Wednesday 15^th November, 2017 2100

Despite forgetting to take any of my books to classes today I feel an awful lot better now.

Certainly I laid the guilt on thick with a trowel for all three classes. I doubt they have ever experienced the like before but to hell with it – they can't have the most interesting, humorous and fun classes ever AND complain when they don't like something. It's one or the other and oh yes, I can do boring too!

I hope and suspect that in future I will be the one they approach in the first instance if they have an issue and aside from one student who was “sick” I am almost certain that the culprits who precipitated all this were there to listen to my opinion of what they did.

It was good to get it off my chest.

Pat finally had my cheese. It isn't cheddar as requested and I have no idea what it is. Gran Boni it tells me on the pack but it is too soft to be parmesan. All I know is it is Italian. That's a problem with having a Chinese girl ordering cheese – it simply doesn't feature in their diet – if it says cheese then it is cheese, same as pork is pork! What the hell, I am sure it will fulfil the task of being an ingredient in the lasagne I will rustle up tomorrow evening for, yes, you guessed, Annie and Stephanie. I am beginning to think Dariush is avoiding me given that twice he has begged off an invitation. I did promise the girls a lasagne once I had cheese so I have no excuse now and from their comments I am guessing if I get it right then they will do anything besides the obvious for me.

We are hopefully going as a trio to Xining in a fortnight so as to sample the Brahmaputra Indian restaurant and stay overnight. My schedule and that of the trains means going on a Friday would see us arrive at 2000, too late to do much so I suggested an early Saturday departure and a one night stay. That way they can explore while I do what I am best at, gracing the bar. With luck, the Donald Sutherland soundalike/lookalike will be free to join us for dinner. I will try to organise a two bedroom hotel suite for us so the girls can escape anything manly I happen to do. You know, blog, drink wine etc and stay up late. What did you think I meant??

The bloody school sent an internet man to my home tonight just after 1900, this despite my telling Brenda that Dean would sort it. I trust him and haven't forgotten last year when I went a fortnight without connection and the “expert” (who I discovered this evening is considered a standing joke on campus yet nobody told me at the time) hadn't a clue. Dean was the one who fixed it, just as he reconnected me this time.

It was nice that the only advance notice I got was a text from Annie. I thought that they would leave it to Dean but no. After two hours I had visions of my expectation being realised, being left disconnected and having to squeal for Dean to come. Just as the new man was about to give up, he cracked it. Something has changed re my networks available as the icon has disappeared but so far, I am online. I will get Dean to restore the laptop to what I am used to at some point. Bad enough having a new one and only just learning how to operate it without someone buggering it up for you. And no owners manual.

I do however sign off tonight in considerably better fettle than has been the case since last Thursday night, although I still have no intention of attending English corner tomorrow!