Sunday 29th March, 2015 1800
Friday I got out of bed and thought “Oooh, that doesn’t hurt so much” when I stood up. I then did something a little bit foolish and tottered unaided to the bathroom for my shower. I made it. I can’t go far without the sticks but it’s another welcome improvement, so much so that despite previously resigning myself to not going to Wuhu on Saturday, I booked and paid for the hotel. It is non-refundable so now I have to go, whether on crutches or not!
Mulan was going to be away “playing” with friends on Friday and Saturday nights so I asked Anna if she would be my “carer”. Previously she had incinerated one of the handles on the pot used to boil the animal food by cremating it on full gas but I never realised precisely how much of a walking disaster she is. She had already lost my medical card (meaning all sorts of problems now to cancel the old one and get a replacement) but she excelled herself on Friday night.
She neglected to ensure the cats had biscuits for the night, that was just the start. I’m sure there is more that I have forgotten but memorably the cats cried all night and from my bed I couldn’t figure out why. No biscuits, that certainly contributed but in the morning when I went into the living room I spotted that the chicken breast hadn’t been touched. I then realised that although she had boiled the meat, she had neglected to pour the water away, so if they wanted to eat the cats had to go swimming. Then I heard a noise from the kitchen. On opening the door I was greeted by a scene of devastation. She had locked Zorro in there alone all night. No wonder there was so much wailing through the night.
In despair I took a shower and when I finished I shouted for her to get up. We were going to town for breakfast and I like to take the 0935 bus, which gets to McDonald’s thirty minutes later. My leg is not strong enough to be confident taking a passenger on the bike so she had to walk. She left late, and when I admonished her she gaily told me she could run. Fair enough because she is a good runner but she certainly didn’t even break into a trot because I was standing leaning on my props watching the back end of my preferred bus as it rolled majestically off into the distance by the time she finally appeared. By now I was wondering what on earth had possessed me to ask her to look after me when she is clearly incapable of looking after herself and given McD’s propensity for stopping breakfasts before time, I told her that I would be highly miffed if I went all that way for nothing. Luckily the previous bus to the one we caught must have picked up 95% of the passengers because we only arrived five minutes later than we would have done had we left as planned. I got my breakfast.
Anna was then despatched after eating to the hospital to see if she had left my medical card when she used it to pay for my x-rays. An hour later she returned, unsuccessful. She did however elicit the information that the medical cards we foreigners were given by the school are all but obsolete and we need new ones anyway, replacements can be obtained, bizarrely, from any bank. So this morning we went again for breakfast (Anna was sure to be early this time but the bus I wanted was so full before it left that I opted to take the later one) with my passport. After dining she went around the corner to check to see if a new card could be had from the bank and yes it can but first the old one has to be cancelled by some other place which doesn’t open at weekends. Don’t ask me why the place that cancels them can’t issue new ones. We were successful in one thing though, I now have my train tickets for the weekend. A bit of luxury, hopefully English style breakfasts and Pizza Hut are thoughts filling my mind now, along with the information Ollivier provided regarding a French supermarket not too far from the hotel which sells continental cheeses.
I will finish this one on a high. I have the week off after Qing Ming! My classes are all freshmen and that week it is the turn of the foreign language dept to carry out chain gang activities (picking up litter, stones, weeding etc) and this time the students actually mentioned it beforehand. Previously it has been a case of my turning up to an empty classroom and then having to make calls to find out what the hell is going on. This time I know in advance.
A description of daily life in China from the perspective of a Marlerman who uprooted to carve a new life in a foreign field and in the process introduced the Chinese to proper bangers!
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Thursday, 26 March 2015
Thursday 26th March, 2015 1830
And the slow progress continues.
On Wednesday morning I actually stood under the shower, which was bliss. Certainly I had to sit down to do my legs and feet but that was a hell of a leap, not to mention being far less painful and time-saving.
In fact yesterday was a bit of an innovation day, for when I left to go to class I found myself “walking” with the crutches instead of performing the usual swinging motion. After I parked my bike under the teaching building I had to suppress a chuckle as I “walked” towards the stairs. It crossed my mind that anyone approaching from behind would find my movements rather bizarre. My current gait is not too dissimilar to that of a gorilla when it walks, and if one envisages the bottom of the crutches as the great ape’s arms, my knuckles were grazing the ground.
But it is faster, so much so that I can now get from the bottom to floor four in ten minutes. That’s not bad considering it used to take five minutes anyway when I was normal - I always took a breather halfway!
These improvements, though very welcome, are in fact I fear far too slow for me to be able to contemplate my trip away at Qing Ming next weekend. I will make my decision on Monday but I am not hopeful and indeed am almost resigned to trying to ensure I can take the trip in the Labour holiday at the beginning of May. It would be nice to at least be able to have Pepsi back for next weekend though so I can take her for a “crutch” around the block of an evening. She surely by now believes I have abandoned her and I dare not even visit her because that would be too cruel, she would be convinced I was there to rescue her. Even now I sometimes find myself laying down in bed at night and saying goodnight to her as she lies on her bed at the side of mine.
Today Anna was supposed to come at four-thirty to cook for Joan and me. I asked her to buy a red or green pepper, everything else was already in my home. There is only one place close by that you can get vegetables now and that is the fish shop. Not only did she arrive an hour late (and both her and Joan had an early Communist Party meeting following dinner) without a pepper because she couldn’t find the shop - which is less than a mile from my home and she has been here two years - but she didn’t even ask me for directions.
Needless to say Joan ended up cooking it, Anna staged a grand entrance just as it was about to be served sans pepper and at least had the decency to appear humble. Dinner was a cheesy frittata and I asked for a moderate portion, told the two girls to take as much as they wanted and anything left I would take with me for lunch while I rot in the classroom tomorrow.
It was a fairly sizeable frittata (10 eggs, two potatoes, onion, tomato, cheese etc) and when Ollivier came I offered some. By this time the girls had stolen my bike to go to their meeting. He didn’t want any but said he would take some for his son Adrian. When he went to the kitchen he found there was nothing left! If you ever think of adopting, give Chinese children a body swerve unless you are wealthy!
As for the campus shops and restaurants, finally I learnt why they remain resolutely closed. The greedy landlords, not content with increasing the rents the minute they took over the lease, hiked them again during the winter holiday. The result of course is that all businesses bar the supermarket have basically said “stuff you” and by now I assume have made alternative arrangements. This is a prime example of some of the thinkings of Chinese businessmen and has backfired spectacularly. Can you see them even recouping their initial outlay of ten million yuan over the next five years off the back of one small supermarket? No, neither can I.
Ok, now it’s time to write out my shopping list for Ollivier, who is very kindly going to town at the weekend with his car and will bring everything back for me.
And the slow progress continues.
On Wednesday morning I actually stood under the shower, which was bliss. Certainly I had to sit down to do my legs and feet but that was a hell of a leap, not to mention being far less painful and time-saving.
In fact yesterday was a bit of an innovation day, for when I left to go to class I found myself “walking” with the crutches instead of performing the usual swinging motion. After I parked my bike under the teaching building I had to suppress a chuckle as I “walked” towards the stairs. It crossed my mind that anyone approaching from behind would find my movements rather bizarre. My current gait is not too dissimilar to that of a gorilla when it walks, and if one envisages the bottom of the crutches as the great ape’s arms, my knuckles were grazing the ground.
But it is faster, so much so that I can now get from the bottom to floor four in ten minutes. That’s not bad considering it used to take five minutes anyway when I was normal - I always took a breather halfway!
These improvements, though very welcome, are in fact I fear far too slow for me to be able to contemplate my trip away at Qing Ming next weekend. I will make my decision on Monday but I am not hopeful and indeed am almost resigned to trying to ensure I can take the trip in the Labour holiday at the beginning of May. It would be nice to at least be able to have Pepsi back for next weekend though so I can take her for a “crutch” around the block of an evening. She surely by now believes I have abandoned her and I dare not even visit her because that would be too cruel, she would be convinced I was there to rescue her. Even now I sometimes find myself laying down in bed at night and saying goodnight to her as she lies on her bed at the side of mine.
Today Anna was supposed to come at four-thirty to cook for Joan and me. I asked her to buy a red or green pepper, everything else was already in my home. There is only one place close by that you can get vegetables now and that is the fish shop. Not only did she arrive an hour late (and both her and Joan had an early Communist Party meeting following dinner) without a pepper because she couldn’t find the shop - which is less than a mile from my home and she has been here two years - but she didn’t even ask me for directions.
Needless to say Joan ended up cooking it, Anna staged a grand entrance just as it was about to be served sans pepper and at least had the decency to appear humble. Dinner was a cheesy frittata and I asked for a moderate portion, told the two girls to take as much as they wanted and anything left I would take with me for lunch while I rot in the classroom tomorrow.
It was a fairly sizeable frittata (10 eggs, two potatoes, onion, tomato, cheese etc) and when Ollivier came I offered some. By this time the girls had stolen my bike to go to their meeting. He didn’t want any but said he would take some for his son Adrian. When he went to the kitchen he found there was nothing left! If you ever think of adopting, give Chinese children a body swerve unless you are wealthy!
