Monday 16^th October, 2017 2200

I started to download the files from the old laptop at 2100 on Saturday. Twelve hours later it finally indicated everything was on the external drive. I plugged it in the new set and perhaps naively, thought I might be presented with a simple option to just upload everything.

Stupid boy.

No Instruction manual and a highly inexperienced user made for almost as much frustration as the old one not even bothering to try working. In the end I capitulated and texted Dean the IT lecturer for help. Surely he would come here, perform a few clicks and be gone in five minutes?

Oh yes, nearly forgot – this is ME we are talking about!

It took him half an hour to figure out how to upload all my files and then it took a further thirty minutes to ostensibly do so. Except once it had completed, every file was about 47kb with sod all in it! What was showing as nearly 100Gb fed in as next to nothing. Dean was probably more mystified than I was, after all, I am more than used to things not going according to plan whilst he is actually conversant with all things computer. In the end I suggested that maybe it would be best if I simply transferred things in small chunks and so he left. So far all my films have been relocated, next will be the 2,000 photos and then later, maybe my blog. I am unsure on that last because the new set doesn't have Works Taskmaster as it is (probably quite rightly) obsolete and I really should have switched to Open Office a long time ago.

Regardless, I wouldn't be wanting to get a new laptop every month.

I am however pleased to have a keyboard where the keys all work, although it cannot cope with the speed of my (admittedly two finger) typing and not all letters appear first time around.

And of course, with the Communist Party 5 year conference imminent, the Great Firewall Police are all over the internet and VPNs like a dose of chickenpox. Connection is sporadic, bloody annoying because I have to contend with not only the Chinese running interference but also Aunty's efforts to sniff out people abroad accessing iPlayer. You know, if the BBC came up with a system for expats where you could register and sign in from anywhere, I would pay.

I am though enjoying a laptop that takes about a minute to power up and connect instead of being able to take a shower before it happens.

I thought about taking it to school this morning, after all I had a 4.5 hour break to kill but with nothing new to watch on it I decided against.

The computer shop chap, having been told I would be free and in my office from 1000-1200 turned up t precisely ten o'clock! Clearly he trusted me to take the set away but not THAT much!

However, he did me a favour. I was hungry. McDonald's was on my mind. No, not a Big Mac, a Big Breakfast. Praying they stuck to corporate policy and served same until 1030 I legged it (well, strolled briskly) and was rewarded with muffin, eggs etc and a coffee. I reckon that may become de rigueur each Thursday this term, especially when I sat there musing on what a dolt I had been not to think of it before.

I now have a laptop with a battery that works and doesn't weigh as much as a medium-sized dog. McDonald's has free wifi. For the price of a breakfast I can sit there for hours on my laptop if I want!! I won't of course but a couple of hours will be good, for the rest I will download shows and films I can watch in my office. Can't get wifi in the office and this set is too slim to plug in direct but hey, anywhere with wifi is handy.

This morning's class was actually infuriating. Getting anyone to talk was akin to trying to find a four-leaf clover. It was a challenge not to get angry. Bearing in mind for the previous year I taught non-English majors who were much the same, it shouldn't have been a problem but of course now I have English majors too.

I understand Early Education majors being ordered to take English might be resistant but hell, I like to think my classes are relaxed, informal and above all, fun. I also understand that, 7^th floor apart, I actually now look forward to Wednesdays. It's good to teach English majors and not have to explain the simplest of words.

Afternoon class, after an entreaty NOT to be like the morning one, was a lot better. I need to have two heads, one for Mon & Fri and another for Weds!