Thursday 7^th December, 2017 0030

Recovering from my relaxing weekend with the two Yankee bampots is taking longer than the actual break.

I think for the first time this term I could have nodded off in my east campus office on Monday, they must be studying for exams because nobody played a piano within earshot.

I probably would have but for the fact that all I ate on Sunday was that lovely Sofitel breakfast, so by 1000 I felt peckish. Off to McDonald's and this time the Big Breakfast – recently it has been a muffin and coffee. Yes I know it isn't really a breakfast but short of taking a hob, frying pan, toaster and all the bits to work it's the closest I can get to what I deem a proper sort of breakfast here.

There is in fact a little hole in the wall closer than McDonald's which vends baozi and I keep meaning to go there instead. My guess is they cost 1 or 2 yuan apiece and if they do the meat-filled ones then three would do me handsomely for a quarter of the price. I don't even need McD's wifi any more now I can log on on campus.

Anyway I never napped and the breakfast was all I ate on Monday. Tuesday was the usual weekly shop and soup kitchen for our American contingent. In one way it was quite literally a soup kitchen because I made leek and potato broth (and even if I say so myself it was bloody good) followed by chilli enchiladas. Dariush (the one with a chest which would have rivalled Guy the gorilla's) was supposed to come but cancelled with Stephanie and nobody told me, ergo there were four enchiladas more than needed. The leftover soup was no big deal, Steph took it away after I decanted it into her empty Coke bottle. Justice was served however, the movie night Dariush cancelled my dinner for was itself abandoned when a fire broke out on his campus in the building they were using and everyone was evacuated.

Tomorrow I don't need to cook except for myself, Annie is leaving early for somewhere to do Peace Corps training. It does not however mean I have an easy time.

Today of course I was all day on Peili campus and yes, I did nod off for ten minutes in one class whilst showing part of a film. I was glad to get back home, kick off the shoes and because I had an egg and mayonnaise baguette for lunch I made pancakes for my dinner.

But I received a text from presumably Annie's students (freshmen) asking me if I could meet them on campus. They are planning something to do with English. No way. Had they asked earlier I may have stayed on campus but I would not even consider walking all the way back! I did offer for them to come here if it was important but never received the courtesy of a reply.

What the hell, because Annie won't be here I am going to go to their corner tomorrow (on the 7^th sodding floor) notwithstanding on Friday morning it is an 0500 wake up, full day of teaching and then THEIR English corner afterwards. That will mean public buses home so Lord only knows what time that will be.

I am sure they think I have an easy life and certainly last year I did. Not so this term.

One thing I did today was let the classes know I went to Xining with the two girls. It had the double function of passing some time and also in describing the suite, heading off any possible rumours of romance among the laowei, as improbable as it is. A foreign teacher only needs to look at someone and the school is rife with wedding dates.

I also told them to ask Annie about Stephanie in the lift........