Sunday 1st May. 2016              0130


Yes late again but my next work is Wednesday.

On Friday I cracked open one of the packs of Wall’s sausages to make bangers, mash and beans for Joan and myself. They were as shit as I remembered from my youth and given that they are now a dozen to the pound, annoying as they threatened to slip through the oven grill unless laid crosswise.

They were though the real McCoy, not the best sausages in the world but by heavens they were a welcome treat. I can’t recall being in any other country and having sausages as good as even Wall’s dreadful offerings and so I was happy apart from the exorbitant cost. Later I even found another site running out of Beijing that is run by Ockers who sell pies. I have no idea if they ship country-wide but I emailed them to ask if they had any intention of marketing pork pies. I really have a craving for a Melton Mowbray and have had for six years now.

No movement on the job front and if truth be told I may have to start involving other agencies, something I didn’t want to do but Horizon have been given fair notice.

Today I took Joan for pizza at Papa John’s in Tongling. It wasn’t a disaster but as always with my trips there were disastrous elements. She asked me a couple of days ago if I knew how to get to the restaurant and with utter confidence I gave her a withering look. I knew exactly what I was doing.

We took the train and then the number 2 bus. The bus journey from memory is about twenty minutes and all went well for a while but then I spotted the pizza place off up the hill to our right. Hindsight tells me I should have told the bus to halt at the next stop but I didn’t because I knew it would deposit us right outside Tesco which was where I wanted to visit first. For two days I have been coming down with yet another sodding cold and I had already almost run out of tissues.

Then the journey went into unfamiliar territory. Unbeknown to me Joan was behind me tracking our progress to Tesco on her phone via GPS. The bus parked up! We were nowhere near where I wanted to be although Joan did explain to the female driver where we wanted to go and so we were allowed to remain on the bus until it left without paying again.

So now I felt as if I had been made to look a complete fool because I knew I had been twice before and exactly where to get off. Whilst Joan was outwardly understanding I am sure inwardly she was thinking what a prat I was.

And yes the bus stopped where I wanted on the return trip but at the stop I go to in order to get to the train station on the way back! I really couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong and Joan said the driver must have changed the route. Well that couldn’t be right, only the company could do that.  It played on my mind all through shopping at Tesco and our meal in Papa John’s. I just couldn’t help feeling that I had been made to look like a fool when I knew full well previously the number 2 had dropped me right outside Tesco.

Anyway, we had a lovely dinner with seafood starters (Joan wasn’t fond of the English mustard dip it has to be said) and then we left. We went to the same bus stop we had been dropped off at because I know from there we would get back to the train station.

Realisation dawned when Joan checked the timetable. The number 2 ceased service at 1840 and it was now 1915. Talk about not being happy. Now we needed a taxi which thankfully was only 11y. Just to salvage my reputation though, a number 2 bus came and stopped at the stand opposite, the very one I had expected us to be at on the way in and so I pointed it out to Joan.  Her verdict was that our driver had changed the route off her own back, hence after she parked up at the end we were allowed to stay on board and didn’t have to pay another fare.

I mean really, what is the point of learning your way around if such things are going to happen and if a native speaker has a problem then what hope for the foreigner?

Anyway, we eventually got back at about 2100 and shortly I will go to bed. Joan is off to Wuhu tomorrow to see her female friend and stay until Monday evening. Gentleman that I am I have said I will give her a lift to the station just after midday, following which I will ride to town to get the lights and brakes on the bike fixed. Depending on my mood I may also go to the expense of getting new tyres even though I don’t need them. If I am going to leave the bike to someone I don’t want to leave it with a bill attached.

So from what was today a 27C day it is goodbye for now.