Tuesday 28th February, 2017                    1545

So much for going to bed at half time on Sunday! Rugby afficionados will know why, in utter disbelief, I felt compelled to stay up and watch the second half. As a result I managed a mere three hours of sleep before the alarm shattered my world. And hell, did I feel groggy.

If I were Chinese I would have been able to snatch half an hour on the bus, they seem to be able to sleep at will anywhere but I’ve only done it once and that was on the way home. I was faced with a full day of lessons from eight to noon and then two-thirty to four-ten plus a fifty minute wait for the bus back. I could have taken public transport but my ETA would be the same or maybe later.

I think in the entire day there were a total of four students who had already attended one or two of my classes, the rest (about 111) were all new to me. I have to say that 40 students in my classroom makes it very well populated indeed. The students already had the course book I requested but I am told I can have my copy on Friday for some obscure reason. It matters not as the first lesson with new classes I eschew the book anyway, it’s introduction time.

By lunchtime I was really flagging. I made a cup of Twinings and munched on my cheese and onion sandwich while I contemplated the two and a half hour wait for the next and final class of the day. Once fed and watered I decided to try and nod off in one of the two armchairs in my office but to no avail, they aren’t soft enough. There was nothing for it but to put on an “awake face” and struggle through. Naurally, in front of a class you tend to be kept alert more but that break was interminable. With the coming two weekends I shall either not watch  England or, if possible, go to bed in the afternoon, get up just before kick off and then stay up afterwards for the bus to work. I am not going through that again!

There was a girl in the final class who at the end of her introduction stated that she wanted to be friends with me, Bonnie. She was duly asked to come to my office after class. I now have my new online shopper!

Of course, once I got home I perked up a bit, so much so that I managed to stay up until after midnight. I had insufficient energy to cook and had planned sardines on toast but changed to cheese and onion on toast! Tonight will be sardines. I so often waste most of any loaves of bread I bake but this one is going to be used.

I don’t know whether there’s a lot of chalk in the water here but so far, with a new shower head I bought on arrival, the holes have slowly but surely over time become clogged. The first time you may recall I thought the thermostat was no good because I was alternately being scalded and then frozen as it cut out on overheat. The problem was solved just before spring festival when I twigged the flow was being increasingly restricted and painstakingly reopened the holes using toothpicks. I have had to do it again today, this time using a proper metal dental pick. I suppose every few months isn’t too onerous.

There’s a small brown dog that hangs about just around the corner from me on the route to the jing jo shop. When I first arrived the bloody thing used to go mad when I walked past but it never had enough nerve to get up close and personal with me. It had plainly got pups in the vicinity and was scaring the life out of any hapless Chinese who passed by. Once the pups (I think she keeps them inside under some stairs) had weaned she stopped barking and whenever I approached she would slink away even if I offered her food.

Well she’s just whelped again.