As for the campus shops and restaurants, finally I learnt why they remain resolutely closed. The greedy landlords, not content with increasing the rents the minute they took over the lease, hiked them again during the winter holiday. The result of course is that all businesses bar the supermarket have basically said “stuff you” and by now I assume have made alternative arrangements. This is a prime example of some of the thinkings of Chinese businessmen and has backfired spectacularly. Can you see them even recouping their initial outlay of ten million yuan over the next five years off the back of one small supermarket? No, neither can I.
Ok, now it’s time to write out my shopping list for Ollivier, who is very kindly going to town at the weekend with his car and will bring everything back for me.
Monday, 23 March 2015
Thursday 19th March, 2015
Oh yes.
Agony has been replaced by pain and believe me when I say that is cause for celebration.
Tonight because I had no handmaiden to help me (Mulan will tell me she will be back at seven and turn up at eleven) and Joan having late classes, I had to fend for myself as far as dinner went. Easy enough to get the pie from the freezer and put it in the oven, less so to actually get it to the bedroom once cooked. I had visions of dropping it, smashing the plate and going hungry but hey I managed it. Things are on the move. Four weeks in bed - I don’t think so.
However, naturally it still takes me a while to ascend the stairs to class and descend from it and there are still boys, girls and teachers who insist on trying to help me. Of course their solicitations are very much appreciated indeed hut when they ask “Can I help?” I simply have to reply that unless they are an East End Wrestler and can carry me up or down on their back then no, sadly they can’t. It is very heart warming to receive the offers but when you are between the 2nd and 3rd floors the last thing you want is to have to explain to someone with limited English what is wrong and that you can do it yourself. Absolutely lovely and that is why I love China - they either ignore you or want to be your Mother. It’s the ones who almost unbalance you from the crutches when they grab you that worry me - mark my words, Chinese steps will be the death of me yet!
It’s late now so I will resume this later in the day.
Monday 23rd 1245
Well this is certainly later in the day! To be honest Friday utterly drained me and of course by close of business for the week it is my good leg that gives problems. I also needed an early night as Anna and I were going to the hospital on Saturday morning, me in the hope of having the cast removed and Anna for a heart check. I am not quite sure what her ailment/condition is but from what she described it sounds as if it may be arrythmia.
We went for breakfast and then took a taxi to A&E. I went there purely because it was there that they removed the cast on the previous visit. I was equipped with a small bar of soap pinched from some hotel or other as the first thing I wanted was to wash my foot. On this occasion though we were told it wasn’t their job and we had to go somewhere else.
By now my top speed was barely above “stop” and it took ages to find the right department elsewhere. Of course, seeing as we arrived there at 1150, they had just closed up shop for the two hour lunch break. Wonderful. Had we only been there for me, I would have simply cut my losses and gone home but seeing as Anna needed tests I waited. I should have gone home though, because when I was finally seen they wouldn’t do anything without the x-rays from the initial accident. These were in my flat. To make matters worse, Anna had an ECG after lunch and was also told she needed a CT scan but the latter can only be carried out on a weekday morning so she has to go back on Wednesday.
We had all but wasted a complete day and so to console ourselves we went and had an American style beef and chicken sizzling platter which Anna very kindly treated me to. Once again when I got home I was exhausted. With Joan and Anna both willing to accompany me back to the hospital on Sunday, we left an hour earlier in order to break our fast and be there in plenty of time so as not to have to wait until after lunch again.
Armed with the x-rays I was seen by a doctor. I was then told to go and get another set taken and at this point I was on the verge of simply buying a pair of scissors and doing the job myself. The x-ray dept was miles away and I was losing the will to live but the girls got a nurse to liberate a wheelchair, which Joan very capably used to get me there and back. I laid on the table and had my foot done, then they wanted to do the hip (quite why is beyond me seeing as they haven’t treated it) but the trousers had to come down. Flat on my back this was a struggle for me, so both girls can now claim to have debagged a teacher!
Back with the doctor (no such thing as a waiting room here - well there is but nobody waits in it, everyone just crowds into the doctor’s room gawking at everyone else’s x’rays), he took an age to decide what to do with me but finally produced scissors and started cutting, thus providing a floorshow for everyone else present.
Then it was straight to the men’s toilets, where Joan and Anna found warm water, I sat and leaned back in the chair with my leg up on the sink and they washed my foot. Pure heaven. It is still very swollen but it just fits into the shoe and all the frustration of the weekend evaporated. It felt so much better. We even managed to leave before they knocked off for lunch. The girls were treated to theirs by me once we got back to the business street and they ordered chow mien. Joan had a party meeting shortly after so I lent them the bike and waited for Anna to return.
When she did she dropped a bombshell. Her mother has told her she thinks she should join the army and Anna agrees. I was all in favour, as I think it will give her the confidence she so badly needs but I was shocked when she said if she is accepted she would be leaving school immediately. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I now have mixed emotions, half of me really wants her to do this, the other half is being selfish in saying not just yet. Of course, whatever happens will in all likelihood depend almost entirely on the results of her cardiac tests this week. I do hope her aspirations are not dashed.
On Saturday night our internet was deathly slow so I had no chance of streaming the 6 nations and accordingly I think I probably missed out on the most exciting string of three games of rugby in one day that there has ever been.
Now I am going to get cleaned, happy that there is no need for a plastic bag and although I can’t stand for a shower I can sit there without worrying where the water is going. Later I might just venture out and have a chow mien (saves cooking or getting the girls to do it) - Anna had one with a fried egg that looked appetising. It will get me out of the house.
Oh yes.
Agony has been replaced by pain and believe me when I say that is cause for celebration.
Tonight because I had no handmaiden to help me (Mulan will tell me she will be back at seven and turn up at eleven) and Joan having late classes, I had to fend for myself as far as dinner went. Easy enough to get the pie from the freezer and put it in the oven, less so to actually get it to the bedroom once cooked. I had visions of dropping it, smashing the plate and going hungry but hey I managed it. Things are on the move. Four weeks in bed - I don’t think so.
However, naturally it still takes me a while to ascend the stairs to class and descend from it and there are still boys, girls and teachers who insist on trying to help me. Of course their solicitations are very much appreciated indeed hut when they ask “Can I help?” I simply have to reply that unless they are an East End Wrestler and can carry me up or down on their back then no, sadly they can’t. It is very heart warming to receive the offers but when you are between the 2nd and 3rd floors the last thing you want is to have to explain to someone with limited English what is wrong and that you can do it yourself. Absolutely lovely and that is why I love China - they either ignore you or want to be your Mother. It’s the ones who almost unbalance you from the crutches when they grab you that worry me - mark my words, Chinese steps will be the death of me yet!
It’s late now so I will resume this later in the day.
Monday 23rd 1245
Well this is certainly later in the day! To be honest Friday utterly drained me and of course by close of business for the week it is my good leg that gives problems. I also needed an early night as Anna and I were going to the hospital on Saturday morning, me in the hope of having the cast removed and Anna for a heart check. I am not quite sure what her ailment/condition is but from what she described it sounds as if it may be arrythmia.
We went for breakfast and then took a taxi to A&E. I went there purely because it was there that they removed the cast on the previous visit. I was equipped with a small bar of soap pinched from some hotel or other as the first thing I wanted was to wash my foot. On this occasion though we were told it wasn’t their job and we had to go somewhere else.
By now my top speed was barely above “stop” and it took ages to find the right department elsewhere. Of course, seeing as we arrived there at 1150, they had just closed up shop for the two hour lunch break. Wonderful. Had we only been there for me, I would have simply cut my losses and gone home but seeing as Anna needed tests I waited. I should have gone home though, because when I was finally seen they wouldn’t do anything without the x-rays from the initial accident. These were in my flat. To make matters worse, Anna had an ECG after lunch and was also told she needed a CT scan but the latter can only be carried out on a weekday morning so she has to go back on Wednesday.
We had all but wasted a complete day and so to console ourselves we went and had an American style beef and chicken sizzling platter which Anna very kindly treated me to. Once again when I got home I was exhausted. With Joan and Anna both willing to accompany me back to the hospital on Sunday, we left an hour earlier in order to break our fast and be there in plenty of time so as not to have to wait until after lunch again.
Armed with the x-rays I was seen by a doctor. I was then told to go and get another set taken and at this point I was on the verge of simply buying a pair of scissors and doing the job myself. The x-ray dept was miles away and I was losing the will to live but the girls got a nurse to liberate a wheelchair, which Joan very capably used to get me there and back. I laid on the table and had my foot done, then they wanted to do the hip (quite why is beyond me seeing as they haven’t treated it) but the trousers had to come down. Flat on my back this was a struggle for me, so both girls can now claim to have debagged a teacher!
Back with the doctor (no such thing as a waiting room here - well there is but nobody waits in it, everyone just crowds into the doctor’s room gawking at everyone else’s x’rays), he took an age to decide what to do with me but finally produced scissors and started cutting, thus providing a floorshow for everyone else present.
Then it was straight to the men’s toilets, where Joan and Anna found warm water, I sat and leaned back in the chair with my leg up on the sink and they washed my foot. Pure heaven. It is still very swollen but it just fits into the shoe and all the frustration of the weekend evaporated. It felt so much better. We even managed to leave before they knocked off for lunch. The girls were treated to theirs by me once we got back to the business street and they ordered chow mien. Joan had a party meeting shortly after so I lent them the bike and waited for Anna to return.
