Saturday 20th February, 2016                0230

This is annoying. I really wanted to be in bed by two at the latest but I am still wide awake.

So Thursday was the little school “gathering dinner” and so no point in my going all the way to town shopping, coming back and going out again. In the morning I sent Anna a text to let her know that we would get the bus at about 1620 (the agreed rendezvous time being 1700) and that I would text her both when I left my home and when I saw the bus approaching so she knew which one to get on.

Now Anna is a disaster who doesn’t wait to happen, she just is one. She is one of those people that would miss their own wedding or even funeral. But of course the master planner had it covered. She replied “okey” sic. I duly sent the next text when I left home and the third when the bus was coming to my stop, complete with the information that it was a yellow rather than red bus.

Previously, when I rode to west gate I passed two students, one dragging a wheeled suitcase, the other carrying two baskets of strawberries. They joined me at the bus stop. I asked the one with the suitcase if she was leaving and she said yes. I commented that she was a bit late leaving seeing as the holiday started a month ago and she said she came back that day. Ah. And the dormitories aren’t open. Bad form by the school, they apparently usually post on the website the opening dates but thus far this year nothing. My guess has always been they will open for paying guests later today.

For all I knew this girl could have travelled 12 hours on trains to get here so with a little concern I asked her where she was staying that night. I have an empty bedroom and she would have been welcome to use it. I am going home she said and when asked where that was, she replied Anqing. Twenty minutes on the new trains so no real problem there and conscience salved. Where was I going? To town for dinner. Alone? No, a student will get on the bus in a little while up the road.

But this was Anna, remember?

She wasn’t at the obvious stop near where she lives so the doubts started creeping in. Ok, maybe she walked to the next stop a bit further up. No. Brilliant, the best laid plans of mice and Mainwaring.

When we got on the main road I sent her a text congratulating her on missing the bus. I received no reply so I was forced to call her. Where are you? Outside my home. I just knew this was going to happen. Well get on a bus now. I think I should stay here because I don’t know where to get off. Just get on a damned bus, the next bloody bus and I will tell you where to get off, you will now have made us late.

I arrived twenty minutes early but had to wait 25 mins at the bus stop whilst talking her in, describing the landmarks for the route so she knew exactly where to get off. We were just arriving at the school as the teachers were leaving for the restaurant. They suggested we went with them but unbeknown to Anna I know John the owner from old. Never once has he himself been on time but I like to have the moral upper ground. Thursday night was no exception. We were ten minutes late but once we got to the school he made us wait 20 minutes. Par for the course.

A five minute walk to the restaurant (he has taken me there before) and I have to admit I had a good evening, albeit I ate hardly anything, the one thing I was interested in being baozi with a meat filling yet ten were provided for a dozen people. I never got one. I was however plied with plenty of beer and it was a convivial occasion.

Then John asked if I would visit his school on Sunday. Why? Because Kerry (another one I would have married and who had the audacity to marry another) has resigned and her last day is Sunday because she is pregnant. I had suspected as much at the last meal he hosted, it was either that or she had been eating far too many dumplings. Why did he need me? Because the girl to my left was her replacement and has never ever been a teacher before and he wanted her to see how I do it for one class before Kerry takes the second as a farewell. Well I am not a teacher and I doubt I will ever believe I am one. I am simply someone who brings experience and knowledge, hopefully humour and interest as well, to the classroom and if the students want to draw on that then I have played my part. I don’t think there is such a thing as a teacher, just students who soak up what’s on offer and if they do then you have done your job.

I agreed. And no, any spies reading, I will be taking no payment whatever for this although if a free lunch is offered I will be hard pressed to refuse. I, probably rather stupidly; given her antics on the night; asked if Anna could observe, given that she wants to be a teacher if she can’t join the army and she wants to come. At least this time she may not leave her phone on silent and actually take the same bus as me. Anyway, she now knows where to go if she misses it.

When we got back (taxi) I dropped her off and went home and put some bones on to boil for Mum. I then promptly fell asleep watching a film on the laptop. When I regained consciousness and looked at the time I suddenly remembered the pork. The kitchen was filled with smoke where the pan had boiled dry and I still have the stink in my nostrils. Mum never got any food from me last night although she did eat it today shortly before I threw the pan into the bin outside - no way on earth could I shave scrubbed the black off that one!

Unbeknown to me Kevin arrived back last night and when I got up I had a message from him. We met at RT Mart this afternoon and I was pissed off because he was giving me a lift in his car and there was no wine for me to buy - I could have bought loads and put it in his boot. We went for a coffee and a catch up after and spent a couple of enjoyable hours together, something that has been distinctly missing since he left. The age gap here is, although hardly insurmountable, palpably a barrier. I feel like the pompous old git that I am (but not when in company of the same age) and the others to me are worlds apart. Nobody is to blame (except maybe me for not being a get down and boogie type) and although I have said it before I will say it again: I was very. very lucky in that in my first China teaching job I fetched up in such an anchorage. The bottom has shifted now and I find myself dragging anchor.

Anyway, it is possible that I may meet Kevin tomorrow although nothing is arranged. I am going to set the alarm because I need to keep sensible hours tomorrow in order to feel half decent for the one class on Sunday morning.

Mum, you will be pleased to know, seems to be shrugging off what is still an open wound and is now trying to jump around when she sees me (hope she doesn’t think I am going to feed her when the students return!) but of course she is not agile given her weight. The wild dogs here all seem to have stumpy forelegs for some reason. But she’ll be just fine.

Someone ripped up the lino we paid for in this building’s communal areas,  that covered the stairs either between the 3rd and 4th or the 4th and 5th floors and threw it out for collection. I shouldn’t be angry as it doesn’t affect me personally but seeing as I forked out for it as well, it does. We could have paid for Axminster carpets at £500 a square metre and the other residents would have treated it the same.

Oh well, life is life and this is China and soon I will have a positive answer in order to take evasive action if required. Except now I am wondering whether to take Director Xu or Prof Fang for an informal dinner. I am now leaning toward the latter, at least I can expect to understand her and be given a degree of honesty plus maybe recommendations on what I should do. Plus I want a written reference from her.