Saturday 3^rd August, 2019 1000

Bejaysus!

My Shanghai fund is shrinking daily. The pound, as far as I can tell, sank to the lowest ever level against the renmimbi two days ago. It has rallied a little this morning

I watched a surprisingly good film last night, Hachiko – a dog's tale. True story (with a lot of literary licence involved) and if you have chance I recommend it. But then, I am a dog lover.

The weather here this summer has not played ball. Finally we have warm weather, probably averaging around thirty but every now and again we are getting unforecast downpours. I haven't see this much rain since I have been here although nothing on the scale of the last place.

I see Heathrow has cancelled 172 flights following the result of a strike ballot by ground workers. BA is facing a strike by their pilots as well. Not that I would have flown BA (too expensive) had I been going home but if I had booked I would be worrying the entire time as to whether I'd be able to get back again!

Last night Alice came for a final pre-Shanghai dinner. I made a beef stew (the meat was cooking for four hours) and suet dumplings. The last time I made dumplings they were awful. In the UK I only ever used the suet and water. Bit of a swine for making your hands look like a potter's but they always came out fine. That time I decided to follow the packet instructions, including flour and putting them in for twenty minutes.

I think the suet was past its best and they were simply dire, so yesterday I opened a new box and cooked them for an hour. Just two, huge, dumplings. Alice's comment? “I wish you had made more dumplings”!

She had also been emailed my rota for next term by Niki. Why the hell she couldn't have emailed me I know not but once Alice forwarded it to me I was unable to open it, it being in some weird QQ format. She went around the corner and had it printed off for me instead.

It isn't bad to be honest. Almost twice last term's workload and four days instead of two but only one early rise. A slight problem insofar as my classes are spread around buildings 3,4 and 5 and most on the first floor and a couple on the third. I only know where building 4 is so the inaugural week will be interesting unless they provide a site map as requested – the buildings don't have numbers on them and past experience tells me nobody passing by will know either.

Thursday is the heavy day with six periods back to back. Except first I am in building 3 on the 3^rd floor and next I have to get to building 5 and the 6^th floor during a twenty minute break! Quite apart from there being no chance of grabbing a cuppa, I cannot ascend that height like a teenage alpine ibex. Especially as, being an all-day stint I will have my books, laptop, maybe lunch and shoulder bag to carry. I politely pointed this out to Delia the dean and whilst I hastened to add I wasn't refusing, I merely didn't want to be taken to task if on the odd occasion I didn't quite make it for the bell.

I am reliably informed they are now endeavouring to move that class to the 1^st or 2^nd floor!

Kevin has now relocated lock, stock to the Philippines. The last contact I received was to the effect that China had abandoned him so he was abandoning China and that his last school had treated him disgracefully. No explanation. I did say that after both of us got dumped last time for having the temerity to turn sixty that perhaps the complete lack of loyalty was hardly a surprise. I do though wish him well and hope he manages to attract some online teaching work, at least until his pension kicks in.