When she did she dropped a bombshell. Her mother has told her she thinks she should join the army and Anna agrees. I was all in favour, as I think it will give her the confidence she so badly needs but I was shocked when she said if she is accepted she would be leaving school immediately. I wasn’t expecting that at all. I now have mixed emotions, half of me really wants her to do this, the other half is being selfish in saying not just yet. Of course, whatever happens will in all likelihood depend almost entirely on the results of her cardiac tests this week. I do hope her aspirations are not dashed.
On Saturday night our internet was deathly slow so I had no chance of streaming the 6 nations and accordingly I think I probably missed out on the most exciting string of three games of rugby in one day that there has ever been.
Now I am going to get cleaned, happy that there is no need for a plastic bag and although I can’t stand for a shower I can sit there without worrying where the water is going. Later I might just venture out and have a chow mien (saves cooking or getting the girls to do it) - Anna had one with a fried egg that looked appetising. It will get me out of the house.
Tuesday, 17 March 2015
Monday 16th March, 2015 1100
After receiving the bad news on Saturday I now feel a lot better mentally. The grumpiness is dissipating now it has sunk in and acceptance starts to take over. I think most of my problem was that I knew something was wrong but had been told it wasn‘t. With a clearly defined enemy, now I have something to fight, which in this case actually involves sitting around doing as little as possible as often as possible - something I am not averse to!
It would be nice to be able to get out and about a bit more, of course it would, as would it be nice to be able to have poor old Pepsi back but adaptations have to be made. I couldn’t wish for better carers in Mulan, Joan and Anna, they go and buy my bits for me and Mulan and Joan either cook or help me to cook. Anna has offered but each time she has, one of the others has already arranged to do it.
In fact, last night Joan came. She hadn’t told me she had an evening class (in fact it is prep but the whole class turns up at seven) and as she arrived after five it was going to be a feat in itself to cobble a Bolognese together early enough so she could eat her fill as well before leaving. It takes time to issue instructions and have things brought to the bedroom for me to cook but it was good teamwork and there was enough time for her to polish off an enormous plate of sauce with penne (I ate considerably less but was left extremely satisfied nonetheless) before she went to study.
Tuesday 17th 1400
I have a new phone now, it wasn’t the card as I had hoped so Joan got me a new one. I have never heard of TETC but I asked her to just get a basic one. She paid 200y for it and boy is it basic! It doesn’t even have predictive text! Still, it does all that I need and it was cheap.
Last night I fancied being brave and going to the business street on the bike for dinner. I couldn’t think of any place where they might have a soft seat but I didn’t want anyone to have to cook for me either, not that I had much to cook with. As it happened both Joan and Mulan were busy with classes in the evening as well so I just asked for some crackers and a pineapple to be brought and had that with cheese. I often do that and at least I ate some fruit.
My washing machine rarely sees a day go by now when it is not in use by one or other of the girls (Anna not so much). Mostly it is things such as coats and heavy tops, they wash smaller stuff by hand, as do all the students.
The forecast changes hourly but today we have had a bit of light rain with heavier stuff supposed to be tonight and moderate downfall tomorrow and Thursday. Joan came at lunchtime to see if I needed anything doing. I didn’t but she cleaned the bathroom floor anyway and will return later to help with reheating the left over Bolognese for my dinner. She spotted the two bottles of fizzy orange drink by my desk and said with great sadness “I can see you have made your decision”. At the hospital on Saturday she entreated me to promise that I would obey the doctors and stay in bed for four weeks, to which my reply was not to ask me to make a promise I knew I would break. She has no conception of what a perilous position simply having the accident has placed me in and although my not missing classes may not make any difference as to whether I get another year here at least it won’t be because I never discharged my duties. In fact I am even going to an English Language Corner on Friday evening, although I have stipulated that under no circumstances will I be performing, singing, taking part in any games etc. Ollivier and Kevin can do that!
In theory the cast comes off this weekend so my hopes for Wuhu have been rekindled somewhat. I have two and a half weeks to get to the shuffling unaided stage for it to happen and of course hopefully have enough money left in the bank to fund it. By the time this is over Pepsi’s prison stay will run to over a thousand yuan which here is a tidy sum. I have my fingers crossed - while I am not exactly going stir crazy, spending near enough all the time either in my bedroom or classroom is rather getting dull! I have however today managed to formulate an activity for this week’s classes. It will involve one student from each class volunteering to be the glamour writing on the board but it should be fun for everyone.
Now I must shower before Joan returns at four. This week I am changing routine and instead of abluting in the mornings I will do it late. I don’t like it but needs must, plus it gives me a later alarm call. Onwards and upwards it must be, this morning I actually noticed a marked decrease in discomfort when getting out of bed, which cheered me up no end.
After receiving the bad news on Saturday I now feel a lot better mentally. The grumpiness is dissipating now it has sunk in and acceptance starts to take over. I think most of my problem was that I knew something was wrong but had been told it wasn‘t. With a clearly defined enemy, now I have something to fight, which in this case actually involves sitting around doing as little as possible as often as possible - something I am not averse to!
It would be nice to be able to get out and about a bit more, of course it would, as would it be nice to be able to have poor old Pepsi back but adaptations have to be made. I couldn’t wish for better carers in Mulan, Joan and Anna, they go and buy my bits for me and Mulan and Joan either cook or help me to cook. Anna has offered but each time she has, one of the others has already arranged to do it.
In fact, last night Joan came. She hadn’t told me she had an evening class (in fact it is prep but the whole class turns up at seven) and as she arrived after five it was going to be a feat in itself to cobble a Bolognese together early enough so she could eat her fill as well before leaving. It takes time to issue instructions and have things brought to the bedroom for me to cook but it was good teamwork and there was enough time for her to polish off an enormous plate of sauce with penne (I ate considerably less but was left extremely satisfied nonetheless) before she went to study.
Tuesday 17th 1400
I have a new phone now, it wasn’t the card as I had hoped so Joan got me a new one. I have never heard of TETC but I asked her to just get a basic one. She paid 200y for it and boy is it basic! It doesn’t even have predictive text! Still, it does all that I need and it was cheap.
Last night I fancied being brave and going to the business street on the bike for dinner. I couldn’t think of any place where they might have a soft seat but I didn’t want anyone to have to cook for me either, not that I had much to cook with. As it happened both Joan and Mulan were busy with classes in the evening as well so I just asked for some crackers and a pineapple to be brought and had that with cheese. I often do that and at least I ate some fruit.
My washing machine rarely sees a day go by now when it is not in use by one or other of the girls (Anna not so much). Mostly it is things such as coats and heavy tops, they wash smaller stuff by hand, as do all the students.
The forecast changes hourly but today we have had a bit of light rain with heavier stuff supposed to be tonight and moderate downfall tomorrow and Thursday. Joan came at lunchtime to see if I needed anything doing. I didn’t but she cleaned the bathroom floor anyway and will return later to help with reheating the left over Bolognese for my dinner. She spotted the two bottles of fizzy orange drink by my desk and said with great sadness “I can see you have made your decision”. At the hospital on Saturday she entreated me to promise that I would obey the doctors and stay in bed for four weeks, to which my reply was not to ask me to make a promise I knew I would break. She has no conception of what a perilous position simply having the accident has placed me in and although my not missing classes may not make any difference as to whether I get another year here at least it won’t be because I never discharged my duties. In fact I am even going to an English Language Corner on Friday evening, although I have stipulated that under no circumstances will I be performing, singing, taking part in any games etc. Ollivier and Kevin can do that!
In theory the cast comes off this weekend so my hopes for Wuhu have been rekindled somewhat. I have two and a half weeks to get to the shuffling unaided stage for it to happen and of course hopefully have enough money left in the bank to fund it. By the time this is over Pepsi’s prison stay will run to over a thousand yuan which here is a tidy sum. I have my fingers crossed - while I am not exactly going stir crazy, spending near enough all the time either in my bedroom or classroom is rather getting dull! I have however today managed to formulate an activity for this week’s classes. It will involve one student from each class volunteering to be the glamour writing on the board but it should be fun for everyone.
Now I must shower before Joan returns at four. This week I am changing routine and instead of abluting in the mornings I will do it late. I don’t like it but needs must, plus it gives me a later alarm call. Onwards and upwards it must be, this morning I actually noticed a marked decrease in discomfort when getting out of bed, which cheered me up no end.
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Thursday 12th March, 2015 1640
Late on Tuesday night I sent Mulan a message while she was in the next room. She had forgotten to lock the front door. Half an hour later she replied asking me why I had sent the same message eight times. I hadn’t of course.
On my way to class yesterday morning she wailed by text that overnight the same message had arrived another 62 times. Later, calls to China Mobile were of no help but at least she stopped getting my messsage. However, I discovered although I could make and receive calls and receive messages, the ones I was sending didn’t seem to go anywhere, including one I sent to China Mobile requesting a credit balance update. I feared all these texts to Mulan had dissipated my money.
I got through yesterday although now all four of my limbs hurt, the crutches and stairs having also taken their toll on my shoulders and arms. It is in fact not getting any easier at all and it may well be the case that I will visit the hospital at the weekend with Joan. Firstly I am not sure it is wise to remove the cast on Wednesday (and I assure you I really do want it gone) and secondly, after three and a half weeks my left calf is still twice the size of the other one. Something is not right and I am vaguely worried that I many have a DVT. In theory that should be a remote possibility considering the fact I take aspirin to keep my blood thin but whatever is wrong I think they need a second look.
