Saturday 31st January, 2015                      1800

It’s cold.

Yesterday Mulan and I went for breakfast and shopping (her sister Sarah didn’t want to come as she was busy preparing her lesson plans for later in the day). In McDonald’s Mulan used her phone to scan one of those odd black and white squares on a counter advertisement. The last time we went there she searched on her phone for deals and once she had eaten her breakfast and the menu changed to the daytime one, she procured a chicken sandwich for one mao (one penny). Well yesterday whatever the offer was, she didn’t go for it because she had to like or visit too many advertisements and so gave up. Personally, if it isn’t a paper coupon in my hand I can’t be bothered and even if I have coupons they are either for things I don’t want or by the time I do they have expired.

After that it was off to the chemist for two months worth of medicine and then the supermarket. I had decided that yes, I would treat them to a chilli for dinner but on the bus on the way back Mulan informed me Sarah wouldn’t eat with us as her headmaster (for that read private school owner) was treating the teachers to dinner. I am well used to such late changes of plans now considering they occur frequently here.

Nonetheless I made the chilli and Mulan was really late back from teaching her two kids, it was about ten when she got back. I had left Sarah in charge of the rice cooker (I don’t know how to use them properly, give me a saucepan and lid any day!) but when Mulan arrived she confessed she had forgotten to switch the thing on! Absolutely amazing considering I had gone to their room to tell her she could start the rice!

So it came to pass that Mulan and I sat down in front of my laptop for dinner at eleven. And had I made a lulu of a chill! It had beautifully thick sauce and was perfect but for one thing - it blew my head off. It was too good for me to worry about the pain involved in eating it and after a while Mulan decided to go and eat it in her and Sarah’s room. A couple of minutes later Sarah came to me to ask if she could have some! This is the girl who had already had dinner. She had tasted her sister’s and decided it was so spicy and delicious she could fit some in. One man’s poison………..

This morning Mulan and I went to Helen’s school. You may recall I test pronunciation at her little place once in the spring festival and twice in summer holidays. Although it was a bit parky I decided we could take the bike. Mulan had other ideas - she was cold riding pillion so it had to be the number seven bus and a walk at the other end. Not only that, the number seven has heating now so the price is 2y each and she hadn’t taken any coins - luckily I had taken enough for both of us.

Helen only has four small classes this winter but even so it took two and a half hours. I had bought and paid for four little LED rechargeable desk lamps to give to each of the top students in each class. Last time I bought fountain pens. The recipients all seemed surprised to get one, Helen normally gives a cheap pen and notebook to the top three in the classes, my lamps cost 32y each. But then, Mulan and I got a free lunch for my trouble afterwards. That was followed by a trek to get a rather crowded bus back, although she did bag a seat and keep it for me after I had paid the fares.

Poor old Pepsi never got to go out today for any length of time. She will get her late night walk of course but I just couldn’t face the bike ride to find a new watering hole now nearly everything has closed for the duration. Sarah is staying elsewhere tonight and I really don’t fancy cooking at 2200 so I have suggested to Mulan she gets fed in town. I have one pie for me (God knows what’s in it but it will do). I would have taken her to a restaurant  but her teaching gets in the way. But hey, all praise for them for trying to earn some money to relieve some pressure on their uncle, who it seems is currently in hospital. That will be costing him.

Three weeks today the plan is to put Pepsi into care and go to Anqing for two nights and I visit Yvonne. I would have gone before but she has a temporary job until the new year on the 19th. I can only hope it won’t be too cold because of having to take Pepsi on the bike to the vet. I can however ask the girls to get a taxi firm number and get them to call one for me when I want to leave - they will of course be with their uncle for the celebrations. I think Mulan is harbouring thoughts of sending a car at new year to collect the dog and I to have a Chinese new year with them. I don’t know how many bedrooms the uncle has but I already know there are no local hotels in her home village. We shall see.