Wednesday 27^th March, 2019 0900

Life can be a funny old thing, can't it?

I am facing an operation which may involve cancer and yet I am relatively unconcerned. Instead, I was more worried about my future job prospects. When you think that many would be shitting themselves over the medical stuff, my thoughts were and are with my coming years. There is no thought I may actually go before I decide the time. Anyway, if it turns out to be cancer I intend to kill it with alcohol. Why change the habit of a lifetime?

Rabbit I must say was even last night still searching valiantly for jobs for me, even though she reads my blog and knew I had a good chance of having found one myself. I cannot thank her enough and but think perhaps there is a young lady on whose life I as a teacher had some impact. It is humbling indeed to find that where one was convinced no difference was being made that, on the contrary, major impressions were being made. At least on those students that paid attention. And she was one of the quiet ones!

As for the hospital bills, I received a call from Brenda to inform me she had been to accounts and they will not pay out on hospital receipts, I need formal invoices from both hospitals. Great you may say, but this is China. Alice will try to get one from the big hospital next Tuesday while I am out for the count and then we will need to revisit the small one to see if we have success there.

As for the contract with my prospective new school, I have many questions. More money granted but no medical cover other than accidental. I am happy to pay for my own cover if the school can arrange it. Various other queries but none of them necessarily deal-breakers. Remember, I merely want another three years of employment and I cannot be too choosy.

Today on a whim I made Chelsea buns, about twenty of them. A simple text to Annie and Alice saw them scurry after classes to come for their spoils! I think I have three left for myself to take to work later. When I said to Alice to let me know if her best friend (Miranda) liked them (she took her the remains of last night's garlic bread) her comment was “If I let her have one!”

Oh, and Joanna is worried about me. I never even contacted her about my gut problem but about another matter yet of course it came up. She has now said she will fly up from Shanghai next weekend to visit me because she is worried! I have said no need but to be honest I can't think of anything else I would rather have than her visiting me for Qing Ming festival. I am but worried that payday is after the weekend, I have spent thousands on hospital bills and until mid-April I am dead as far as my naval pension goes -three months all at once coming a fortnight later.

I want to treat her to nice meals, the way of China is when someone visits your city you pay (and she has paid for my hotel in Shanghai before) so I do not want to renege. If she does come she will be staying at the local Hampton by Hilton on my recommendation (take note Steve Magor!) and if it happens I have no compunction in saying I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Now that's a student I definitely made an impression with - and to this day remains my best ever. I doubt she will be toppled.