Friday 18^th May, 2018 1700

Believe it or not, even with no teaching to do, I have been incredibly busy.

Tuesday was a case of recovering from Monday's dinner party (the washing up from which I finally got around to doing half an hour ago!) and doing the laundry. Besides popping out to buy some sunglasses (for the life of me I cannot find the ones I had) I stayed indoors.

Wednesday was a case of getting up at six and being on Peili campus for the coach at 0730 to main campus for the opening ceremony of the school olympics. Annie had said she would follow on later, she having a workman to come and investigate her stinky and leaking bathroom at 0830.

In the event she missed the opening ceremony on the main campus and with hindsight I should have advised her to put the workman off. The kids do put a lot of effort into their performances (more than they do in class!) and as a stranger she should really have witnessed it. I believe she will be sure to next year before she decamps back to LA.

No photos for you, I never took my camera because I posted pictures last year. However, if my summer plans proceed, next year I will have a camcorder and will video it then stick it on YouTube.

By the time Annie texted to say she was leaving it was too late so I told her to go straight to east campus for the promised lunch. She never left when she said she was because even allowing for waits between buses she still arrived half an hour after I had estimated. Plenty of time for a leisurely Japanese lunch though and one she really enjoyed. So did I of course, even though it is a tad on the pricey side.

Janet wanted me to agree to be a judge on Thursday so I agreed and told her to choose something which meant I didn't have to turn up before lunch. I wanted a lie-in. The judging never happened. Instead they badgered me to take part in chucking that sand-filled ball again. I protested, showed my scar and stated that it hurt far too much last year. Do you still have one arm? They asked. Yes. Ok, use one arm. I was snookered. Quite why they wanted Grandad with one arm competing against younger people with two arms can only be attributed to the performing monkey syndrome! What the hell, I got a wok last year and would get a prize regardless this year! That turned out this time to be a rather useful extension lead with USB ports as well, so worth having.

Anyway, the game is two hands overhead, one event forwards as in a football throw-in, the other backwards. Well no way could I do it backwards, the ball is too big and would have left my hand the moment I started moving. I stuck to the forward discipline and declined the reverse, incidentally which had attracted quite a large entry. It's ok coming third out of three but not eighth of eight.

The only way I could do it was à la putting the shot. I didn't embarrass myself, much to my surprise and to be honest, had it been a proper lead shot I reckon I could have held my head up. As it was, I was stunned to learn after all throws were completed, that I wasn't last! I came second! Whoopee!! I'm not entirely sure there wasn't some skulduggery going on with the measuring though..........

Despite being told I needn't go today to the closing ceremony I said I wanted to and arranged for the bus to collect me. I was so tired I dropped off after the alarm this morning and woke with a start. I had 25 minutes before I needed to leave home so a shower was out. A quick wash and I was gone. I half wish I had stayed in bed because I had a hankering for another Japanese after but couldn't find any takers to accompany me so just took the school bus back after it finished at 1145. But at least I went on all three days and had to admire a couple of the older women teachers who participated in a mixed student/teacher relay race at the finish. That was one I was definitely avoiding unless they lent me an e-bike to “run” on.

It's over for another year, no teaching for 12 days, Tian Shui next week, Alice's agency has applied for her Schengen (and hopefully UK) visa. Whilst life is not rosy bliss, the weather is warm and I cannot complain.