Monday 22nd August, 2016                       1300

Well so much for hopping on a bus. When I got up I found I had problems getting online. My wlan was disabled and eventually after ninety minutes of trying everything I could think of, I got it enabled again. Still I couldn’t get online, not even with plugging in a cable.

I showered and dressed, then went down to reception. I had guessed that perhaps because I was supposed to check out today they had cut access but apparently not, there is a problem with the provider. I was told it would be back on in an hour. That was an hour ago and still nothing. However, when I returned to my room to wait I was locked out! Whoever took my money last night didn’t update the system to extend the keycard life. If the internet is not back soon I will bugger off out for a beer.

In the supermarket last night I chanced upon a foreigner who appeared to be about my age and so approached him in the hope that perhaps he would be teaching where I am supposed to. As we exchanged names and shook hands (he had terribly clammy ones) he said he had been expecting my call! This rather surprised me as I have been given no numbers for any other laowei. I think he must be slightly dotty, not only is he from Halifax (Yorks) but he has been here ten years, plus he teaches at a high school. After a minute’s chatting he abruptly said he “must get on” and left. I never got chance to suggest we go for a beer and a natter! Most odd.

I have no news so far on the documents - although I can’t access my emails at present everyone concerned has my phone number. I am now having dreadful visions of having to flee China on the last legal day (Monday next), getting the visa and arriving back at school the night before I start teaching. This is not how I like to live my life. Adventure is fine but not when if it goes pear shaped you will be up a creek! There’s absolutely nothing I can do about it and that definitely starts to unnerve me when I am getting no feedback.

Tuesday 23rd            2130

Well just when I was about to send off a panicky message to the agency because I really was considering bailing out to Cambodia while I still had enough wherewithal to fly there, find a job and start earning cash in hand by the day, the news came.

The papers had arrived.

I really only had two options to fly to Hong Kong - tomorrow or Monday because the chances of me getting my application in before 0930 for a same day service are zero and embassies don’t work at weekends unless you are Julian Assange. Also I can’t find any way to complete the application form online and then print it off, despite trying here and at the school so I am praying they have a facility at the embassy.

So tomorrow the FAO is coming with a school driver at 1100 to collect me, I shall check out and get hopefully 1,000y back and they will take me to the airport for my afternoon flight then they will take my big suitcase to ultimately be put into my new apartment on campus. Which I have yet to see!

Booking the damned flight was fraught. Naturally with money now being uppermost, I was looking for cheap economy flights but God, had the prices rocketed since I last looked! That was another reason for my concern. Here they do it arse about face, the nearer the flight time gets elsewhere and seats remain unsold the price goes down. Not so in China, they take off like Concorde. I actually found one for 1530y with Hainan Airways and tried to book it but every time I got to the payment page I got an error, it took too long to respond. Then when I looked again that price had gone and I was looking at around 2,000y everywhere. Biting the bullet, I thought I would have to swallow the added expense but found a flight where for a mere 200y extra I could fly first class. What the hell, if I am going to be stiffed for 2k I may as well get first for 10% more.

For an hour every time I tried to book a flight I got the “too long to respond” page and I was tearing my hair out. Eventually I did manage to book a flight (economy) with, guess who, Hainan Airways for 1530y! Presumably the person who pipped me to the post earlier later cancelled.

That done, I looked at hotels. I have one very close to the Chinese embassy, nothing special at 325y a night. Dropped a ricket and booked and paid for two nights when unless I want to arrive back here at about 0200 on Saturday I needed three. I will extend the booking when I get there using cash.

Now, it is costing me 1530y to get to Guangzhou but I have booked a flight back on Saturday afternoon for 700y!!!!! There is no rhyme nor reason to the flights and prices here.

I will take the laptop and camera to HK but I have no idea if I will have time to blog. Also on my return I will move into my new home. If it is anything like Chizhou it will take days to get the internet connected so I may be out of action although I will ask the FAO if internet can be connected before I get back.

So it’s off to Hong Kong for the first time in three decades! Can’t wait for the food and I hope my Old Conway friend can meet up and show me the ropes.