Thursday 10th September, 2015                1530

And so endeth my fist week of this academic year. This time though it has been tough to restart, entirely self-inflicted due to not disciplining myself to go to bed early enough but in mitigation, at the times I should have called it a day I simply wasn’t tired. I certainly was when the alarm went off though!

It was no different this morning but I was buoyed by the fact it is teachers day. With the prospect of being showered with gifts and fat red envelopes by my students, I joyously ascended the stairs to the fourth floor of the Bocai building.

What did I get?

Good morning class!
Good morning! Happy teachers day!

Not even an apple.

In all honesty I don’t want students spending money on buying me things (unless perhaps a group want to take me out for dinner, that’s different) and apart from that a year ago it was made illegal for teachers to take gratuities from students or parents. I am sure it still goes on in return for good marks but I don’t play by those rules. Instead I simply asked my class how they could say happy teachers day when I don’t even get a day off to celebrate it? They appeared to see the funny side of it.

Today and yesterday I managed to actually stand for the first period, something I haven’t been able to do since breaking my pelvis so despite my fears that I may never fully recover, I now believe I will at least eventually get back to somewhere approaching normality.

After class I was riding off on my bike from under the building when I heard a voice shouting “be careful!” I stopped and looked around. It had come from the rather dapper Chinese teacher who in colder months always sports a jacket and tie. Really nice guy. Before riding off I quipped back that I am always careful, it’s the others I worry about (and with good reason).

Then it was time to go to town. Again I rode all the way to the terminus, hoping that there would be a horde of students boarding when the bus stopped at the university instead of just a few as was the case last time. On this occasion Plan B worked. I had my favourite seat and on arrival at south gate the bus instantly filled with both teachers  and pupils. If only I could do the same for the return journey.

It seems odd to travel half an our each way simply to spend twenty minutes in the supermarket  only to come straight back but money is tight until payday and with it falling on Saturday if I am lucky we will be paid early on Friday or more likely it will be Monday. So pennies must be watched.

Plus of course I am low on so many things I need from Taobao online now that I reckon Joan will have to order at least 500y of stuff ranging from Branston to mustard to kidney beans. There will be no new e-bike this year. Next year for sure if I am not thrown away for being too old.

Joan is coming for dinner tomorrow and I don’t know what to cook (I will go shopping again in the morning and possibly have McBreakfast) - she is of no help as when I asked her what she wanted to eat the answer was “anything”. I did have plans to make myself breakfast tonight but now I may have to do that tomorrow, in which case tonight will be possibly tuna/mayo/cucumber wraps. Or of course I could actually go out and eat Chinese for a change!

2400

Haha!

Just seen on the university website that for teachers day the leaders visited all the teachers. Not a soul came to my classroom! The internet very often presents a utopia, as I have found to my disgust when booking hotels.

Time for bed now, I intend to get up early for a McBreakfast. Joan is staying tonight because her lazy dormitory “auntie” closed the building early. I have elected to make enchiladas tomorrow night for Joan, Andrei, Juliette and I. As always, if I am providing the food, the others have to provide the wine! Maybe one day I will be able to do bugger all and just buy a couple of bottles but for now I do make the best chilli enchiladas in Chizhou. The only ones I think…..

Friday 11th                               1230

Well my dinner last night was French toast and honey. Not quite the same without bacon, tomatoes and eggs though! Still, I had my breakfast in town and bought the gubbins for tonight’s enchiladas.

I am getting weary (pardon the pun) of going to bed leaving myself seven hours to sleep before the alarm and then waking up an hour earlier still tired and unable to drop off again. Were I retired then I really wouldn’t give a flying fox but even on a day off it is annoying because it means this afternoon I will need to take a nap. I hate feeling awful twice a day - and I always do when I have been sleeping.

On the ride down to the bus I couldn’t help but notice the freshman influx has begun in earnest. Many of them are accompanied by their parents driving their little darlings to big school for the first time. Nothing wrong with that of course but the parents in large part seem to be completely gormless. They drive their cars gawping at the surrounding buildings paying no attention to their driving (which is on the wrong side of the road) and completely oblivious to the fact they are reducing my life expectancy to mere seconds. If they are not doing that they are blocking entire roads whilst they offload the progeny of their loins along with luggage, and stuff anyone who wants to actually negotiate that particular road. I foresee some e-bike rage over the coming weekend when the immigration becomes a tidal wave - if they don’t wipe me out first.

TIC!!!!