Monday 24th August, 2015                        1930

Bit of a boring and lazy day today, I didn’t even sweep up or change the cat litter - it can wait until tomorrow. Eventually I ventured out just before four to go to the business street for beer and jing jo (and milk seeing as I now have an urge to start making French toast). I came back and deposited my shopping at home before going back down again. I could easily have stayed in, I have frittata and tuna pasta frozen to eat but I wanted to get out.

It was only to go to RT Mart and have a “gourmet” fast food dinner at Ke Bi Wang but it meant I was out. As I parked the bike I cursed as I missed the bus by about a minute. Nothing too calamitous though, it leaves every ten minutes so I went to the stop to wait for the next one. Lucky me as it turned out.

Whilst waiting I watched as a car belonging to one of the restaurant owners in the business street started to overtake a motorised putt-putt which itself was going at a fair lick. I also observed another car about to exit the business street, the driver oblivious of the road battle heading his way. He pulled out and both the other vehicles were near enough upon the right turn they needed so there ensued screeches of tyres on tarmac as all three tried (successfully) to avoid each other. It amazed me that the restaurant owner felt that gaining two seconds was worth risking damaging his own or other people’s vehicles or worse, maiming or killing someone. Utter madness and thank God no e-bikes were caught up in it.

Anyway the bus came and off we went. On the outskirts of town I realised I had been fortunate indeed, for the bus I had missed had broken down and our bus had to rescue the passengers. I had my seat so I cared not.

After a swift dinner I went shopping for eggy bread ingredients. Considering I will put cinnamon and nutmeg in the mix I don’t think it matters that it is sweet Chinese bread but what irked me was that, despite having had it previously, today they didn’t have any maple syrup. Either Kevin or Ollivier had my last bottle and I think it was the latter so he will have used the lot on his omnipresent pancakes. I could go and look as I have keys to both flats until Cinny is back but I think it would be fruitless. When Joan returns I will order some online at £5 a bottle. For now I need to make do with honey.

Talking of returns, on the way to the bus I noticed a fair few students returning a fortnight early and some of the previously locked dormitories appearing to be open for business. There have been sufficient numbers who stayed on campus throughout for some of the shops and restaurants in the business street to remain open (a first) so maybe that will be the way of the summer vacations from now on.

The teachers class schedules are still not on the school website so I have no idea if I will have some western company next term, although I did find an internet advertisement placed in late June for two English teachers being urgently required. Interestingly the salary stipulated ranged from 500 below to 500 above mine so I will be making enquiries as to why, in my sixth year, I am not on the highest band. I won’t hold my breath though, it will be bound to be brushed aside as a misunderstanding.

2330

I wasn’t going to complete this one tonight but I am at a loose end.

There are lights on in dormitories that have been dark for two months. I have been doing my homework on the Harbin ice city/Shenyang trip for spring festival and I am concerned I may not be able to fund it. Well, if I can actually get flights (during spring festival the entire population of China seems to travel) for below 700y each way then I have a chance. I honestly don’t want to spend the same amount to sit for 8 hours on a train with no smoking. And of course I can’t go from here, I have to go from Hefei regardless of whether it is train or plane so a hotel room will be needed both before and after. If it happens the best I can hope for is to spend a month’s wages on travel and rooms alone  but I really do really want to do it and take Joan with me. I can but pray the proofreading will start swamping me once again.

The big problem as it stands is whether I still have a job next September because if not then I need every penny to survive two months or so with no income and possibly staying in a cheap hotel , not to mention relocation costs and turfing five moggies out into the wild.

Whilst it is no secret that my deepest wish is to remain in China, I did find myself considering what I would do if my job here came to an end in a year. A long way off yet (well actually not that far off, the older you get the quicker it comes!) but I surprisingly, perhaps because it would show ingratitude to me for my service here, turned my thoughts to teaching in other countries.

That was the original plan when I embarked on the odyssey. It went out of the window once I got here but for some really insane reason Ecuador is still lodged in my brain. I know it’s dangerous and I should banish all thoughts but the complete insecurity of working in China from one year to the next is not conducive towards making plans.

I don’t fancy Indonesia (like the country but bad reports about teaching), Outer Mongolia is a possibility but bloody hell it’s cold. Forget Japan or South Korea, both seem to treat foreign teachers like something they stepped in and Vietnam and Thailand by all accounts simply take you for a mug.

I don’t know, I am just in one of those reflective moods. It’s not as if I have much of a working life left, the big sixty arrives in just over 8 months and the last place I want to spend my retirement in is the UK.