Thursday 10th July, 2014              1500

Well not long after I posted the last entry Jeff sent a message to say that he had urgent commitments elsewhere and apologised for not coming to the dinner. In addition, he said he would pay for the meal, with which I said Kevin and I would be uncomfortable and would pay for it ourselves, that having been our intention all along.

It ended up just being three of us, Vivi having cried off at the eleventh hour citing her propensity for car-sickness. We arrived and I immediately noticed the Indian chef was not at his row of equipment, instead being with the other chefs in the traditional Chinese cooking area. To all our dismay we were told that due to problems sourcing ingredients there was no curry to be had that night. Hugely disappointing but certainly credible, I know from my own experience of trying to obtain “exotic” gear to make dishes.

We ordered Chinese stuff which sadly I could only eat a little of, my stomach is still not back to normal. One of the dishes was a liver hotpot which was most unusual  but nice and tender. At the end Kevin went to settle the bill (we always go Dutch) but returned, saying the staff refused to take our money. As we left, Donna (through Yvonne) said that she wanted to invite me for a meal there again with her. Having now been there twice and not paid a penny, I said no, I would take her and Jeff to the Sichuan restaurant and I would pick up the damage. The only problem with that will be getting an evening where all three of us are free. Donna did say as we said our goodbyes “I really like you”, which must surely have meant dredging her limited English to come up with it.

Oh, and in typical fashion, I had forgotten to take my camera!

Tuesday was chaotic. With Yvonne still here and four others due to arrive, the two of us set about making chilli con carne for eight - Kevin and Vivi were getting some as a takeaway. I found Ollivier’s blow-up mattress but of the pump there was no sign. Nor was there any evidence of forks in his kitchen. I know he has at least six but I couldn’t find them. I only have two so everyone used a spoon instead. We ate in Olliviers as I have no table and tomorrow I will set the girls to work washing up the aftermath.

Back in my place, I was given both camp beds to keep in my room and the mattress was refused. The girls had decided it would be cooler to all sleep on the floor on thin bead mats! How the hell they get any sleep like that is beyond me but then students can effortlessly fall asleep at their desks during a ten minute class break. They also gave me back the 300y I had given Ellen to pay for an hotel for them to stay in until Yvonne left as they felt I had already done so much by letting them stay here.

Yesterday I took Yvonne and her incredibly heavy case to the station and waited with her until her bus boarded. I miss her company. Later at home I checked the forecast. This weekend is supposed to be rainy so I decided on impulse to travel to Tongling hopefully to see Amy and Ali. Sadly Amy may leave for Beijing on Monday to start a holiday job but Ali thankfully is free and the bonus is that the hotel I booked is not far from her home. Her Mother is making some rice wine and she says she will bring some for me. So that’s the first of my little travels decided - just for two days though.

In the evening I used some of the 300y they gave me back to treat all four (Ellen, Flora, Summer and Fallrain) to dinner at the sweet pork place and despite the fact that we had my two favourites plus others my belly still wouldn’t allow much to enter it. I did though enjoy one dish the girls ordered, which was a meatball and  tomato type of soup I hadn’t seen before.

Back home I was dog-tired and wanted to get up early(ish) in preparation for Kevin doing as he always does, come and say goodbye as he leaves on holiday. With Ellen and Fallrain working on their teaching plans (they are all teaching at the same place) I showed Alien to the other two and finally called it a day just after one.

I shouldn’t have bothered with the alarm because his ETD of 0930 came and went. For the first time - and I assume because he knew all the girls were here - he never knocked my door on the way out. However, when I emerged to use the loo Flora, looking worried, informed me that there were only two cats. She was quick to deny that any of the girls had opened the window through which it must have gotten out. They didn’t open it, I did. Before I went to bed it was so hot in there I slid it as far as the metal bar I put there to try to cool it down a little. Pooh was (and still is) nowhere to be seen and I think he managed enough strength to actually bend the soft alloy bar enough for him to squeeze out. Nearly four years he has been with me and for all his mischief he means a lot to me so I am hoping he won’t stray far and that in due course I will find him again.

After a brief search on the vicinity of our building I came back and at midday decided I desperately needed to go back to bed. I am taking the girls to the Sichuan restaurant tonight (which will use the rest of the unexpected refund). I failed to turn off my phone and so was disturbed by Kevin’s farewell text sent from Chizhou airport’s departure lounge and then just as I was nodding off, I got a phone call which I cancelled. It rang again and so in frustration I answered. It was the charity school in the mountains, they want me to go there on Saturday morning. I never refuse them and tonight I will ask if the girls are working that day. If not I would like to take Flora with me. Just as I was drifting off to sleep I was yet again disturbed by a message from Happy (who is in Hefei)  asking where I was. I did manage to get at least some sleep but it was fitful and with thoughts of Pooh bubbling to the surface every now and again. God knows where he is now because it is roasting out there currently, my computer tells me it is 33C.

Vivi is coming to tonight’s dinner. As the girls will meet us at the restaurant straight from work I can take her on the bike and she won’t get car-sickness. This time I will make sure I remember the camera!