New Years Day 2018 1300

On the off-chance there are still readers under the impression my life is one long round of fun interspersed with minimal amounts of work, allow me to disabuse you.

New Years Eve party? Joyous revels, champagne, party poppers and fireworks?

Want the truth?

By 2130 last night I saw no way I could even still be awake at midnight. I had consumed a fine repast of cheese and onion baguette and polished off the last of the apple pie. No, that wasn't tongue in cheek, cheese and onion baguette is a rare treat here! My eyelids wanted to shut up shop for the night and I gamely struggled on, watching programmes about death row prisoners, it was far too early to go to bed unless I wanted to be awake at 0300.

Eventually I got second wind and when 2018 made its not so grand entrance I was completely unaware, I was watching an old film, A Twist Of Sand. I only noticed it was new year 10 minutes after it occurred. No fireworks, no revellers in the streets, no Chinese version of Auld Lang Syne. Nothing.

I raised a bottle of jing jo nonetheless and, bored with watching films and such, tuned into Heart FM until the sandman came to claim me again.

At 1145 this morning I rose and received a text from Calamity Jane (aka Annie) informing me she has to go to Zhangye with the Peace Corps. It was supposed to be on Wednesday but she managed to buy the wrong train ticket, it's for today. A change of date would have cost her 14\ and being parsimonious she opted to leave as per the ticket she bought! She wanted to come and borrow my little suitcase but by the time I replied it was too late. She will return Thursday and borrow it for her training in Chengdu. I hope she has chance to see the rainbow mountains.

That of course means she won't be here for dinner tomorrow. No idea if Stephanie is still coming and believe it or not I only ever contact her via Facebook and Annie only has her on Wechat! Ok it's only going to be bolognese and I can freeze leftovers but if it's just going to be me I won't bother with a pud. My guess is that the students will be too busy with exams, Pat and Ariel certainly are.

So 2017 left with a sigh and 2018 came with a whimper!