Anyway, back to the phone.
Not having to get up early today, I stayed up late, too late really, but at 0300 I suddenly received a response from China Mobile with my balance. Over the course of a few hours my balance had reduced by over 50y. That didn’t please me (that amount normally lasts two or three months) but then to my great annoyance I started receiving texts stating my balance at intervals of five minutes. Wondering what the hell was going on, I switched the phone off and retired, only to awake this morning to another seventy-odd texts.
Over the course of the day I guess I received in excess of two hundred of these messages and as the day wore on I was getting angrier and angrier, envisaging possibly having to replace the phone and maybe having to change number. I still may have to. I then remembered that just before all this started, Joan had added me to some Chinese thing where they all get to send messages for nothing. That had to be the culprit.
After finishing today I got Joan to delete me from this application, emptied my phone of any form of message and great, the messages stopped. Unfortunately, I also seem to be back to being able to do everything with my phone except send texts. It will be interesting to see if the small hours see a repeat of the avalanche of messages. I can buy a cheap phone but I really don’t want to change my number.
Joan of course is feeling really depressed about causing so much trouble but of course she wasn’t to know (if indeed this is the cause) because all the students use it without problems.
Saturday 14th 1630
I was going to blog yesterday and post this entry then but to be honest I got so little sleep thanks to pain that I really didn’t feel like even trying to pretend to be cheerful.
Now I am sure some of you must be getting tired of my moaning about my aches and indeed I have rather felt at times (although it never stopped me posting what I thought!) that perhaps I was portraying myself as being a bit of a wimp. Not good, considering I don’t actually think I am one.
This morning however, Joan and I took the 29 bus to town. That was easier said than done because the steps up onto the bus ain’t ‘alf high Mum! It took a fair while for me to inch to McDonald’s once we alighted for a breakfast and then two hours for Joan to go and get my cigars, shopping and search in vain for a new SIM card for my phone. The latter was because she had listened to her friends who had said ID is not required in order to buy one. I knew it was but of course I was overruled.
Then it was a taxi to hospital. The visit was prompted in part by the still swollen calf (and as it turns out the foot too but I couldn’t tell as it was encased), the non-healing hip muscles and in great part because of Joan’s constant nagging for me to go. I know in time any damaged bone or muscle will eventually repair itself even if left untreated (albeit being deformed if not set) and the length of such is dependent on many factors. I am just tired of being tired because I can’t sleep.
In A&E they had a look at me and then packed me off for a CT scan (270y) and they took me on a bed instead of wheelchair, in which I would have felt much more comfortable and dignified. Instead I must have appeared as someone with a serious problem. Poor Joan had to help the porter push the bed and amazingly the hospital has a goodly number of inclines. When I was wheeled back I managed to get my own way and got Joan to borrow a chair so I could go outside for a smoke until the scan came back and a nurse called me in.
I bloody knew it. You may recall that in my blog on the day of the accident I was worried I may have broken my pelvis? I sodding well did!
Needless to say I wasn’t too thrilled about only discovering this nearly a month later and then only because I had gone back for a moan. At least now I knew that in fact I wasn’t being a sissy and it explained why it is almost impossible to find a painless sleeping position.
Ok, now what about the swollen lower leg? Would I agree to another “picture”? How much? 100y. Ok. For that the cast had to come off. Two nurses attacked the bandaging with scissors and three quarters of the way through one of them pulled back, waving her hand in front of her nose. It ponged. With indignation I informed them that yes, western people do tend to stink a bit when they haven’t been able to wash something for a month! I don’t think they were cognisant of the fact that westerners have some fundamentally different body characteristics beyond facial features and black hair.
Then the bed was off again, this time for a full leg ultrasound. No DVT thankfully but apparently high blood lipids (at the time I couldn’t remember if that was water retention or cholesterol but now I know) and I am somewhat bemused as to how this diagnosis could be arrived at on the basis of an ultrasound - I thought they had to take blood. That one is being taken with a pinch of salt I am afraid, although when I next go for a medical I will ask for proper tests to be done. I have always had perfect levels previously.
Back again to A&E where they put the plaster back on again and then informed me I should stay in bed for four weeks, no sitting in chairs or walking. Following their advice would almost certainly lead to the non-renewal of my contract if the school were entertaining doing so in the summer and let’s face it, these people told me it was nothing serious, only muscles when I went the first time!
So that’s the story so far, Usain Bolt can sleep easy for some time yet.
Late on Tuesday night I sent Mulan a message while she was in the next room. She had forgotten to lock the front door. Half an hour later she replied asking me why I had sent the same message eight times. I hadn’t of course.
On my way to class yesterday morning she wailed by text that overnight the same message had arrived another 62 times. Later, calls to China Mobile were of no help but at least she stopped getting my messsage. However, I discovered although I could make and receive calls and receive messages, the ones I was sending didn’t seem to go anywhere, including one I sent to China Mobile requesting a credit balance update. I feared all these texts to Mulan had dissipated my money.
I got through yesterday although now all four of my limbs hurt, the crutches and stairs having also taken their toll on my shoulders and arms. It is in fact not getting any easier at all and it may well be the case that I will visit the hospital at the weekend with Joan. Firstly I am not sure it is wise to remove the cast on Wednesday (and I assure you I really do want it gone) and secondly, after three and a half weeks my left calf is still twice the size of the other one. Something is not right and I am vaguely worried that I many have a DVT. In theory that should be a remote possibility considering the fact I take aspirin to keep my blood thin but whatever is wrong I think they need a second look.
Anyway, back to the phone.
Not having to get up early today, I stayed up late, too late really, but at 0300 I suddenly received a response from China Mobile with my balance. Over the course of a few hours my balance had reduced by over 50y. That didn’t please me (that amount normally lasts two or three months) but then to my great annoyance I started receiving texts stating my balance at intervals of five minutes. Wondering what the hell was going on, I switched the phone off and retired, only to awake this morning to another seventy-odd texts.
Over the course of the day I guess I received in excess of two hundred of these messages and as the day wore on I was getting angrier and angrier, envisaging possibly having to replace the phone and maybe having to change number. I still may have to. I then remembered that just before all this started, Joan had added me to some Chinese thing where they all get to send messages for nothing. That had to be the culprit.
After finishing today I got Joan to delete me from this application, emptied my phone of any form of message and great, the messages stopped. Unfortunately, I also seem to be back to being able to do everything with my phone except send texts. It will be interesting to see if the small hours see a repeat of the avalanche of messages. I can buy a cheap phone but I really don’t want to change my number.
Joan of course is feeling really depressed about causing so much trouble but of course she wasn’t to know (if indeed this is the cause) because all the students use it without problems.
Saturday 14th 1630
I was going to blog yesterday and post this entry then but to be honest I got so little sleep thanks to pain that I really didn’t feel like even trying to pretend to be cheerful.
Now I am sure some of you must be getting tired of my moaning about my aches and indeed I have rather felt at times (although it never stopped me posting what I thought!) that perhaps I was portraying myself as being a bit of a wimp. Not good, considering I don’t actually think I am one.
This morning however, Joan and I took the 29 bus to town. That was easier said than done because the steps up onto the bus ain’t ‘alf high Mum! It took a fair while for me to inch to McDonald’s once we alighted for a breakfast and then two hours for Joan to go and get my cigars, shopping and search in vain for a new SIM card for my phone. The latter was because she had listened to her friends who had said ID is not required in order to buy one. I knew it was but of course I was overruled.
Then it was a taxi to hospital. The visit was prompted in part by the still swollen calf (and as it turns out the foot too but I couldn’t tell as it was encased), the non-healing hip muscles and in great part because of Joan’s constant nagging for me to go. I know in time any damaged bone or muscle will eventually repair itself even if left untreated (albeit being deformed if not set) and the length of such is dependent on many factors. I am just tired of being tired because I can’t sleep.
In A&E they had a look at me and then packed me off for a CT scan (270y) and they took me on a bed instead of wheelchair, in which I would have felt much more comfortable and dignified. Instead I must have appeared as someone with a serious problem. Poor Joan had to help the porter push the bed and amazingly the hospital has a goodly number of inclines. When I was wheeled back I managed to get my own way and got Joan to borrow a chair so I could go outside for a smoke until the scan came back and a nurse called me in.
I bloody knew it. You may recall that in my blog on the day of the accident I was worried I may have broken my pelvis? I sodding well did!
Needless to say I wasn’t too thrilled about only discovering this nearly a month later and then only because I had gone back for a moan. At least now I knew that in fact I wasn’t being a sissy and it explained why it is almost impossible to find a painless sleeping position.
Ok, now what about the swollen lower leg? Would I agree to another “picture”? How much? 100y. Ok. For that the cast had to come off. Two nurses attacked the bandaging with scissors and three quarters of the way through one of them pulled back, waving her hand in front of her nose. It ponged. With indignation I informed them that yes, western people do tend to stink a bit when they haven’t been able to wash something for a month! I don’t think they were cognisant of the fact that westerners have some fundamentally different body characteristics beyond facial features and black hair.
Then the bed was off again, this time for a full leg ultrasound. No DVT thankfully but apparently high blood lipids (at the time I couldn’t remember if that was water retention or cholesterol but now I know) and I am somewhat bemused as to how this diagnosis could be arrived at on the basis of an ultrasound - I thought they had to take blood. That one is being taken with a pinch of salt I am afraid, although when I next go for a medical I will ask for proper tests to be done. I have always had perfect levels previously.
