Friday 29th January, 2016                        1800

Dropped a bit of a ricket by not going to bed until 0400. Well actually that was ok, if only I had got up when I awoke at nine. Despite Tigger’s best efforts to get me to leave my bed and let him out to get some food (he seems to forget there’s no sustenance in my bedroom when he cries to get in) I dozed on and off until well after eleven.

And so it came to pass that it was almost 1500 when I headed to town - fine on the outbound leg of course and although there was light rain again it wasn’t too bad. When we got there I went to Yumeic to buy a doughnut and possibly something else sweet for when the fancy took me. One look inside the shop, where the queue to pay encircled the place, was enough for me to say sod that for a game of soldiers. I still have chocolate digestives should I feel the urge.

Being Friday afternoon and by now I am guessing people are starting to buy in some of the things they will need for their new year celebratory meals (which, it has to be said, are gargantuan), that’s where I made a boo-boo. RT Mart was busy. However I was there and there was no real rush. All I bought were liquids and then on the spur I pushed the boat out and bought a prepacked  frozen fillet steak (“super” it said on the box). Well for 44y it really had better be super. I could have bought raw beef from the butchery but the Chinese simply don’t do steaks as we know it, neither I suspect do they hang the meat any longer than it takes them to hack it into pieces. To be honest my eye is not good enough to be able to identify a piece of meat that would be tender either.

So I am hoping I spent my money wisely. I thought about having it with chips but instead now have a jacket spud on the go, to which I will add a fried egg, peas and fried onions. We never had steak often when I was young, my family couldn’t afford it but when we did my mother always burnt the fried onions to a cinder. The reason for which I have never asked her but what it did was see me continue to do likewise in my adult life. I actually prefer them as burnt offerings! It may sound crazy to some but until you have tried them you don’t know.

Of course with the supermarket being busy so were the buses. I knew I should have just crossed the road to take the bus to the terminus the wrong way but hope springs eternal and I went to the logical stop. On this occasion it was not rewarded so I had to lug my bags a fair distance and do my cheating thing. As new year approaches I will have to adjust my sleeping habits in order to get to the store really early unless I want to end up forking out for taxis back - that’s my usual trick after new year’s day when I want to go to town for a meal in the evening because I never know on which day they run a full service which doesn’t terminate at 1630.

Yesterday I boiled the pickled duck Alice in Wuhu had given me from her mother and so on my return I tried a morsel. Most odd and sad to say, not to my taste. It was however gratefully received by mum downstairs (don’t think the pup got a look in) and that spurred me to boil the pork leg bone for them both. Once that’s done I can concentrate on my own dinner. Sometimes I really miss having a big oven and four burners instead of a microwave sized oven and (luxury after the first flat with only one) two burners.

This blog has of late become purely about shopping and cooking I know but with little else happening it’s that or just fall silent.

I wish I could justify hopping on a train to go and visit Joan for a couple of nights. I find I really miss having her nearby but short of travelling on the 9 hour slow train (oh no) it would be a case of taking the fast 3hr one in  2nd class for 450y return or my preferred option, nearly 700y for 1st class. That I could handle but her hometown of Suzhou in north Anhui must be a lot bigger than I thought because all the decent hotels have exorbitant (for China) room rates. I would be looking at 1,000y for two nights and then of course there would be meals and other disbursements (bar bill!) to come on top. I have to take the sensible view that as unexciting as it is, a daily bus ride to town and home cooking is by far the best option for me.

Mind you, I don’t rule out another foray to Tongling purely for the purpose of getting a huge pizza to bring back! I could eat something else in the restaurant and then the pizza would provide three dinners.

I haven’t yet resorted to washing a lottery ticket in my trousers in an attempt to claim millions though……..