Saturday 16^th November, 2019 1600

Well after a somewhat fraught week it was good to get to my three-day weekend.

Thursdays take so much out of me that I don't want to do anything at all on Fridays, hence I now do my weekly shop after my Tuesday morning class. I had however arranged to meet Pat in the evening and treat her to a Japanese meal and so that's where we went last night. It suited her as the restaurant is way on the other side of the river but considerably closer to her home than her dormitory is, so she ended up going home for a weekend of Mum's home cooking and generally lazing about.

We had the usual seaweed-wrapped rice and tuna (one of my favourites), barbecued king prawns, butterfly prawn with cheese, sashimi and I let her choose the sushi. What is it that makes girls pick the pink sushi? (see photo). It's far too sweet to eat more than one, even for the females.

And I had a bit of good fortune, the bill was a mere 154¥ (less 10% for using my VIP card) and I thought maybe I had enough residual balance on the card so as not to have to actually fork out cash, handy considering the ATMs here where I live are still out of order.

Not only did I have enough but I still have 202¥ left, enough for another go!

Today I went on a desperate cigar hunt all the way to east campus. I would have had nothing to smoke at all halfway through Monday otherwise. Firstly I thought I would continue in the vein of gourmet dining by having a Big Mac meal. BK would have been infinitely more preferable but A) I need to take taxis to get there and B) I have no idea if there is a China Tobacco shop nearby.

Unsurprisingly, they never had my brand - or at least my model. To get me through to Tuesday I had to buy some smaller versions and five Churchillian ones for 110¥, two days supply for the price I would normally pay for five days. Feast or famine here.

I gave Pat a letter to post to the MNOPF in the UK for me. Her initial text was to ask if 220¥ was ok for EMS? Was it ok? £25 for a letter??? Could you please just ask for normal airmail, it should be about 20¥? All done and guess how much it cost? 20¥! Not a bad guess.

Tomorrow I could go cigar hunting again but I think I shall probably have a baking day. Sausage rolls for school lunches, either a cake or some Chelsea buns and I quite fancy a roast dinner, probably chicken, even though we are still in the grip of crap potato season. I can always search for lardies on Tuesday after shopping or throw in the towel and buy yet more expensive ones from the shop adjacent to BHG.

I might even be able to see them if my glasses are ready!