Sunday 1^st December, 2019 1930

Why on earth didn't BBC iPlayer alert users to a new series of Masterchef?? I love watching it whether it's celebrities, professionals or amateurs. In fact it's the only cookery programme I like to watch. I discovered the current series yesterday by chance and the only good thing is that I am now downloading and wading through about twelve hours of unexpected viewing. I get loads of ideas for my own cooking from the contestants, even though I don't have access to either most of the ingredients or the equipment!

To be honest, this term with the increased workload I seem to be too tired on my days off although I do have the odd energy bursts but cooking for others is on a low burner of late. I spent a lot of time, money and effort on it last term and was basically shit upon so perhaps my lethargy this term may be excused.

It's very wintry here now, Andy my cleaner never came as scheduled yesterday, stupid boy sent me a text an hour before saying he had something to do and could he come today instead. I had been expecting the text ever since the snow started falling. He now knows not to lie to me, he also knows there's no need to anyway because he is after all merely coming here to earn money for himself and there is no sick pay or holiday agreement. He comes, he works for twenty minutes most weeks and pockets nearly six pounds for doing so. About once a month I give him something other than the floor to clean that takes another ten or fifteen but on average, less travelling time (and when he comes here afterwards he uses the campus gym anyway) he gets around £15 an hour. I only need him once a fortnight at worst but agree to weekly because by all accounts he is from a poor family. My way of spreading a little cheer in a way.

And it was typical Lanzhou snow, about ¼" that never really settled, certainly not snowball material. I am definitely at greater risk from ice on the road when winter tightens the vice. Or a rogue ankle suddenly deciding to give up the ghost! I suppose at least in winter I will be wearing thicker garments to cushion the impact!

Joan emailed me on Saturday to tell me she was in the Doubletree hotel in Suzhou, Anhui (only opened a couple of years ago). Seeing as she lives there I thought perhaps she had changed jobs but she was there for the morning for a lecture arranged by her school. She said it reminded her of Steve in Shenyang. Somehow I doubt it is as tight a ship as run by that insane reprobate and maybe in time I will be able to check it out for myself after my summer holiday, if nothing prevents said holiday.

Every day I visit the Chizhou university website to get the news. Pointless really as anyone I ever taught has left and the only teacher I ever see mentioned is Prof Fang, my old dean. But then I also read local news of Marlow and Luton daily too. I have been watching events unfold.

They seem to have banned people from charging their e-bikes from anywhere other than official charging points on campus (ie you pay money and the school profits), they have now been granted the status to confer Masters degrees and this next makes me glad I am no longer there: all motor vehicles prohibited from the teaching area and approach roads. That includes e-bikes. With over a mile to walk each way from the teacher accommodation to the academic blocks I would have tendered my notice. Unless I could find a secret route. I could have charged my bike after dark and then heaved the cable up and indoors after! Well, if there's a way I will find it!

Nothing much else to tell, I have been inert most of the time between working and what with trying to save money there are no trips being planned for the next nine months.