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!
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