will have a house guest in the shape of Yvonne. Not so delighted at finally having to try and sort out all the junk that has been shoved in the second bedroom since the beginning of December. If it weren’t for the cats I could store it on top of the cabinets in the living room but the cats would make mincemeat of anything up there.
So after giving Yvonne the choice by text of a soft or hard camp bed she said soft. I bought it and only later noticed her text amending it to hard. Too late. It’s not that soft anyway and the hard one was akin to a folding plank. It is going to be nice to have a bit of company - and someone I really get on with (she has the same temperament as Kiki) - here for the duration. It also of course will give me the impetus to cook for us. When you are alone you often can’t be bothered but of course I want to show her western food and she wants to experience “many delicious foods“.
Unbelievably, after we finished shopping Ollivier said he wanted to go back to McDonald’s for a big Mac meal to get another glass! TWO HOURS after having breakfast!!! Fine, we are collecting the free Coca Cola glasses but hell’s bells! And yes, I had one too but gave him the fries. I now have six glasses but only three styles - there are six. God only knows why I am doing it because I will only give them away but one of the girls in there is particularly luscious……
Last night there was an impending storm. The cover went on the bike and all was well when Pepsi went for her midnight walk, no umbrella required. Halfway around the circuit though I came across a young lady sitting on a bench. She was impeccably dressed but had a handbag plus two other bags at her feet. At 2330 and with her being alone something was not right. I asked her if she had run away from home and she said she had. Further probing revealed she had quarrelled with her boyfriend and walked out. Armed by this time with a spare bed (albeit a spare room full of clutter) I asked her where she was going to sleep. She didn’t know. I did the chivalrous thing and offered here somewhere to lay her head but she said it was still early. I asked if she thought her boyfriend would come after her and she said yes. Fine, said I, but insisted she take my phone number in case she was stuck. No call received so I can only assume they kissed and made up.
This morning it belted down, complete with lightning and thunder. I got up and put my laptop on. Shortly after ten all power and internet disappeared. Now storms here are synonymous with power cuts so I just thought “how long before they fix it?” Some time later Kevin sent a text asking if I had lost internet. Thinking he had lost his marbles because when the power goes so does the internet, I replied of course, there’s a blackout. It wasn’t long before he came to my flat to inform me that he still had power! Down we went to investigate the breaker boxes outside. Why the hell they put them outside is beyond me because the doors on them blow around in the breeze and this was in fact what had happened. The main breaker for my side of our section had become soaked by the deluge and tripped out. My side also powers the internet router for all of our part of the block. Resetting it didn’t work, as soon as Kevin did it tripped again. Great.
Ninety minutes later and after securing the offending door on the box with a length of a weed stem, Kevin was able to restore supply. The door has now been given some wire with which to keep it permanently secured until the next problem.
At two Yvonne came as arranged to help me try to clear the spare room. Having moved some of the stuff in the gloom previously I was at a loss as to where to put the rest so instead we just chatted a while and I said I would fix it before she wanted to move in in about three weeks. She will just have to put up with some of it being in the room because I am running out of cat-proof space now.
Tonight I took her for dinner, her choice was the barbecue restaurant. At times like that I bemoan the fact I can’t eat much - no way do I ever get my money’s worth but she put plenty away.
Tomorrow is supposed to be nice so the bike is charging. I may just go and get another Coke glass and do a spot of shopping or alternatively I may just do very little. The choice is mine seeing as it’s a holiday.