Friday 15th August, 2014                       1730

With a sense of dread I left home at lunchtime to go to a cashpoint. Remember it took over a month to get back the 500y that somehow became converted to e-money? Well the prospect of retrieving 5,000y - and quickly because I fly to Shanghai on Thursday - was not something I really wanted to contemplate.

The screen seemed to me to be taking an inordinately time to “transaction is processing, please wait” but eventually I could rest easy. Just the one lot had been debited. I have enough money for everything I want to do, including buying a new oven. I am even considering getting a deep fat fryer so I can make chips.

With joyous heart I set off on the second attempt to find the airport. This time I took the correct turning and indeed found it without a problem. It took 33 minutes but oh my God, what a soulless journey! Because the roads are new (the reason the airport’s opening was delayed by more than two years was because of unexpected wind shear so they eradicated an entire mountain - seriously!) the only scenery is mounds of earth with some greenery starting to grow. Boring is hardly the word.

However, when I neared the actual airport I regretted not taking the camera. Today has been a beautiful warm day at about 30C and as the place is really new it looks very nice for a small airport. It was easy to spot Kevin’s car in the free car park. It has been there for two months and whereas I can think of many other places where it either wouldn’t be there at all or the owner would have to buy four new wheels after all that time it wasn‘t even that dirty. Of course I had to go into the terminal to check it out. It has three entrances/exits. It made me laugh because they have a door for international departures (there aren’t any!), domestic departures and domestic arrivals. They all lead into the same area! More importantly, I noted the coffee shop also sells Tsingtao so I am sorted.

On my return I took Pepsi out shopping and for a couple of cold ones. In view of my still having money in my bank account I have also invited Christina, Ellen (who returns tomorrow) and Fallrain for a lobster dinner at the place opposite McDonald’s - the one I said I would take Yvonne to because they have larger than the usual little specimens. Kevin is back tomorrow too so I have said he can come as well if he is not too tired.

I also have another unexpected house guest for tonight. Anna has asked if she can stay. Her volunteering has clearly ended and the reason she wants to stay is because she wants to leave before the “Auntie” unlocks the dormitory block for her to get out.

Aside from the evening meal, tomorrow will be a slow day. Laundry, take the dog out and that’s about it. Sunday will be busier with taking Pepsi to the vet, doing the big pet food shop I didn’t do yesterday because of my ire in RT Mart and getting myself something to eat. I really have to adjust my body clock in short order as Monday I need to be up before six and pretend to be happy and jolly on the bus with kids I would prefer to strangle. I have no idea what games I am going to play with them en route.

2230

Well Anna arrived with her luggage along with the news she had made friends with a Sri Lankan male during her volunteering at the international sports affair. Her hometown is Hefei and her new friend is going there to do some shopping before presumably jetting off home. She is going to assist by way of translating and she has arranged to rendezvous early in the morning at Mount Jiuhua. She was going to the bus station to find out what time the first bus out of town was. This was dropped on me immediately prior to my starting dinner for us all - two cheeseburgers apiece. Might not sound much but considering the patties cost a pound each, you can understand why I didn’t want to waste any. On foot and by bus she would have been gone for ages so I took her on the bike and we were back in half an hour.

The girls loved the burgers, I didn’t. at first I thought they were comprised of solid steak although they were minced beef - just pure beef. It just didn’t seem right. A good burger has to have a bit of crap in it! You know, egg yolk, breadcrumbs and the like. I really must make some of my own again, far superior, although I wouldn’t say no to a pack of Birds Eye ones with chopped onion.

Anyway, the first bus is 0640 and yes, Anna said she would take the 29 bus but muggins has offered to give her plus suitcase a lift. No, I’m not a martyr, it’s one way of gearing myself up for an equally early start on Monday. I reckon I will still go back to bed when I return though!

So for now there seems to be lively conversation next door to me now the film I showed Anna has ended and I am trying to mentally tire myself to at least be able to sleep at midnight.