Back again to A&E where they put the plaster back on again and then informed me I should stay in bed for four weeks, no sitting in chairs or walking. Following their advice would almost certainly lead to the non-renewal of my contract if the school were entertaining doing so in the summer and let’s face it, these people told me it was nothing serious, only muscles when I went the first time!
So that’s the story so far, Usain Bolt can sleep easy for some time yet.
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Tuesday 10th March, 2015 1900
Yesterday was supposed to be a simple trip to town for breakfast with Ollivier but on noticing the currency exchange rate for yuan against the euro, Coco decided she wanted to carry out a transaction at the Bank of China. She has an online shop which doubtless makes six times the profit that I earn as my salary and I believe their ultimate aim in life is to perhaps open a physical shop in France where they can spend the rest of their days eating garlic, cheese and crusty bread, washed down with vin rouge. I am guessing monies were being deposited in a French account to that end.
So it ended with me being dropped off at McDonald’s while they went to the bank and I enjoyed a solitary meal and over an hour of my own company. After the previous day’s exertions I really didn’t want to do anything strenuous so when they came back, apart from Coco taking another 400y to the vet (the prison bill is now up to date until Sunday) we came back but stopped off at the local barber where I had a much needed number one. My pies arrived and so in the evening Anna and I had one apiece for dinner. The kidney beans arrived today. Mulan also very kindly changed my bedding so I had a nice clean bunk to climb into.
I had absolutely no intention of doing anything today, preferring instead to rest my limb in readiness for the arduous ordeal starting with first class tomorrow. No alarm set, I was quite ready to sleep as long as I could.
My leg on the other hand had different ideas. I scarcely managed four hours before the pain forced me to get up before seven. I simply could not find any position which was comfortable. This depressed me somewhat as tomorrow it will have been three weeks and still there is precious little evidence I am getting better. I started reading up on the internet about my type of injury. Yes I know it can be a dangerous thing to do but I like to think I can usually separate the wheat from the chaff and the overriding impression I got was that this bloody thing may well take months to heal. Perversely, it cheered me up slightly, it is not an aberration and quite possibly the pain in the morning was all part of the process. Just as long as there is no repeat tonight.
I did indeed spend a quiet day although Joan came at five to help cook. I came up with the bright idea of getting the electric hob put on a chair in the bedroom so I could cook while she did the chopping, fetching and carrying. It worked a treat, for we ate royally on chilli mince and potatoes and I am now set up for tomorrow’s mountaineering. And I have eaten proper food.
I could have taken a nap this afternoon but didn’t so will probably retire early this evening. Thanks to iPlayer I have three hours of Wallander if I so desire along with a couple of films I can watch.
In theory my cast should come off a week from tomorrow, something I will do myself, but having inspected my toes and finding them still black and blue and having a calf twice the size of the other, if nothing changes it may not be the most prudent thing to do. We shall see. Even if I do remove it the main problem will still be there, the only difference would be that I can have a shoe and sock on the left as well as the right.
Yesterday was supposed to be a simple trip to town for breakfast with Ollivier but on noticing the currency exchange rate for yuan against the euro, Coco decided she wanted to carry out a transaction at the Bank of China. She has an online shop which doubtless makes six times the profit that I earn as my salary and I believe their ultimate aim in life is to perhaps open a physical shop in France where they can spend the rest of their days eating garlic, cheese and crusty bread, washed down with vin rouge. I am guessing monies were being deposited in a French account to that end.
So it ended with me being dropped off at McDonald’s while they went to the bank and I enjoyed a solitary meal and over an hour of my own company. After the previous day’s exertions I really didn’t want to do anything strenuous so when they came back, apart from Coco taking another 400y to the vet (the prison bill is now up to date until Sunday) we came back but stopped off at the local barber where I had a much needed number one. My pies arrived and so in the evening Anna and I had one apiece for dinner. The kidney beans arrived today. Mulan also very kindly changed my bedding so I had a nice clean bunk to climb into.
I had absolutely no intention of doing anything today, preferring instead to rest my limb in readiness for the arduous ordeal starting with first class tomorrow. No alarm set, I was quite ready to sleep as long as I could.
My leg on the other hand had different ideas. I scarcely managed four hours before the pain forced me to get up before seven. I simply could not find any position which was comfortable. This depressed me somewhat as tomorrow it will have been three weeks and still there is precious little evidence I am getting better. I started reading up on the internet about my type of injury. Yes I know it can be a dangerous thing to do but I like to think I can usually separate the wheat from the chaff and the overriding impression I got was that this bloody thing may well take months to heal. Perversely, it cheered me up slightly, it is not an aberration and quite possibly the pain in the morning was all part of the process. Just as long as there is no repeat tonight.
I did indeed spend a quiet day although Joan came at five to help cook. I came up with the bright idea of getting the electric hob put on a chair in the bedroom so I could cook while she did the chopping, fetching and carrying. It worked a treat, for we ate royally on chilli mince and potatoes and I am now set up for tomorrow’s mountaineering. And I have eaten proper food.
I could have taken a nap this afternoon but didn’t so will probably retire early this evening. Thanks to iPlayer I have three hours of Wallander if I so desire along with a couple of films I can watch.
In theory my cast should come off a week from tomorrow, something I will do myself, but having inspected my toes and finding them still black and blue and having a calf twice the size of the other, if nothing changes it may not be the most prudent thing to do. We shall see. Even if I do remove it the main problem will still be there, the only difference would be that I can have a shoe and sock on the left as well as the right.
Sunday, 8 March 2015
Sunday 8th March, 2015 0950
So far my opinion of today is that it should have been cancelled.
Ollivier told me yesterday that he and the family were going shopping this morning and it was an opportunity to have another breakfast. Not unnaturally, I seized the chance and suggested a departure time of 0930. He said it might be a little earlier and so I ensured I was up and ready just after nine. That’s easier said than done because strangely, although my hip is relatively comfortable in the evenings, by morning it is back to square one and takes me an age to get loosened up even a little. In fact, I am now in the previously unthinkable position of wondering whether I will be mobile enough in four weeks to visit Wuhu in the Qing Ming (tomb sweeping) holiday.
Anyway, at 0925 the news came through that the crowbar Ollivier was using to prise his wife off the mattress had snapped under the stress and bang went breakfast. That really lightened my mood, considering I could quite happily have slumbered on for another two hours or even more. He may go alone later so as I have eaten nothing since yesterday’s breakfast I have put out a feeler that if he is indeed going alone, he will be quicker in the supermarket and perhaps I could still go and get a curry in KFC. I still may get lunch somewhere but probably at the cost of having to sit in the car for ages while the shopping is done. It is very tempting to simply go back to bed.
Being out of sorts is turning out to be more expensive than I would have anticipated. The ongoing prison bill for Pepsi is rising at 175y each week and with no sign of an end yet. I seem to be doing little else but sit at home and yet the money just keeps flowing out of my wallet and last night Joan boiled chicken breasts for the cats and succeeded in setting the pan handle on fire because she used the gas on full. I have compounded matters by ordering the pies yesterday and once Yvonne tells me the tally for my Taobao shopping today I have no doubt another 700 or so yuan will kiss me goodbye. I could reduce that by 200y by not getting the cure for making ham but everything else is essential - cat litter and biscuits etc. I can’t even win the lottery because I don’t know how or where to play it here!
1800
Just after eleven we set off for town, at which point I discovered that only one of the children is here with them, the other is already in pre-school in Shandong so they didn’t want to uproot him. While the others went shopping I sat with the car door open in the underground car park smoking cigars for about fifty minutes. Going somewhere for lunch was the top issue for me - a buffet style barbecue place would not be my preferred option, nor was anywhere with loads of steps. When they returned I suggested a place nearby I went to a couple of years ago which had both Chinese and western style food and more importantly, comfortable armchairs.
They agreed and so off we went across the road from the supermarket. Looking up from underneath the building seated in a car gives a very different view than that given from a bus travelling past at a distance so I thought I had made a mistake and the place was further along the road. I hadn’t, I was right the first time but due to the road system we had to make a lengthy detour to get back to where I had shown them originally.
Up to the third floor in the lift, which was what I remembered, and we went in. It was the same place but different. Where there should have been diners and drinkers, in their place were computers. The restaurant, as so many do, must have gone out of business and it is now an internet café. Wrongly suspecting that I just may have made another error in the floor number this time, I asked Coco to enquire where the restaurant was. Fourth floor. So up we went but this was definitely not where I had been previously, it comprised only private dining rooms. Sod it, we were there so we took a room and ordered food. Despite the fact I had rather built up the idea of a Chinese version of pizza as being my lunch, the sizzling rice, beef and tomato pots Ollivier and I had and the beef and pepper version Coco had, it wasn’t bad nosh. We threw in some breaded, slightly spicy chicken pieces and a few beers and I was perfectly happy.
After we returned a nap was required so I put my legs under the quilt on the bed, dragged the chair close and reclined. I really should have turned the phone off, for I was disturbed by messages four times. One day I will learn my lesson. Tomorrow though Ollivier and I are going alone just for breakfast. Kevin has been in Anqing all day getting his car serviced in advance of the MOT and I assume will not return until later this evening after he has had a celebratory meal for his sixtieth birthday. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
So far my opinion of today is that it should have been cancelled.
