Monday 3rd November, 2014                 1415

Well yesterday has now been christened The Accidental Day.

First off, I invited the wrong Nancy and then  about an hour after I posted yesterday’s blog Carol sent a message to say that she couldn’t come because the Lingdian Society (she is the president) had something on. Great, now I was down to three. Despite efforts on the bus to offer girls I didn’t know the chance of a free lunch, when we arrived at the Sichuan restaurant we were still three. The girls enjoyed the meal and I think Nancy had her eyes opened, for on the bus to town she asked me sceptically whether Chizhou has any decent restaurants.

For once I ate quite a bit and in my mind once we left was that would be the last I ate for the day with a quiet evening on campus. Then one of my “brothers” came and chatted to the girls in Chinese. He said I should also come for dinner in the evening as there was a performance. My first response was “no” but as time wore on I found myself considering it. I knew there was no way I would be able to eat anything more than a morsel or two but the thought of a show was too tempting. I arranged to meet Flora at the west gate and implored her to get two roommates or classmates to come as well so the food would all be eaten. She roped in Summer and Lynne so at least in the evening we were four. I kept the show bit a secret.

There were three men and two women performers and an organ keyboard player and they were all from Mongolia. Whether Inner or Outer I couldn’t ascertain but it was traditional Mongolian music and singing, although no dancing and no horses either. I really enjoyed it and including the part at the end where the audience can request songs on payment of 20y it lasted an hour all told. I will be going again once I get my camera back so will be able to post pictures. It’s about time they put on shows again, the place is very large and is popular so it draws even more people in. I did say this to them when the opera act went back to Beijing and it’s only taken them six months to realise. I think yesterday I ate more than any other day since the last time I went to the Happy Panda in the Hilton Hefei on a Sunday when they were doing the much-lamented international buffet. In fact I still feel full this afternoon.

The Terror still causes mayhem at all times, particularly in rearranging my bathroom, where everything on the shelf ends up in the sink and anything else on the floor. Worse, I am pretty sure he has attained the age at which they start spraying because my living room has recently suffered from some nasty niffs. My problem is that although we have nice dry weather, it is cold, only being in the mid teens. Whilst I can tog up I reckon if I took him on the bike to the vet he would be frozen in the cage. The only two buses I know don’t go anywhere near and would entail a lengthy walk or a taxi ride. I am seriously thinking of bribing a couple of students to take him for the op by giving them money to have a decent lunch on me for their trouble. But he has to be “done”.

Tuesday 4th                 1240

Christ it is getting cold in the evenings now. Couple that with the fact I am now well and truly used to the summer heat here and you will realise why I have come to dislike winter intensely. Whereas I used to don appropriate clothing in order to ride to town on the bike, I am now leaning more and more towards taking the bus there and a taxi back instead.

This morning I finished off the final third of one of my graduating class of three year students. Many of them will be taking another exam in a month or two so as to be able to return for another two years (in reality it is eighteen months) in order to be able to upgrade their diploma to a degree. In half an hour I shall leave to go and complete the exams for their counterpart class and from thereon in for this term I will merely have classes on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Having failed for the past three or so months to find any shirts big enough to fit me in any shop in town I am now resorting to the internet. It’s not something I really want to do because if they arrive and don’t fit I have to pay the return delivery. I don’t care if they are miles too big but my fear is that even when I order the largest size they have it will be too tight. I have to do something though as the shirts I have are all over a year old and I will lay odds holes will start appearing in due course. Trousers will be the next problem. The woman who used to have a free stall in the Lottemart mall for adjusting the leg length is now located inside the supermarket but I have yet to see her manning her sewing machine. I wouldn’t mind leaving them but if I give them my inside leg measurement it will be a disaster. The last time (when she had her little shop) I bought four pairs, marked one pair for the correct length and went for lunch. When I got home and tried them on she had cut the remaining three pairs by matching the length to the waistbands and not the legs! I had to take three pairs back to have them all shortened again. Thankfully it wasn’t the opposite way with me looking as if I had a leak in my basement.

Wednesday 5th                   1930

What an odd day weatherwise. With a Mcbreakfast planned and Kevin doing a guest spot at number three middle school in town this morning, he very kindly offered me a lift to town but as I intended to bus it back we met at south gate. With a fleece on I was damned cold riding the bike and regretted not putting on a coat. An hour later I was sweating. Breakfast turned out to be two breakfasts, although it has to be said I have felt bloated all day and still do! In between the platter and the McMuffin I was being my usual observant self and spotted that the special offers for breakfast on the signs over the tills said you can add hash browns for only 5 yuan - or at least I assume that’s what the Chinese said. I approached the manager and spoke to him about this terrific deal and pointed out that on the main menu (the one they switch when they go into burger mode) the browns were only 4.5y. This galvanised him into action and by the time I got back to my seat someone had changed the main menu to a more expensive price! I should feel guilty but seeing as the tills give a price and regardless of what the menu says that’s what you pay, I may rest easy.

I did indeed get the bus back afterwards, standing room only and I was resigned to having to stand until we got to the bus and train stations. Now, they say you know when you are getting old when the policemen start looking young. They’ve done that for a long time to me now and in fact world leaders now appear positively youthful, but today it was taken to a whole new level. A copper gave up his seat for me!!!!!!

Not long after I got back I took Pepsi to the sports meeting to watch Anna in the 400m relay. Her team came second in the heat but I have to say had all her team ran as she did they would have cruised home in record time. She has a running style which so reminds me of Joanna in the 1500m (which she won two years on the trot) and saw her overhaul two other runners and put her team into first place. Sadly the subsequent runners lost the lead. I really think she should take a shot at the 1500m next year.

Then the weather turned again and started to rain while I was in the “office”. Flaming ridiculous. Breakfast had exhausted me so I tried to take a siesta but for some reason every time I do lately I have awful dreams so I got back up and went out with the mutt again. It’s really cold now.

A good night’s kip hopefully, the only race I know about for tomorrow is Anna’s at 1400 so I won’t set my alarm (although Joan has one at 0900 Friday). Lucy came to clean today and returned my camera together with all her photos from Beijing so I must try to download them and maybe post a few at a later stage.