Friday 20^th October, 2017 1415

Just grabbing a couple of minutes at school before class. Lunchbreak flies by when you have downloads and a laptop! Sadly the school internet is beyond me at present re wifi and I cannot plug a cable in because the set is too slim, something I never thought of! Having filched login details I can however access “permitted” sites to read the news.

Janet just texted me. They are proposing to move my classes, half to one further up the hall and half down on the first floor. I am assuming this is their way of avoiding having to spend a few bob on repairing/replacing the computer in my current classroom. This was, I am sure, precipitated today when my student was refused the keys to the teachers training room, which does have a working set. Comfy seats too.

In high dudgeon, on being told we were denied access, I asked where the teacher was and she showed me. It happened to be the internet chap who can't fix my set! I was in no mood to argue the toss and so I got the keys, much to the astonishment of my student who plainly thought I would also be given short shrift! He of all people knows it is broken. He probably complained at the Chinese teachers meeting today and good, because my own complaints have hitherto gone unheeded. The ends justify the means.

2220

My dinner last night was a simple affair. I did have notions of producing soup as another course but decided against. My first steak and veg pie? Better to concentrate on getting that right instead, especially as the beef cost 40y.

I must say the beef was damned good quality – well it was lovely and tender when slowly simmered for ages. I was delighted with my filling too, I never put a foot wrong - utterly delicious.

I even blind baked the base for the first time. Huge mistake! Now, I know too much water in pastry makes it hard and too little makes it crumbly. I would LOVE to make crumbly for a change! I swear I used just enough eau to make it bind but I ended up with the perfect filling encased in lead boots. Needed a road drill to separate the portions! I will get it right if it kills me. It wasn't helped by the poor quality potatoes available here still. There isn't a lot even a skilled cook can do with crap, hence McDonald's refused to open here for years because the local government insisted they had to use local Murphys. Helen and Fay, the two girls who bought me chicken for lunch last week, seemed to enjoy it nonethless, although they did the typical Chinese thing and ate everything individually – understandably leaving the cement pastry to last.

Anyway, I skipped English Corner, having popped a capsule for the problem middle-aged people sometimes get through not eating enough fruit. I was concerned it might work through at an inopportune time when I was ten minutes away from the nearest available usable convenience (mine) and anyway every week in my opinion is far too frequent – especially as I rise at 0500 the following morning. You say you will go for half an hour but end up staying much longer.

And I wasn't amused after going to to bed at 2200 when I woke at 0330 and never got back off. Oh for my youth when I got up as fresh as a daisy at six!