Friday 7th July, 2017          2130

Strewth. Finally I went to bed at six but unbelievably roused again before nine! Had a pee, saw the time and thought better of staying up. I may have dozed a little between then and when I gave up at 1040. It wasn’t happening.

Late morning the bank sent a text and sure enough, Brenda had worked her magic. Nothing she can do about the missing month of course but that’s down to me, or rather the mishaps last year that left me becoming increasingly more desperate to find a berth for the following year. I had no negotiating leverage. Nonetheless I should not have assumed and ought to have asked so at least I was forewarned. Water under the bridge now. The next battle will be in 2018 over their policy of demanding boarding passes. I now fully understand why I may well be the first foreign teacher not to go home in spring festival and instead do so in summer. The others all hand in receipts, boarding passes and itineraries before the summer holiday from their winter trips - a load were brought to Brenda’s office when I was there the other day. It’s not worth creating a stink right now for obvious reasons but I may well get the chance to buttonhole Mr Zhang on the upcoming trip. He seems very dismissive at times (as stated by Brenda as well) but I am positive it’s because he hates being cornered for a decision. He can’t really jump off a train though.

Anyway I was able to book my penultimate summer flight. Having already bought Alice’s leaving Shenyang for Nanjing at 1430 I needed to get mine to Shanghai. The perfect flight for me left at 1230 but it would hardly be gentlemanly conduct to bugger off and leave her rattling around alone in the airport for a further two hours. I had emailed her in the wee hours asking if it was ok if I left an hour before her just in case.

That never happened. The prices on some flights are obstinately stuck up at 3,300y for first/business seats. That’s half an economy return to London! China Southern had a seat in business departing at 1500 which cost me only 300y more than cattle class so it is now paid for. My final flight of the summer (Hefei back home) I may leave some time, mainly as I am in a quandary as to whether to stay on longer in Wuhu or perhaps have another night or two in Hefei at the end. It will depend on how the money lasts.

Anyway, earlier this evening Alice replied to my emails. By then I had sent her another to say don’t worry, she would fly half an hour before me. I was stunned to be asked? Why? Will we not fly together?

I sent back how could we, she is going to Nanjing and I am off to Shanghai? Don’t tell me you have changed your mind and you want to come with me after all?

Certainly I could cancel her ticket (for a price) and get her on my flight but if indeed I did snap up the last ticket at the sharp end of the plane she would be down at the rear. Thankfully she had not read the ticket from Hefei to Shenyang I sent showing both our names and never thought it might just be the slightest bit odd for us to spend two days in the same hotel only to fly to the same destination but on different planes! Or maybe my track record for having all my travel plans in China go wrong had a hand………..

I had intended to go out for dinner tonight but inertia won the day. Instead I knocked up bacon, egg and chips. I find myself increasingly disinterested in either food or cooking. It is becoming a chore. Eating simply is now something I have to do occasionally. If (as tonight) I use one medium potato to make chips, I leave half. Going out seems too much trouble on my own and ok, to be fair I haven’t explored dozens of restaurants, but there doesn’t seem to be much to excite my palate.

Maybe it’s the thought of Heidi’s in Shenyang and the endless possibilities in Shanghai that are on my mind. Even then I don’t eat much.

I saw Norden the Algerian in my jing jo shop this evening. Thought it was him just from the back, he’s a broth of a boy. Various sons and daughters of the owner were hanging out in the shop and they all have served me at one time and know every time it is Ooh Sher Bah (58y). I now know who else snaffles all the jing jo! I took him by surprise when I instructed him to leave some for me.

He asked if I was staying here for summer. Apparently he will, he has to wait to get his passport back because his permit expires in about a week (lack of forethought, I have already spoken to Brenda regarding applying for mine early next year so I can book flights abroad) and also probably because like the rest he went back in winter and his receipts were almost definitely in the bundle I saw in her office. You only get one flight per annum. But seriously, who the hell wants to go and holiday in England in February???

I started to tell him of my movements in the summer break and I must have bored him within 30 seconds as the moment I was served he cleared off!