Wednesday 21st June, 2017              1310

Mad dogs and Englishmen and all that on the summer solstice.

Both yesterday and today were typical curate’s eggs. Yesterday my search for cigars was fruitless (unless I wanted to buy full coronas for a weeks wages each) but later in the supermarket after I went for a Generation Game hotpot (I learnt today the Chinese call it a rotary hotpot) and to buy a new pair of trainers my wine girl gave me a free bottle of plonk. Thank you very much!

Lately I have fallen into the terrible habit of rising early, meaning by 2100 I am whacked. This has the knock on effect of my waking early the next morning too. Ok it’s great for now and means I don’t feel dog-rough on teaching days at 0500 but I hope I can cure myself once my holidays start at the end of next week. Or do they? Read on for an explanation later.

And so it came to pass that I was wide awake at six today. After visiting the toilet to get rid of last nights wine I checked the time. Sod that for a game of soldiers. I went back to bed and tossed and turned for an hour. I may as well have stayed up at six. I needed some lardies (cockney rhyming for cigars - lah-de-dah) so thought I would combine my trip with going to school to look at the calligraphy exhibition for an hour and catch the school bus back at noon.

I got some smokes at treble what I normally pay and went to the show. Everything was locked up. A text to Jenny elicited the information that it only opens from 1610 each day. Well I wasn’t hanging around for another five hours, I will go after I finish on Friday. With forty minutes to kill before the bus left, I decided to investigate the school cafeteria for the first time. Pretty basic fare on offer but cheap. Not that I was particularly hungry but I ordered a large plate (well I was given a large plate!) of egg and tomato with steamed rice. The cost? 6y or about 65p at today’s exchange rate.

On the bus back there were five passengers. It was the big one with the safe driver and he was fully aware I got on as the school nurse tried to speak to me in Chinese, as did an old lady who I suspect was the driver’s Mum. Later the dean and a male student boarded and off we went.

Depending on where everyone is alighting, the route can be different every time but by now I have a good idea where we are in the city. When we got to where he normally turns right, just before the Hampton hotel, we were in the outside (far left) lane stopped at the lights. “Er, are we taking a different route?” I piped up. No response. The dean had nodded off and eventually the student informed me that the ultimate destination was Peili Square because he was going there. Ok, there’s a first time for everything.

Except just before we got to the west campus the dean came to and I heard her exclaiming to the driver, mentioning my name. It was apparent he had completely forgotten I was there, and presumably also the student. Except when we got to the west campus, the boy got off! I was though taken home but the error was rather handy. En route to the other campus we had passed a rather lively area full of shops, bars and restaurants and I wondered if we would pass through it again on the way to Peili. I wanted to know how to get there.

Well I am damned if it isn’t a bit of a walk down from Pizza Hut, Homwo and Buddy’s! I shall investigate further in the future. I may even be able to find some western food.

When eventually I did get home Mr Zhang had replied with answers to my questions regarding the summer programme. And what a wonderful idea it is from whoever dreamt it up!

The group will comprise 7 Kiwi students plus Chinese students and staff from our university. Sadly all journeys will be by train so that part promises to be somewhat onerous, at least for me. I have an awful feeling I shall starve on the train journeys as they will in all likelihood be hideously lengthy and onboard food from what I have seen is not for the faint of stomach.

The route is to retrace the journey George Hogg (of The Children of Huang Shi fame) together with Rewi Alley, his NZ friend who played a big part. The tour is Shanghai to Wuhan to Xi’an to Baoji & Fenxian to Shendan to Lanzhou to Beijing - spending either one or two days in each place.

No room sharing (except of course on trains), no 10km walks or climbing mountains (no time apparently - good!). Accordingly, my own holiday booking can now start for the first week in August and I have indicated that I will go. Mr Zhang will now recommend me to the university for inclusion. If they say no at this juncture I shall not be best pleased!