Saturday 13^th October, 2018 1900

Friday being my back-to-back teaching day, is one I prefer not to need to go out at lunchtime. Accordingly, I normally take my own lunch with me, often I make sausage rolls for the purpose.

When I finished the morning classes I left my books in the classroom, I would need them after lunch. When the time came, a student poked her head out of the classroom opposite “my” room and told me we were in there because they were having a meeting in my normal classroom. She tried to prevent me going into the right room but I told her I needed to retrieve my books.

Thinking the meeting was a teachers' one, I opened the door without knocking, confident they wouldn't have started yet. I only needed five seconds to get my stuff, after all.

To my surprise the room was full of students and four staff members on the dais, everyone standing to attention. Nobody even glanced at me as they all stood stock still and a second later the Chinese national anthem started! Now it was MY turn to stand still! I thought that as the Communist Party secretary was chairing, it was a CCP meeting – hence the anthem. Mortified, I waited for the finish and then asked for my books. They looked but couldn't find them. I left and, wondering if I was going potty, went to my office to make sure I hadn't after all taken them there. I hadn't.

I wasn't too concerned about the lack of a course book, I know the lessons by heart but my little black book contains precisely what I have done with each class so I don't repeat myself. I was particularly miffed as I had left them neatly on the desk on the stage and it should have been obvious I was expecting to come back for them. At break time the meeting was still cloistered so I went for a smoke, safe in the knowledge that as the secretary comes on the school bus (he lives in a high-rise near me) the meeting would end before five and I could then turn the place upside down to find my books. On my return to the class however, my books and pen were mysteriously at the teacher's station!

Getting on the school bus it transpired the secretary was the only other passenger. Thinking I had perhaps inadvertently committed a heinous breach of protocol earlier I thought it wise to head off any censure at the pass. “Thank you for finding my books” I said, “I knew I wasn't crazy!”The secretary smiled and brandished a school-made booklet, gaily telling me the meeting had been to finalise arrangements for the school table tennis tournament!!! From what I could gather, Mr Secretary is 2^nd seed out of rather a number of contestants. I am not on the naughty step.

Today I was going to cook a roast dinner but lethargy won the day. I have planned to prepare Monday's dinner tomorrow, the chilli will reheat and lemon meringue is best from the fridge anyway. What happened was Alice arrived with my Bisto this morning (essential if you want to make pork taste like beef) and the news that before end of term all the remaining English majors will be relocated to the main campus, just as Pat's class was last term. Again they are avoiding logic, which would have been to move them after the long winter holiday.

Alice seemed really upset over no longer being able to come to Marlow Mondays, she appreciates my food far more than I realised. I pointed out that I was sure something could be sorted and anyway, it is possible they may move Annie and Eli there too so they would all have to bus it here to get fed. Time will tell.

This afternoon I went to the underground shopping market with a purpose. Firstly Stephanie has managed to break both the inherited mop and the one I bought two years ago so I needed to buy a new one. This time I got one with a spinning bucket that ejects water from the mop. It cost 100y but will certainly make floor cleaning a lot easier. Secondly, for two years I have been using the secondhand bedding that was already here. It's too small for the bed and I do like to have my own stuff so I thought it high time I rectified it. For 300y I bought one set that turned out to do the trick and so I shall return and buy another set. Tonight I have a nice “new” bed to sleep in.

oh, and Mr Jing Jo was true to his word and his shop is now awash with Wang Guan cheroots. I simply had to show faith by buying 500 of them, meaning once again I have 1600 on my windowsill.

Today was expensive.