Monday 10^th June, 2019 1330

I went to the chemist for my monthly necessities and with not being paid during August, was prepared for a slightly higher than usual expense, after all, I wanted to have enough to last until the first payday next academic year in September and leave myself not needing to buy anything out of July's salary.

I was also determined to try something else for my arthritis. The last stuff did absolutely nothing and I had decided on fish oil capsules but when I got there I decided to give the crushed seashells and prawn carapaces a shot. Pricey but what the hell, it won't destroy my insides as did diclofenac. But oh no, my 188¥ bottle was not to be! Normally I hate the women working in supermarkets and the like for trying to flog me a brand of soap I don't want or even something I don't want regardless of brand. However the intervention this time came from the girl who always “does” me and lately has ensured I get 5 for 3 and other offers on my regular items (I think I have six months supply of Metformin as a result!) and she seemed to think I would be better off buying a tub that cost 388¥! What?? Then she pointed out that rather than 60 capsules it contained 180 and at two a day would last three months. Ok, made sense. Then she stiffed me with a buy one get one half price offer! I now have six months' supply! Or so I thought. When Alice translated the label later it read two tablets twice a day so it's three months worth.

I nearly called for an ambulance when everything was rung up at the till and the total came to 906¥!! At least next month the bill should be about 10¥ and if the glucosamine hasn't worked by the time it runs out in December then it never will and nobody will be able to say I never gave it a fair crack of the whip. Wish me luck.

On Saturday we went for Alice's birthday treat. Despite my having agreed to go to Baiyin yesterday I never scaled the operation down because her mum was cooking us lunch yesterday.

Unusually for Holiday Inn, this one was difficult to find, being tucked away in a huge shopping mall and to my surprise because we didn't have a reservation (for a buffet???) we were told to leave a phone number and go elsewhere for half an hour. To be fair, well within that time they called to say they now had a table.

Annie had expressed reservations about the place, having read online reviews that were not complimentary. I pointed out they were all Chinese authors and in fact for us, it was a good sign – plenty of western stuff! And there was, it was little different to other hotels in the chain I have been to in China and we all (yes, me too) ate heartily. I confined myself to sashimi and prawns though – no vegetables – and some desserts later.

One huge black mark though. 168¥ per head if you paid via Wechat, if you used cash it was 228¥!!! I thought it outrageous, especially given that it was plastered all over the BBC earlier this week:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-china-blog-48552907

If you read it, I am the one person who does not have Wechat!

Luckily Alice had enough in her account to cover it and I handed the cash to her but it did leave a nasty taste.

On Sunday morning we took a taxi to the long distance bus station and while the other two went to get the tickets I remained outdoors for a last smoke. Two minutes later I was besieged by shouts from various uniformed personnel indicating smoking in the open air was prohibited! My back well and truly up, I went near the street, only to still be hounded a foot further away! By way of protest, I ensured they could see me blowing the smoke back across the line. I could have just gone into the building and sparked up in an alcove and probably not been spotted.

Alice's mum made a load of dumplings (which were actually very good) and some cold dishes, the only one of which I tried was deep fried aubergine coated in egg batter. I was more concerned with showing willing and finishing the dumplings I had been apportioned, especially seeing as I was still full from Saturday night. I managed it.

Afterwards the girls dumped me in a bar (I had my laptop) and I sat drinking and watching TV while they explored Baiyin. When we finally got back home at 2015 they had been complaining of starvation for an hour so we tried a new (to me) halal restaurant that does particular noodles. With my lack of gnashers, eating noodles is a fiddly and messy affair but these were ravioli-sized squares and I was given a bowl of these with bamboo shoots. The only problem was a forest of coriander slapped on top and loads of tofu lurking in the soup. I hate both. The girls harvested the coriander and I avoided getting tofu in my spoon. Quite tasty as it happens but no chance of obtaining a cold beer (despite there being a bar next door where I could have got gin, tia maria, baileys etc but NO beer!) so I doubt I will return regardless of the proximity to my home.

Time to start cooking now. With Annie now leaving in less than a fortnight I need to make my own special dumplings and now I have my internet back to normal I am making that goulash.