Wednesday 17^th July, 2019 1640

It would seem life living in a dormitory on the main campus is not all beer and cake, as one might reasonably expect, given it is the flagship of three campuses.

I lured Alice here last night on the promise of chilli cottage pie, not enough on its own but coupled with lemon cake it proved irresistible, especially as she knew she would be taking loads back for her mates!

She wanted to take a shower but only after dinner. She occasionally did it when she stayed on Peili campus but normally because there were huge queues. This time it was because the showers where she is are “disgustingly filthy”.

She tucked into what I felt was a pretty spicy cottage pie (enough for me to almost break sweat) and immediately added Linghams chilli sauce to her plate! Now here's where it gets interesting. While she was demolishing a pretty large portion, twice what I managed, she said “Oh, your food is so real!” I asked what she meant and she told me the food in the main campus canteen which is still open is shit and much of it is too spicy – if she says that then there's no hope for me if I am staying there next term over my lunch break unless the other cafeterias are kinder! Being summer holiday only one canteen is open and she said every time she eats there it costs her thirty yuan (or about £3.50). That may seem cheap to the readers but on the odd occasion I have dared to sample school food I have never paid more than a third of that. I can only assume the canteen that is open is the “gourmet” one that volunteered in order to rake in the money while the others were closed. Maybe it's a teachers canteen.

She knows she can come every night for some real food but of course it involves half an hour each way on the bus and incredibly, just like in Chizhou, the dormitories close at 2200. Equally, a teacher conducts a “lights-out” patrol to check they are all tucked up in bed! She is loath to go AWOL in case they rescind her residency for the holidays, her reluctance is understandable but bloody hell, legally ALL the students are adults!

I think I said this before but they also try it on the teachers. I accept it if it doesn't bother me but when Brenda sent me a “travel request” form to complete I took issue. Now I do understand that out of courtesy the school should know if I am on my travels in case a hospital (or God forbid police station!) in another city calls them about me. I have always kept them informed of my travel arrangements. However, Brenda also asked me to correct any mistakes on her form. I did. I have no idea whether she sends my version to the other foreign teachers but mine is headed “Travel Advice”. I am not a minor or a prisoner. If I am on holiday from teaching I do not need their permission.

Kevin has swallowed the chalk. After being discarded by Huangshan he has decided a decade in China is enough and he will be in the Philippines by the end of the month. He has two years until his pension kicks in and so will need part-time work to tide him over and he is hoping to obtain online tutoring. Rather him than me, it's bad enough face to face but on Skype?

Oh, and the rush to get my passport to Brenda to submit it for a new residence permit last week? She still hasn't asked Alice to bring it to her. I hate to panic but......