Ollivier told me yesterday that he and the family were going shopping this morning and it was an opportunity to have another breakfast. Not unnaturally, I seized the chance and suggested a departure time of 0930. He said it might be a little earlier and so I ensured I was up and ready just after nine. That’s easier said than done because strangely, although my hip is relatively comfortable in the evenings, by morning it is back to square one and takes me an age to get loosened up even a little. In fact, I am now in the previously unthinkable position of wondering whether I will be mobile enough in four weeks to visit Wuhu in the Qing Ming (tomb sweeping) holiday.
Anyway, at 0925 the news came through that the crowbar Ollivier was using to prise his wife off the mattress had snapped under the stress and bang went breakfast. That really lightened my mood, considering I could quite happily have slumbered on for another two hours or even more. He may go alone later so as I have eaten nothing since yesterday’s breakfast I have put out a feeler that if he is indeed going alone, he will be quicker in the supermarket and perhaps I could still go and get a curry in KFC. I still may get lunch somewhere but probably at the cost of having to sit in the car for ages while the shopping is done. It is very tempting to simply go back to bed.
Being out of sorts is turning out to be more expensive than I would have anticipated. The ongoing prison bill for Pepsi is rising at 175y each week and with no sign of an end yet. I seem to be doing little else but sit at home and yet the money just keeps flowing out of my wallet and last night Joan boiled chicken breasts for the cats and succeeded in setting the pan handle on fire because she used the gas on full. I have compounded matters by ordering the pies yesterday and once Yvonne tells me the tally for my Taobao shopping today I have no doubt another 700 or so yuan will kiss me goodbye. I could reduce that by 200y by not getting the cure for making ham but everything else is essential - cat litter and biscuits etc. I can’t even win the lottery because I don’t know how or where to play it here!
1800
Just after eleven we set off for town, at which point I discovered that only one of the children is here with them, the other is already in pre-school in Shandong so they didn’t want to uproot him. While the others went shopping I sat with the car door open in the underground car park smoking cigars for about fifty minutes. Going somewhere for lunch was the top issue for me - a buffet style barbecue place would not be my preferred option, nor was anywhere with loads of steps. When they returned I suggested a place nearby I went to a couple of years ago which had both Chinese and western style food and more importantly, comfortable armchairs.
They agreed and so off we went across the road from the supermarket. Looking up from underneath the building seated in a car gives a very different view than that given from a bus travelling past at a distance so I thought I had made a mistake and the place was further along the road. I hadn’t, I was right the first time but due to the road system we had to make a lengthy detour to get back to where I had shown them originally.
Up to the third floor in the lift, which was what I remembered, and we went in. It was the same place but different. Where there should have been diners and drinkers, in their place were computers. The restaurant, as so many do, must have gone out of business and it is now an internet café. Wrongly suspecting that I just may have made another error in the floor number this time, I asked Coco to enquire where the restaurant was. Fourth floor. So up we went but this was definitely not where I had been previously, it comprised only private dining rooms. Sod it, we were there so we took a room and ordered food. Despite the fact I had rather built up the idea of a Chinese version of pizza as being my lunch, the sizzling rice, beef and tomato pots Ollivier and I had and the beef and pepper version Coco had, it wasn’t bad nosh. We threw in some breaded, slightly spicy chicken pieces and a few beers and I was perfectly happy.
After we returned a nap was required so I put my legs under the quilt on the bed, dragged the chair close and reclined. I really should have turned the phone off, for I was disturbed by messages four times. One day I will learn my lesson. Tomorrow though Ollivier and I are going alone just for breakfast. Kevin has been in Anqing all day getting his car serviced in advance of the MOT and I assume will not return until later this evening after he has had a celebratory meal for his sixtieth birthday. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.
Saturday, 7 March 2015
Thursday 5th March, 2015 Lantern Festival 1620
Well yesterday’s exertions may have eased the hip for going to bed but it didn’t do anything to improve the morning after. I still had to take analgesia half an hour before setting out at lunchtime. Doubtless this is yet another sign of advancing years and the increased recovery time. Odd though that after the event it feels so much better.
I got up at ten and was greeted by a text from Mulan and one from Ollivier. She was asking if it was wise for me to ride to school (I had let her have the bike for the morning to go to class) and he was offering me a lift in his car because of the snow. Snow? What snow??
On looking out after drawing the curtains back, there was evidence of white stuff but none on the roads. I was going to ride. And bloody freezing it was too, I think it was damned near the coldest day we have had this winter - in March!
Having had egg fried rice in various guises for the past three days, and not having eaten a lot of it either time, I decided I just had to go to town to get some decent food so Ollivier has very kindly agreed to drive us to the Sichuan restaurant for dinner. His wife doesn’t want to come so I am now trying to find a “date” to make up the numbers - the portions are too big for just two people so ideally you need at least four.
Saturday 7th 1700
We ended up with just the two of us driving towards town, all the students and friends I had asked either had classes, had eaten of simply blew me out. We had gone a couple of miles when suddenly Anna replied to say that yes, she could come with us so we turned back to get her. Whilst we were waiting for her to powder her nose Ollivier spotted two of his students heading for their dormitory and said “You want I should invite them too?” The more being the merrier, I readily agreed. The pair had already eaten but in good rapacious student style agreed to come for their second dinner in less than an hour! We had gone from two to five in the space of a few minutes.
We dined on a whole Beijing duck, some cold chicken and veg thing which was too fiery for me, prawn cakes which could have been so good had they not been too oily from deep frying and I had spotted they now do a sweet and sour fish. The latter was good but not a patch on the Tongling one, the sauce tasted a bit earthy/grassy for my liking but certainly it will be a consideration on subsequent visits.
Friday night Kevin and I had been invited by the small school for their new term teachers’ dinner. It was the usual soiree, as usual I only found a couple of dishes to my liking (the main one being a pork and tomato soup even though I mistook the pork for fish - wondered why there were no bones!) and there was wine and beer. After being confined to barracks for a fortnight it was a good feeling to be able to have different scenery.
I had arranged to go with Ollivier this morning for a McBreakfast but he had cried off due to Coco having a fever. Kevin, on hearing this, very kindly offered to step in. I then turned it into a foursome by inviting Joan and Anna and it was my treat.
Three days of going to class have patently taken it out of me because going downstairs this morning was particularly tiring and painful, as was the short click/shuffle into McDonald’s. But the breakfast I had longed for was close. Or was it?
It was manned by the holiday replacements.
They had run out of hash browns. They had also run out of jam, instead providing us with ketchup for our muffins. Two bloody weeks I had waited for this moment and they had to spoil it. In fairness the relief manager did ask if we would like something in exchange for the browns, suggesting a dough stick. This is particular to China/the Far East and is hardly something I would want so I suggested we were each given an extra sausage patty, this being probably the most expensive component. I asked Joan to ask them for jam and they insisted they had none but when she pointed out I had some time ago deposited a jar of pineapple jam in their safekeeping for just such an eventuality, the jar was produced and we were happy.
Ollivier and Co are off shopping in the morning so again I will be having a breakfast, this time they will have to abandon me in McDonald’s while they go shopping. I will be fine sitting with coffee and jing jo. Joan in the meantime, brick that she is, went with friends and has returned with pet meat enough for a week and nine bottles of wine. I have also taken the plunge and ordered a load of imported pies for 513y. That guarantees that a couple of times a week at least, I can have food I relish.
The hip is making grindingly slow progress and frustrating me hugely. If I didn’t have the x-rays in my bedroom (you get to take them home with you here) I would swear there was more wrong than they told me. I just have to be patient but it’s hard when you feel impatient! On the bright side Ollivier has spoken with the secretary and now has had all our classrooms reorganised so all my lessons are in the same room and I no longer have to get a nosebleed by ascending to the fifth floor.
Well yesterday’s exertions may have eased the hip for going to bed but it didn’t do anything to improve the morning after. I still had to take analgesia half an hour before setting out at lunchtime. Doubtless this is yet another sign of advancing years and the increased recovery time. Odd though that after the event it feels so much better.
I got up at ten and was greeted by a text from Mulan and one from Ollivier. She was asking if it was wise for me to ride to school (I had let her have the bike for the morning to go to class) and he was offering me a lift in his car because of the snow. Snow? What snow??
On looking out after drawing the curtains back, there was evidence of white stuff but none on the roads. I was going to ride. And bloody freezing it was too, I think it was damned near the coldest day we have had this winter - in March!
Having had egg fried rice in various guises for the past three days, and not having eaten a lot of it either time, I decided I just had to go to town to get some decent food so Ollivier has very kindly agreed to drive us to the Sichuan restaurant for dinner. His wife doesn’t want to come so I am now trying to find a “date” to make up the numbers - the portions are too big for just two people so ideally you need at least four.
Saturday 7th 1700
We ended up with just the two of us driving towards town, all the students and friends I had asked either had classes, had eaten of simply blew me out. We had gone a couple of miles when suddenly Anna replied to say that yes, she could come with us so we turned back to get her. Whilst we were waiting for her to powder her nose Ollivier spotted two of his students heading for their dormitory and said “You want I should invite them too?” The more being the merrier, I readily agreed. The pair had already eaten but in good rapacious student style agreed to come for their second dinner in less than an hour! We had gone from two to five in the space of a few minutes.
