Thursday 29th September, 2016            1445

No, the (and I use the term entirely against my opinion) “repair men” never came back and I think if they get their own way they never will. Is the concept of a coupler so complicated that they can’t see what’s required?

As for tomorrow’s classes being cancelled, the reason could not have been any more benign. The school has decided that as it is inevitable most of the students will bunk off school early for the national holiday week, there’s no point in trying to hold classes! Whilst many students did indeed scarper early in Chizhou, never in six years did the university say that we may as well cancel classes. Ergo the teachers still had to turn up to entertain three or four pupils. I like Lanzhou’s idea better!

The bread pudding went down a treat, especially as half of today’s class was missing for the abovementioned reason. Janet and the two office girls also had some and seemed delighted. It never got as far as the two top boys on the 3rd floor. However, after the break and I went to put the film on, we couldn’t get any sound out of the computer. One of the lads declared the sound card defunct and so I told the class to decamp and come to the next classroom along, which at 1000 had been vacant.

As I bust through the swing door I was greeted with open mouths and wide eyes from what was now a packed classroom containing every teacher except me and with the president sitting at the head. Ooops……

Before leaving for my extended holiday (pity I don’t have any money to enjoy it with) I sent Brenda from foreign affairs a text. Whilst I reckon I have enough gas for a month, the electricity would have run out tonight or tomorrow. I still have no Bank of China account and I was still waiting for the money I paid (but which the school should have) for my residence permit. She arranged to meet me this afternoon to do the electricity but told me the expenses I would be reimbursed after the holiday. What??? No way Jose! I don’t care if accounts are busy/closed or whatever, firstly I was told I would be repaid this week and secondly I should never have had to pay it in the first place, that’s their job. She has now used her own money to give me it back and even then it will be tight for me and I hope to high Heaven that accounts pay the salary on the Monday after the holiday. Remember I don’t have an “official” bank account - although they have my Chizhou account details. I don’t care where they pay it as long as it comes to me!

Topping up the electricity is simplicity itself, if you know where the hell to go. I would never have found this dingy little office in a ramshackle part of the campus in a million years, it looks derelict from outside and in the stairwells. Now I will never forget and best of all, I don’t need money to do it, just the top up card. The gas is elsewhere off campus but nearby so the first time I go someone will need to take me. Sadly I will need money, pay and claim it back. I did have to ask Brenda if the water ran out at all. She looked bemused until I explained that seeing as the gas and power both could run out (and the electricity place is only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays so God help you if you run out on a Friday) I wondered if there was a water meter I needed to keep an eye on as well. No, that’s endless unless the whole place is cut off. Phew.

A lot of my problems would never have manifested had I not been slugged with an extended hotel stay due to my flat being locked and the trip to Hong Kong. I left Chizhou with more money than I had ever had in China since arriving and now here I am on the breadline again, temporarily. At least the heavy expense of shipping and buying a new oven is out of the way (that reminds me I must gee Janet up to try and claim some money) and just incidentals are needed now. Coat hangers and various foods and spices from Taobao mainly. Feeding yourself (even western food) becomes cheaper once you only need to buy the meat and veg and the occasional bottle of salad cream or Italian herbs. Lanzhou is expensive enough to live as it is and I don’t care what Mr Zhang said, it IS more expensive than Chizhou.