Thursday 20^th September, 2018 1200

A bit of a mixed bag this time.

Tuesday's meal went well, in particular I had decided as you know to produce crackling. I am not sure if I am imagining it but Chinese pigs seem to be thicker-skinned than the ones in the UK. My Mum's crackling was always thin and crispy, mine on Tuesday was like rhinoceros hide but crackling nonetheless.

I of course couldn't even attempt it unless I wanted to suck it into submission, however at one point I could hardly hear anything over the four sets of CRUNCH!! CRUNCH! going on at the table. I am pretty sure they liked it.

Yesterday yet again the workmen were supposed to arrive at 0900 and yet again I never saw them. Last night the foreigners were treated to a meal at the hotel behind my flat in celebration of mid-autumn festival. The first time the school has taken any of us out for dinner, although I had put that down to the anti corruption campaign started by Xi whilst I was still in Chizhou.

The beer was somewhat scarce and as for wine or baijiu, forget it. The reason given being a somewhat implausible explanation that should someone expire from over-drinking the funeral costs would need to borne by the others at the table. My solution was to suggest simply dragging the corpse from the room and saying they croaked it before they even arrived. Nordine seemed highly disappointed with the paucity of alcohol, even more miffed when I showed him surreptitiously that I had anticipated just such a situation and was packing my extra large hip flask of jing!

Earlier today I went for breakfast at Pizza Hut and once I had eaten, Brenda called. I couldn't hear her well (I think she had the phone badly lodged betwixt shoulder and neck) and so she hung up and said she would call later. Doubtless when she does it will be to impart some bad news, whenever foreign affairs call you it is not good. And I gave her her souvenirs last night too.

And the allopurinol saga continues. With only enough left to last until Saturday morning things are becoming critical, by my guesstimate if it isn't rectified I should get my first attack of gout in goodness knows how many years just in time to prevent my being able to work next Thursday and Friday.

So on the way to and from Pizza Hut, armed with an empty pill bottle as n example, I scouted for chemists. There are none. You may feel I am an idiot of some proportion when you remember there is a large modern complex next to campus called a hospital? Why did I not simply go there in the first place?

From memory buying drugs there involves going up a couple of floors, asking for medicines, obtaining a chit, going back downstairs and then queueing to pay for them before returning upstairs to wait in line to actually get the pills. Fine if you are as fit as a jackrabbit but after a round trip for breakfast my speed had dropped to just below dead slow ahead.

I had to bite the bullet though, this was becoming seriously worrying and although I am used to cigar droughts my requirement was what is after all an extremely common medicine, the Chinese do get gout! Mayo. In a bloody hospital?? If I can't get it there then where on earth can I? I found two small pharmacies within the locality and the reply was the same. I find it unbelievable. And worrying.

On top of that I still have the call from Brenda to look forward to, no doubt that will whistle through my existence like a force ten gale......