We dined on a whole Beijing duck, some cold chicken and veg thing which was too fiery for me, prawn cakes which could have been so good had they not been too oily from deep frying and I had spotted they now do a sweet and sour fish. The latter was good but not a patch on the Tongling one, the sauce tasted a bit earthy/grassy for my liking but certainly it will be a consideration on subsequent visits.
Friday night Kevin and I had been invited by the small school for their new term teachers’ dinner. It was the usual soiree, as usual I only found a couple of dishes to my liking (the main one being a pork and tomato soup even though I mistook the pork for fish - wondered why there were no bones!) and there was wine and beer. After being confined to barracks for a fortnight it was a good feeling to be able to have different scenery.
I had arranged to go with Ollivier this morning for a McBreakfast but he had cried off due to Coco having a fever. Kevin, on hearing this, very kindly offered to step in. I then turned it into a foursome by inviting Joan and Anna and it was my treat.
Three days of going to class have patently taken it out of me because going downstairs this morning was particularly tiring and painful, as was the short click/shuffle into McDonald’s. But the breakfast I had longed for was close. Or was it?
It was manned by the holiday replacements.
They had run out of hash browns. They had also run out of jam, instead providing us with ketchup for our muffins. Two bloody weeks I had waited for this moment and they had to spoil it. In fairness the relief manager did ask if we would like something in exchange for the browns, suggesting a dough stick. This is particular to China/the Far East and is hardly something I would want so I suggested we were each given an extra sausage patty, this being probably the most expensive component. I asked Joan to ask them for jam and they insisted they had none but when she pointed out I had some time ago deposited a jar of pineapple jam in their safekeeping for just such an eventuality, the jar was produced and we were happy.
Ollivier and Co are off shopping in the morning so again I will be having a breakfast, this time they will have to abandon me in McDonald’s while they go shopping. I will be fine sitting with coffee and jing jo. Joan in the meantime, brick that she is, went with friends and has returned with pet meat enough for a week and nine bottles of wine. I have also taken the plunge and ordered a load of imported pies for 513y. That guarantees that a couple of times a week at least, I can have food I relish.
The hip is making grindingly slow progress and frustrating me hugely. If I didn’t have the x-rays in my bedroom (you get to take them home with you here) I would swear there was more wrong than they told me. I just have to be patient but it’s hard when you feel impatient! On the bright side Ollivier has spoken with the secretary and now has had all our classrooms reorganised so all my lessons are in the same room and I no longer have to get a nosebleed by ascending to the fifth floor.
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Tuesday 3rd March, 2015 1340
Yesterday saw the return of the horde next door in the early evening, although so far I have only seen Ollivier. Not surprising considering I am a bit of a stay at home lately. Mulan was going to dinner with her roommates or classmates and understandably didn’t want to cook for me so I asked her if she could just make me a luncheon meat baguette. There are always huge problems when asking a Chinese person to prepare even a simple western-style item of food and this was no exception. She cut the luncheon meat so thick it was almost an inch! I like the stuff but not that much!
Last night’s sleep was less than satisfactory. I woke up maybe four hours after getting off and then was completely unable to find a position I could lie in which was free from discomfort. I fidgeted for about an hour but finally gave up and got out of bed just after eight. I sincerely hope there isn’t a repeat tonight.
Ollivier went to town shopping, he has his car back, and he is going to hopefully get me a few things. With the amount of items out of stock in the various shops and supermarket I have developed a theory that for the spring festival week there are no fresh deliveries. If this is true then that would go some way towards explaining exactly why the Chinese do bulk buying for new year even though the shops are still open.
Mulan never came back last night so I was left to fend for myself although Ollivier, Joan and Anna all visited. Now, tomorrow is a fortnight since the accident and yet when I get out of bed in the morning, still I am still unable to sit comfortably. That state is only achieved after six or more hours so I delayed cleaning myself up until almost noon. This will sound odd but believe it or not, sitting on the toilet is actually more comfortable than in the armchair.
I have been a little more mobile today, fetching my own beers (carrier bag draped over the armrest of a crutch), unlocking the front door, taking pet meat out of the freezer etc and I have to say I am dreading tomorrow morning. The plan is to get up at seven and leave on the bike at about nine. Hopefully I won’t come a cropper (when I stop I always use my left leg to keep the bike upright so I need to be careful) and that will give me over an hour to climb to the fourth floor.
I am having serious doubts about my ability to do it. In fact I am now worried as to whether the good leg can handle it. At least I won’t have my bag, Caroline will take it to my first class and until I am better I will be leaving it in classrooms. I also have a novel to while away the lonely hour and a half lunch break.
Wednesday 4th D Day 1615
When I went to bed last night not only did I take strong painkillers to try and ensure a reasonable night’s sleep but it was with trepidation over being able to get to class at all this morning.
I did indeed get a decent rest but on waking the hip did not bode well for what I was about to embark upon. Visions of getting part of the way there and having to admit defeat loomed large. As I left my home for the first time in two weeks my mind alternated between doubt and determination. By this time I had decided that as a last resort I would go up and down the stairs on my arse and to hell with how dirty my trousers got. Personal and professional pride were at stake here and believe it or not “Quit Ye Like Men Be Strong” resonated in the far recesses of my brain.
As I locked the door a young teacher came down the stairs and asked what was wrong. I told him and suggested he got downstairs first as I would be some time. “Doesn’t matter”, said he. At the top of the stairs I weighed up my preferred option for descending (other than a lift!) which was to use the crutches under both arms. Having tentatively tried one step, I had misgivings and envisaged me tumbling head first down them so changed tactic. The young lad grabbed me and said “Let me help you”. well that was surely only going to make matters worse, so I (rather understandingly I thought) declined his offer and told him so but thanked him for his kind offer. Two crutches under one arm and the other on the banister and I was in business. At the bottom I wondered how the hell I was going to get through the rest of it once I got to the teaching block.
I almost had an uneventful e-bike ride down there, not a student in sight just after nine and all was going swimmingly until I got under the building and, when riding between two pillars, caught the crutches (which were laid athwartships on the floorpan) and very nearly came a cropper. Making a mental note to remember that when I left in the afternoon, provided I actually got there, I parked up and took a deep breath.
Here goes.
The steps are bigger than in our accommodation so with a crutch either side I started my long and lonely ascent, stopping every few steps - not because of the bad side but the good, which was feeling the strain. It took twenty-five minutes to reach the 4th floor and by the time I got there, had I have eaten breakfast I would have brought it up again. But I had made it.
I was 45 minutes early for my class. I have never been that early! Rather annoyingly there was (I think) a Korean lesson taking place so I couldn’t go in but I did cadge a small stool from the supervisor on which I could sit and have a smoke whilst waiting for ten o’clock.
One thing that had worried me was how much discomfort I would be in when I was sitting in the small office chair provided for teachers. I shouldn’t have worried because in fact my hip was, for the first time, completely and utterly devoid of pain! It was actually perfect and suddenly the thought of spending the entire day in it, far from being unpleasant, was now going to be a delight.
And that’s the way it went, I had taken a bottle of juice and there was a novel in my bag so now the lonely lunch break seemed positively a pleasure. Joan, bless her golden heart, turned up at 1245 - three quarters of an hour before her class started. She can only have left her previous class, grabbed a quick bite and then returned to keep me company. Not that she did, mind, because I immediately gave her my bank card, PIN and sent her on my bike to go and get me some cash from the ATM. I had given Mulan my last 10y last night to go and get us some egg fried rice for dinner so I was penniless. One really good thing to come from all this besides the fact the school has no comeback on me for taking time off, is that I was able to mention to my classes that perhaps they will think twice in future before asking for classes off because they have a headache, stomach ache, cold or fever. I could almost see some of their brains ticking over wondering what excuses they can now give instead of telling the truth.
If I am honest, although coming down took five minutes less than going up, it was in fact worse on my good hip. Now though I know I can do it and how long it takes, so although I shall still leave plenty of time I won’t be kicking my heels (as if I could) for as long in future. And who knows, this may well just hasten the recovery process.
Onwards and upwards!
Yesterday saw the return of the horde next door in the early evening, although so far I have only seen Ollivier. Not surprising considering I am a bit of a stay at home lately. Mulan was going to dinner with her roommates or classmates and understandably didn’t want to cook for me so I asked her if she could just make me a luncheon meat baguette. There are always huge problems when asking a Chinese person to prepare even a simple western-style item of food and this was no exception. She cut the luncheon meat so thick it was almost an inch! I like the stuff but not that much!
Last night’s sleep was less than satisfactory. I woke up maybe four hours after getting off and then was completely unable to find a position I could lie in which was free from discomfort. I fidgeted for about an hour but finally gave up and got out of bed just after eight. I sincerely hope there isn’t a repeat tonight.
Ollivier went to town shopping, he has his car back, and he is going to hopefully get me a few things. With the amount of items out of stock in the various shops and supermarket I have developed a theory that for the spring festival week there are no fresh deliveries. If this is true then that would go some way towards explaining exactly why the Chinese do bulk buying for new year even though the shops are still open.
Mulan never came back last night so I was left to fend for myself although Ollivier, Joan and Anna all visited. Now, tomorrow is a fortnight since the accident and yet when I get out of bed in the morning, still I am still unable to sit comfortably. That state is only achieved after six or more hours so I delayed cleaning myself up until almost noon. This will sound odd but believe it or not, sitting on the toilet is actually more comfortable than in the armchair.
