Thursday 14th August, 2014                        1900

Another dismal day with drizzle throughout, becoming light rain at times. Thanks to the forecasters who predicted none.

Regardless I had to go to town so as I needed to visit four places it had to be the bike (I hate walking at the best of times, with a bag load of shopping it simply isn’t going to happen). First stop the cigar shop where on leaving I had the princely sum of 20y left in my wallet. Naturally the next stop was the bank, where I became confused. On campus we have three of my bank’s machines in a room, two say ATM and one says CRS. The latter is for paying bills and depositing cash but withdrawals are not possible. All three in the town bank today said CRS, hence the confusion. An employee indicated that I could also get cash so I put my card in and entered the PIN. I wanted to check my balance first but wasn’t given the option and so went straight to withdrawal mode. The school ones have a maximum daily limit of 2,500y (I think, certainly no more that 3,000) so I was surprised to see 5,000 listed as an option. I selected it though as I will need at least that over the coming week or so considering the prices in Shanghai.

The machine burped, displayed something about a “bad mix”,. spat my card out and printed a receipt but no money. It then made whirring noises (not I hasten to add the same noise as when it counts money for withdrawal) while the screen went potty. More confused, I went to the next machine and again selected 5,000y. That one gave me my money and so I left.

Off to RT Mart for some cheap plonk and a load of pet meat to leave the girls when I am away (Ellen is returning on Saturday). Got the wine then went to the meat counter and stood waiting for service. Nobody was on the section I was at, where there was a nice meaty pork leg bone I wanted for Pepsi before she goes away. Nobody else seemed inclined to step into the breach either, so I shouted for someone to come. A gormless looking woman came and was clearly trying to tell me the woman who was supposed to be there wasn’t. Terrific, I never realised that, I just thought she was hiding under the counter. I pointed to what I wanted but obviously this creature was only qualified on mince and lungs as she wouldn’t serve me. Until then I had been quite relaxed but now I was indignant. She was left in no doubt what I thought of this state of affairs but I very much doubt she was bothered. I grabbed some burger buns from the bakery and chicken breasts from the freezer cabinet because I didn’t want to deal with the indolent serving staff and went to a checkout queue, still fuming.

Bugger me if, while I was standing patiently waiting for my turn, I wasn’t nearly knocked over. Chinese people don’t say “excuse me” when they want to get past, tap you on the shoulder or the like, they simply barge past you. As became apparent in a few seconds, this was a fat trollop, who had made a mistake in doing it to me because I have long since developed an instinctive reaction when that sort of thing happens. I push back. She ended up crashing into the metal guide barrier and then had the cheek to loose off at ME! I in return let fly. She had obviously gone to get something she and her husband had forgotten while he had stayed in the queue and was now having their goods scanned. Whilst his wife was getting a verbal roasting he simply looked on dumbly. I almost wish he had joined in, I was in the right frame of mind for it.

On the way out Yvonne sent me her dates for her days off. The only one I can go and see her on is the day after I return from Shanghai so Pepsi will have her sentence extended by two nights. Then it was McDonald’s for some food, only to find that they still aren’t serving lettuce in anything. Not only that, my email to McDonald’s China still hasn’t been replied to. If I hadn’t been so annoyed in the supermarket I might have bought my own lettuce and put it in myself.

Back on campus I tried to make sense of the printout the ATM had given me. I hadn’t taken my small print glasses with me. Then an awful thought struck me - what if the machine was saying it had actually given me 5,000y??? Theoretically it shouldn’t be possible to take two lots out in one day (that would be £1,000) but now I have to sweat until tomorrow when I can get to a working ATM because the campus ones have been turned off for the holidays. I could of course go and take the bike off charge and go outside but it’s raining and anyway I can’t do anything about it tonight. Depending on how much is left in my account, will depend on whether I make a second attempt to find the airport or whether I hightail it to my bank branch.