Sunday 22^nd September, 2019 0052

I'm not having a good world cup betting wise.

Stuck £50 on Japan to win on the opening match at evens and went to bed happy at being fifty up. In the morning I discovered I had lost because my sister had placed a handicap bet and Japan had to win by a clear 40 points! Not really her fault and rather underhand by PaddyPower who only showed handicap bets on the frontispiece. I smelt a rat when she told me every odd was even but never thought to press it.

So, fifty down today I was happy to have won £20 on Oz, only to learn my sister hadn't placed the bet! £20 on Argentina followed and they lost. Doing well. Thank God for the All Blacks who recouped a tenner for me! Good games though, win or lose. Today the odds are garbage except for the Paddy/Sweaty match. I wanted a score on the Micks but sis persuaded me to go on the Jocks with a decent return. Waste of money but you never know.

Andy my cleaner came yesterday, once again he hired a bike to ride all the way from the main campus. Fret not, his wages not only include the bus fare but even if he bikes it he still gets it because the bike costs the same as the bus.

I said that as the national holiday was coming up he probably wouldn't want to come next Saturday and he replied yes, he would, he has classes Sunday (same as me) but would go home on the Monday. “Do you want your money today?”

“No, next week.”

Bless, he will have three weeks money to take away for his holiday. And trust me, I pay four times more than shelf stacking. In fact, come spring festival I may well give him a holiday bonus just for the commute.

I am not sure if I am happier teaching where I am than on east campus. The latter was a complete waste of time but little work, the former is now a lot more work and effort and so far, bloody hard work motivation wise for the students. I may have made the wrong decision when I shunned the agricultural university. Time will tell.

I went into the “new” restaurant again the other night. It's not cheap but the portions are enormous, you really need someone else and maybe another to eat them. Anyway, I thought I'd try what looked like spring rolls drenched in sauce.

I asked if the filling was pork (by “asked” I mean by grunting like a pig!) and was told biyoo! (No) – tofu!

Oh God, if there is anything on this planet I hate more than tripe it is tofu! So I went for what looked in the photo to be nice pastries filled with meat and veg. Quite aside from the fact enough for a party of four were placed before me, it was mutton and I hate anything sheep except wool, I was left with a huge amount of leftovers.

Takeaway and give it to the jing jo shop people! I reckon with a translator now I could probably get them to do anything for me. I'm just happy they get my cigars.

So, back to the world cup later today, where here nobody understands why I care so much. It ain't basketball or anything Mercan.