Wednesday 23rd November, 2016                0000

I am just really waffling a bit here to pass some time, having earlier flaked out in the chair and not fallen off!) whilst watching Panorama.

Food occupies my thoughts for an inordinate amount of time here, which I find odd given that I actually eat so little of it. Probably because entertaining people for dinner is my main, if not sole, social life outside of the classroom. I can quite easily skip a day without eating - although it has absolutely no effect on my girth - but I am constantly trying to come up with menus for others.

That’s not particularly easy when “store cupboard ingredients” are anything but, as they are here. Cream? Forget it, wait a week for an online delivery. Chipotles? I had to look up the word when it appeared in an “easy” recipe! I still manage to produce passable fare though and as aforesaid I have Harriett coming on Thursday with Suzy and Sheila, the latter pair to watch at least the first two episodes of Planet Earth II. I have split peas for the soup and today my macaroni arrived. Who would think they would have to go online for something so basic? Yet here we must. I’m still waiting for pepperoni for pizzas the following week.

I made myself a roast pork and mash dinner today (pillock, forgot to buy an apple to make some sauce) and my kitchen once the veg were boiling rapidly, developed running rivers on the inside of the double glazing. This was about 1930. I decided to crack open one of the sliding windows to allow the moisture to escape. I couldn’t. Initially I thought something had broken but once I forced it open I realised it had been frozen solid.

I checked the internet and it said it was now -9C. That was a fair explanation! Having said that, with free heating (not in the kitchen obviously) the flat is comfortable. For the Chinese I should think it is heaven but for me, well I like to relax in privacy wearing just boxers and short sleeved shirt so I back it up with my rather expensive fan heater in the office.

My students in Chizhou used to chide me because all bar a few months of the year, my airconditioning was on, either cooling or heating. They rarely used theirs in their dormitories because of the cost and they pointed out that mine was free. Well it was but I asserted that even were I to have to pay, I would still use it. I see no joy in sitting at home with a down jacket and thermals on to watch Coronation Street!

So if that’s -9 tonight and the worst it gets (according to my research) is -15C then along with my little heater I shall be snug over the winter. Going outside though will be a different matter. Between my neck and belt line everything is sorted. Thermal knickers will become an urgency soon I suspect, as will possibly earmuffs. Somehow though I reckon my fears of an arctic winter will prove to be unfounded. Certainly, my first spring festival in Chizhou with two feet of snow and a flat where doors and windows allowed the cold wind to whistle through and when, despite having every item of heating I dared put on without tripping the breakers and still having to get into bed with an electric blanket to keep warm, that won’t happen here I believe. I hope!

Today I had 9 out of the 12 students who are officially in the class plus the boy who comes for fun - his mother is the campus doctor. David’s mother is the campus boss. I don’t think I have mentioned this before as I only found out last week (and David to be fair never said a dickie) but when I learnt of it I informed him that to me he was just another student and I would continue to be awful to him.

I know I compared him previously to Norman from Chizhou (terrible English but who tried oh, so hard) and I am always berating him for chatting in class but he seemed quite unfazed. Maybe he tells Mum but I am not about to be one of those teachers who shows favouritism - I never did - at least in class) to Joanna or Joan and I won’t start now. He’s a great lad as it happens, otherwise he would never have been invited to a western Wednesday.

What struck me was the increased attendance which occurs on Tuesdays, could it be because as opposed to Mondays and Thursdays it is but two periods instead of four? Or could it be that Tuesday is “activity day”?? Could be both. I must ask Suzy. A bit late in the day though for this bunch and now with my recommendations in Janet’s grubby mitts, I can only wait to see what next term holds for me. I do know I have done all I can to try to ensure my tenure on east campus becomes rather more permanent. We shall see.

This afternoon we played the picture game where students can only use chalk and blackboard to get their team to guess the answer. I went for an easy topic, cooked foods. Unbelievably, things like cheeseburger and roast chicken went unanswered whilst difficult ones such as hotpot and beef noodles were.

All good fun and if their level of English was better (as in freshmen English majors in Chizhou) I could put on so many more enjoyable activities for them but what I think is easy, for them is often disappointingly way beyond them.