Thursday 28th April, 2016               0200

Late yes but no class for me until 1400.

Vivi is coming at noon to pick up Kevin’s credit card statement so I will rise at eleven and shower. You may well ask why after nine months his statements still come here? Well this being China, it is likely they would take his credit card off him if he said he lived in another city and he would then have to go through the rigmarole of reapplying in Huangshan. All well and good but he has no Chinese guarantor there so he would be stuffed.

Being a good ex colleague I went to check the mail in the office today after class to see if there was another newer statement. What with the cordoning off of the teaching areas (where I teach there is no problem accessing the rear of the building I have to go to) they have made it difficult for me to get to the old building where I used to teach. Being a lazy bastard, I discovered a way to get there by mounting the kerb and riding across the grass.

Unfortunately with the heavy rain we have had of late there are lakes that have yet to dry out. Several times I was in danger of “losing” the bike and going splat into the mud but I managed it, although I didn’t fancy doing the return trip. Thankfully when I left I spotted some oyk had removed a cone I made a run for it the easy way. It was only when I got home I noticed where I had used my feet as stabilisers my trainers were covered in mud.

With a laundry due for washing they will have to wait and I may well wash them afterwards with Joan’s towel which she foolishly left in the bathroom and on which three cats slept last night on the bathroom floor. Silly girl.

Tonight Dumpling and I had the enchiladas. She isn’t a Daisy despite her choice of name change, I must try to convince her to be Laura or Tanya instead. Anyway I warned her they were a bit spicy - I used ten chillis. Oh no, they’re not spicy she said. When I tried them, yes they bloody well were! I don’t know about anyone else but spicy food makes me want to blow my nose. A lot.

Now bearing in mind she said they weren’t spicy, how was it that she was picking out anything red and putting it aside? Every fragment of chilli she removed! Having said that she did eat two enchiladas and even I almost managed to as well. For me these days it is nice to actually eat a proper portion of food, it’s not something that happens that often and considering normally I only eat an evening meal that’s saying something.

We have the labour day holiday coming up. The students tell me it is a three day holiday - this Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I did point out to them that it was in fact one day seeing as we don’t work at weekends (although they do have prep at weekends). Joan and I will probably go to Tongling for pizza. What with the train journey and probably bringing back one for the freezer it will be expensive but it would be a shame to waste a holiday when I have so few left here.