I have been a little more mobile today, fetching my own beers (carrier bag draped over the armrest of a crutch), unlocking the front door, taking pet meat out of the freezer etc and I have to say I am dreading tomorrow morning. The plan is to get up at seven and leave on the bike at about nine. Hopefully I won’t come a cropper (when I stop I always use my left leg to keep the bike upright so I need to be careful) and that will give me over an hour to climb to the fourth floor.
I am having serious doubts about my ability to do it. In fact I am now worried as to whether the good leg can handle it. At least I won’t have my bag, Caroline will take it to my first class and until I am better I will be leaving it in classrooms. I also have a novel to while away the lonely hour and a half lunch break.
Wednesday 4th D Day 1615
When I went to bed last night not only did I take strong painkillers to try and ensure a reasonable night’s sleep but it was with trepidation over being able to get to class at all this morning.
I did indeed get a decent rest but on waking the hip did not bode well for what I was about to embark upon. Visions of getting part of the way there and having to admit defeat loomed large. As I left my home for the first time in two weeks my mind alternated between doubt and determination. By this time I had decided that as a last resort I would go up and down the stairs on my arse and to hell with how dirty my trousers got. Personal and professional pride were at stake here and believe it or not “Quit Ye Like Men Be Strong” resonated in the far recesses of my brain.
As I locked the door a young teacher came down the stairs and asked what was wrong. I told him and suggested he got downstairs first as I would be some time. “Doesn’t matter”, said he. At the top of the stairs I weighed up my preferred option for descending (other than a lift!) which was to use the crutches under both arms. Having tentatively tried one step, I had misgivings and envisaged me tumbling head first down them so changed tactic. The young lad grabbed me and said “Let me help you”. well that was surely only going to make matters worse, so I (rather understandingly I thought) declined his offer and told him so but thanked him for his kind offer. Two crutches under one arm and the other on the banister and I was in business. At the bottom I wondered how the hell I was going to get through the rest of it once I got to the teaching block.
I almost had an uneventful e-bike ride down there, not a student in sight just after nine and all was going swimmingly until I got under the building and, when riding between two pillars, caught the crutches (which were laid athwartships on the floorpan) and very nearly came a cropper. Making a mental note to remember that when I left in the afternoon, provided I actually got there, I parked up and took a deep breath.
Here goes.
The steps are bigger than in our accommodation so with a crutch either side I started my long and lonely ascent, stopping every few steps - not because of the bad side but the good, which was feeling the strain. It took twenty-five minutes to reach the 4th floor and by the time I got there, had I have eaten breakfast I would have brought it up again. But I had made it.
I was 45 minutes early for my class. I have never been that early! Rather annoyingly there was (I think) a Korean lesson taking place so I couldn’t go in but I did cadge a small stool from the supervisor on which I could sit and have a smoke whilst waiting for ten o’clock.
One thing that had worried me was how much discomfort I would be in when I was sitting in the small office chair provided for teachers. I shouldn’t have worried because in fact my hip was, for the first time, completely and utterly devoid of pain! It was actually perfect and suddenly the thought of spending the entire day in it, far from being unpleasant, was now going to be a delight.
And that’s the way it went, I had taken a bottle of juice and there was a novel in my bag so now the lonely lunch break seemed positively a pleasure. Joan, bless her golden heart, turned up at 1245 - three quarters of an hour before her class started. She can only have left her previous class, grabbed a quick bite and then returned to keep me company. Not that she did, mind, because I immediately gave her my bank card, PIN and sent her on my bike to go and get me some cash from the ATM. I had given Mulan my last 10y last night to go and get us some egg fried rice for dinner so I was penniless. One really good thing to come from all this besides the fact the school has no comeback on me for taking time off, is that I was able to mention to my classes that perhaps they will think twice in future before asking for classes off because they have a headache, stomach ache, cold or fever. I could almost see some of their brains ticking over wondering what excuses they can now give instead of telling the truth.
If I am honest, although coming down took five minutes less than going up, it was in fact worse on my good hip. Now though I know I can do it and how long it takes, so although I shall still leave plenty of time I won’t be kicking my heels (as if I could) for as long in future. And who knows, this may well just hasten the recovery process.
Onwards and upwards!
Sunday, 1 March 2015
Sunday 1st March, 2015 2230
Yet another day with scant improvement. The concerns are slowly increasing, albeit at a faster rate than the recovery.
Kevin finally came to visit this afternoon and brought me the boxer shorts I had ordered in the UK - can’t get proper ones here for love nor money. As often happens when he goes away, on his return he has eaten something dodgy and has the galloping trots which have now become supplemented by psychedelic yawns. He had a go at me some months ago because I eat more western than Chinese food, told me I should try to embrace the cuisine here. He of course needs to because his aim is to retire in the Philippines. The thing is, certainly I haven’t left and come back as many times as he has but the only time I got a dose of Ghandi’s Revenge was actually when I went BACK to the UK! Mind you, I blame that on Guinness and cider.
From my balcony window I have observed many cars coming and going so maybe half the students are back now with the remainder to follow tomorrow. Anna was coming back today but had to postpone, she needs to get some travel document for Hong Kong (yes, I can go without a visa and stay for six months but Chinese people need a permit - gospel) and it was delayed so she will be here tomorrow instead. Joan is currently on the only train from Suzhou to here, an overnight from 1800-0330. Of course she won’t be able to get into her dormitory at four in the morning so a safe berth has been offered here. If she takes up the offer then I will be outnumbered three to one as Sarah, Mulan’s sister, is here as well for the night before she heads off to her own university in Guangzhou (Canton) tomorrow.
I am fed, Mulan having had her first ever attempt at bangers, mash and beans. Not bad for a virgin try, in fact the only criticism I could level was that she took my injunction regarding not burning the beans a little too literally - they were barely lukewarm. Who cares, it was food I could eat.
Olivier and the horde arrive tomorrow, I had Mulan switch his radiator on so hopefully the place won’t be frozen when they arrive and then he will need to come and rescue his chair (I will miss that) and his plates and cutlery we have been using.
I know it has only been a fortnight but it seems as if most of my holiday has been spent as a cripple. Probably because it thwarted the trips I had intended but nonetheless I feel cheated. At least if I don’t finally manage to kill myself there is still Wuhu during the tomb sweeping holiday to look forward to. Panoramic views of the Yangtse and use of the executive lounge for free drinks of course. No use dwelling on what has been or might have been.
Oh - Mulan went shopping today and I asked her to get some big socks so I could stick one over the cast. She couldn’t find any but well done, she got some stretchy woollen leggings which do the trick.
So I leave you tonight with my brain in overdrive trying to work out how I can reasonably safely get to and from the teaching block. Once I am there it will only be a matter of time regarding me getting up and down the stairs but for now the real problem is transport. It may well end up being my bike.
Yet another day with scant improvement. The concerns are slowly increasing, albeit at a faster rate than the recovery.
Kevin finally came to visit this afternoon and brought me the boxer shorts I had ordered in the UK - can’t get proper ones here for love nor money. As often happens when he goes away, on his return he has eaten something dodgy and has the galloping trots which have now become supplemented by psychedelic yawns. He had a go at me some months ago because I eat more western than Chinese food, told me I should try to embrace the cuisine here. He of course needs to because his aim is to retire in the Philippines. The thing is, certainly I haven’t left and come back as many times as he has but the only time I got a dose of Ghandi’s Revenge was actually when I went BACK to the UK! Mind you, I blame that on Guinness and cider.
From my balcony window I have observed many cars coming and going so maybe half the students are back now with the remainder to follow tomorrow. Anna was coming back today but had to postpone, she needs to get some travel document for Hong Kong (yes, I can go without a visa and stay for six months but Chinese people need a permit - gospel) and it was delayed so she will be here tomorrow instead. Joan is currently on the only train from Suzhou to here, an overnight from 1800-0330. Of course she won’t be able to get into her dormitory at four in the morning so a safe berth has been offered here. If she takes up the offer then I will be outnumbered three to one as Sarah, Mulan’s sister, is here as well for the night before she heads off to her own university in Guangzhou (Canton) tomorrow.
I am fed, Mulan having had her first ever attempt at bangers, mash and beans. Not bad for a virgin try, in fact the only criticism I could level was that she took my injunction regarding not burning the beans a little too literally - they were barely lukewarm. Who cares, it was food I could eat.
Olivier and the horde arrive tomorrow, I had Mulan switch his radiator on so hopefully the place won’t be frozen when they arrive and then he will need to come and rescue his chair (I will miss that) and his plates and cutlery we have been using.
I know it has only been a fortnight but it seems as if most of my holiday has been spent as a cripple. Probably because it thwarted the trips I had intended but nonetheless I feel cheated. At least if I don’t finally manage to kill myself there is still Wuhu during the tomb sweeping holiday to look forward to. Panoramic views of the Yangtse and use of the executive lounge for free drinks of course. No use dwelling on what has been or might have been.
Oh - Mulan went shopping today and I asked her to get some big socks so I could stick one over the cast. She couldn’t find any but well done, she got some stretchy woollen leggings which do the trick.
So I leave you tonight with my brain in overdrive trying to work out how I can reasonably safely get to and from the teaching block. Once I am there it will only be a matter of time regarding me getting up and down the stairs but for now the real problem is transport. It may well end up being my bike.