Tuesday 28th July, 2015                        1300

Yesterday was a breakfast run and I left at the same time as Joan. Until Friday she is teaching one to one with one of the kids from Helen’s school who is so far behind it’s not worth him attending, then in the afternoons at a summer school run by one of our teachers.

She takes the 7 bus in but cycles to the west gate, said bike was a gift from Ollivier when he left. He had thought he could sell it back to the shop where he bought it for a decent sum but was only offered 50y. Instead he gave it away, although Joan did buy him a bottle of wine by way of thanks.

I was taking the 29 but pass by the west gate on the way, so we rode together, I stayed a little behind her and to her left. Every now and again she glanced back to see where I was, which prompted me to remark to her that she couldn’t possibly be Chinese. When she asked why, I told her the Chinese don’t look, they just assume everyone will avoid hitting them!

There were a surprising number on the bus very early into the trip, including one relatively large and stocky but gormless looking bald man who sat at the front in the side-facing seats. I noticed he kept looking at me and giving an idiotic grin but hoped it was directed at the person in front of me and he knew them. I never acknowledged him. A few minutes later he rose and made his way to the rear of the bus where I was. A woman nearby admonished him curtly and then he turned to me. He held out an empty plastic container. Not only did he have mental problems but he was a beggar as well. I refused him money but he persisted. Again I refused and then he gestured for a cigarette. If a 1y cigar would get rid of him, I decided he could have one, otherwise one of us was possibly going to get hurt - and I wasn’t entirely sure which of us!

Satisfied, he found a seat opposite me and directly behind the woman who had berated him earlier. She must have been familiar with him, for she spent the rest of the trip leaning as far forward out of her seat as possible. In a country with very little state aid one has to wonder how people such as this manage to live, I can’t see him being very successful at begging, most people would be frightened away.

Later that day Joan came back and appeared despondent. I asked her what the matter was and she told me. The students had been given tests that day. I had seen the paper she had set for her class and I have to say it was an incredibly easy multiple guess and fill in the space type of thing. Many of her students had failed even this simple task and she seemed to blame herself. Apparently the boys are all naughty and don’t pay any attention so I reminded her that teachers can only open the door to knowledge, the students have to step through that door - you can’t force them.

Then what should have been a bombshell (but wasn’t) came. Every other student in the school had passed their class tests with 100% scores. Surprise, surprise. Far be it for me to suggest that perhaps the other teachers provided the answers or amended the papers when they were marked but Joan was told her students must retake the same test today and the school owner required 100% across the board. Let the parents think it was money well spent sending them to summer school because little Ping did so terribly well.

I sent an email on Saturday to John (the summer camp school owner) telling him not to leave everything to the last minute, one of his handy traits. He had asked, nay begged, me to go and play games with his six classes of new students, one lesson each class. I agreed to do two a day for three days. Blow me if I didn’t get a text yesterday morning on the bus asking if I could do two later that day. No I couldn’t, why had he left it so late when I specifically reminded him days before? He hadn’t read his emails since returning from Hefei last Wednesday! I give up. It is now arranged for me to do it tomorrow, Thursday and Friday and for once all three pairs of classes are back to back with no huge breaks in between.

The rains seem to have well and truly departed, the 10 day forecast is wall to wall 35C highs, in stark contrast to the moans I hear of how chilly it is in the UK. I am debating whether to bike to town tonight, Lynda is departing for a job soon and wants to treat me to dinner at a new restaurant near the No 1 hospital. Unfortunately she and her friends also plan to go on to KTV (karaoke) afterwards and I hate the places. I will do my best to get out of it but out of courtesy may end up having to go for an hour.