Tuesday 17^th April, 2018 1645

Well shirtsleeves weather it is indeed today at 24C but believe it or not I have my fan heater on! It does go some way towards explaining why there is no airconditioning in these flats, not that I have spent a summer here (my first one was mostly in a Chizhou hotel, hotel here or Hong Kong) and seeing as last summer I spent a month being destroyed by the school on the grand tour of China and then my own travels. I have a feeling my flat is going to be like a Victorian pantry, somewhere when you don't have a fridge you can still store fresh meat and cheese. Not just me either, Annie was complaining last night that she was sitting wrapped in a blanket at home in the day yet when she went out a T-shirt would have done.

It says tomorrow will be 29C. Dare I sally forth at 0645 in just a shirt?

Andy my new cleaner only ate one enchilada last night. He insisted he had burnt his tongue but I am an incorrigible sceptic. Before he bagged up his second to take away (probably to give to a roommate) I did exhort him to simply say if he didn't like it. Sometimes I wish people were straight – if something is not for me (you know, bull's penis, crispy scorpion, tongue of lark and eye of newt) I simply come clean. It's pretty obvious that with cooking western food in China people are not going to like all of it or indeed any of it. No different to me and Chinese food – in China. There is a huge difference!

His “burnt tongue” seemed to have recovered well enough when the apple and mulberry crumble and custard came out! I was lucky to get a portion for myself!!

I did my shop this afternoon, a simple one intended purely to negate having to go again before next week and also to get a baguette. I am tired of walking miles each Wednesday lunchtime to go and get lunch and ending up with a Boring Big Mac. Pizza Hut is out for lunch, one course and one beer at 70\? Forget it. They can have my Friday breakfast custom, I don't mind spending 45\ on that!

Yes, I talk about tucker a lot. Were I in the UK I wouldn't mention it at all. Going years without what I view as staples does that to a chap!

Oh yes, I related at dinner the tale of the abortive run to east campus last Wednesday. Unbelievably, Annie and Stephanie were envious! Why doesn't that happen to us? They cried!

What?

I asked them if they would be in fine fettle had they risen at five, left home at 0645 and then after travelling the length of the city, finding out at 0820 they could have stayed in bed? An unexpected day off is fine but not so much when every other bugger bar you knew about it beforehand!