Tuesday 23rd June, 2015                        1730

On Monday Ollivier very kindly offered to go for breakfast and shopping (I needed a replenishment of cheap wine and still do) and it was also handy because my fridge is so cold (kept that way for amber nectar reasons) that the lettuce I had bought for last night was frostbitten.

He just had a McCafe and I a muffin - I wasn’t hungry either but I see no point in going there and not eating. Still no bloody wine (well not the cheap stuff) but I did get the gear for another meal tomorrow night which Kevin and Ollivier can come and take home to eat.

Last night was always going to be fraught - at least for me - and yes, it was a great evening (Kevin and I even had a couple of heated arguments for old times sake, lately we haven‘t). the prawn cocktails, while not exactly conventional seeing as they were in Coke glasses (see photo one of two) appeared to be enjoyed, as did the bangers, mash and beans.

What happened next completely threw me. We had been sitting chatting for ages when Kevin suddenly blurted to Olivier “Are we having a dessert or not?”

Bloody hell. No wonder he had kept it secret. He had made a cake (photo 2) and “iced” it with meringue. The Union flag on one side and the Chinese flag on the other for the students. He stated the French flag was underneath and to be honest I never picked up on that until Ollivier started cutting into the cake. Then it was obvious - he had made it in three layers and had bought dye online so the three layers were the French tricolour. Astonishing and I doff my cap to his thoughtfulness. The cake itself was awful because it was too sweet but that does not detract in any way from the consideration and ingenuity which went into it.

As it was the last ever we will have as a team I felt we should crack open a bottle of Sandemans I have had in my flat for about a year. And it HAD to be finished. Sadly Ollivier had ensured all of Kevin’s wine had been drunk plus some of his own prior to this. It was to have a telling effect on me later. So port and cheese it was.

I sincerely hope Anna, Joan and Shanee appreciated the momentousness of the occasion for we three Kings of Orient, they being the the Chosen Ones for something so special for us.

Anyway, for once I wasn’t wearing my watch and it was with some surprise on my part when Kevin announced it was almost midnight. Previously at these affairs the girls have all chattered away in Chinese for a couple of minutes and then announced they had to leave before their dormitories were locked (at 2300) and they couldn’t get in. It never happened and so of course they were now all locked out.

Three girls with nowhere to sleep. Needless to say they were all accommodated and whilst the school would look very badly upon it, it was simply the right and honourable thing to do. I had two of them - and of course we all have spare bedrooms.

In five years in China no student has ever seen me really drunk and although I have tied a few on in the privacy of my own home I reckon last night was the pinnacle to date. Oh yes, sitting at the table I was fine. It was when the girls and I got home and after they went to their temporary lodgings that it all went wrong.

I can remember most of it but not quite what caused it. I suspect I may have been taking off my trousers (can’t stand on one leg anyway any more) but the next thing I knew was I was flat on my back on the floor and struggling to get back up. It is entirely possible that left alone I would have simply decided it was the best place to stay and just go to sleep but without asking Joan about it I am not sure whether I made such a crash so as to prompt her to come rushing in to get me up on my feet or she was simply coming to say goodnight. She sort of admonished me and said I should go to bed. I didn’t of course, I was just happy to be able to sit in my chair - the one I think that ran away shortly before, causing my embarrassing mishap. A little later I turned in.

When I got up this morning my left ribcage was agony, as was my shoulder and in the shower I noticed a nasty contusion on my right leg. Quite how I sustained these injuries simply by falling over in a bedroom are beyond me but they certainly fit the pattern this Chinese new year has fallen into - keep Steve in constant pain!

I don’t care (I’m tough, I was a sailor) because it was a great (if rather sad) night and one I shall certainly remember.

At lunchtime today Ollivier and I went back to town for a Big Mac and to see if t

hey had my wine. They didn’t but I bought a baguette to have later after what was to be an afternoon nap but which will now be an evening one, with the three sausages that were left. I also bought some stuff to make tomorrow’s dinner. Sadly Joan will not spend much time with me for the next few weeks because she needs to revise for her exams and of course I have to agree with it - whenever she is here it is at least a couple of hours although she gets fed plenty - and I want her to do well. There will be time in the summer to be together.

It has been warm and muggy today. After Ollivier and I got back from town we had a couple in the office and came home. I was going to bed from five to seven but now it looks to be six-thirty until eight. That’s what happens when I start to blog - all or nothing.