Monday 3^rd February, 2020 1600

Hahaha! I don't like this mask mullarkey.

Today I went shopping to BHG with Jody and for the first time going out I wore both a mask and my glasses. Every time you breathe out your spectacles get fogged up!

Getting into BHG was not as simple as it was the last time I went, security on the door and temperature taken. I correctly guessed the answer – I'm fine. It did though occur to me to wonder why they are doing it only at the supermarket entrance and not the entrance to the building? There are about fifteen other shops in total either side of the approach so I could go to the bakery for instance and infect people at will. Sure, the supermarket is paying but a little neighbourly love wouldn't cost them any more.

Anyway, I did a huge shop, 600¥, which should last both of us (if she stays on for that length of time) until next week and payday. Payday cannot come soon enough, what with Alice coming and our little getaway, now this, all my savings in China are gone – 250¥ left in my account and 450 in my wallet! Not that I have any plans to go out to restaurants just yet, although I may just chance my arm by going to Burger King after I get paid – the critical alarm on the cheese tub sounded last night after I made the macaroni.

Speaking of which, and I am sure you can find credible my claim that she actually likes broccoli but get this one: Macaroni cheese with chilli sauce on top???? She has done half a bottle on her own since arriving, she has it on absolutely everything. Rest assured, she will be ordering replacements online at her expense.

One rather unexpected effect of the current problem manifested itself only today. Firstly the bakery, when I bought 45¥ of bread, refused my 100¥ note. Jody translated that they had no change and she said she would pay using her phone. I can't do that with my dumbphone. Except she hadn't topped it up and there was no internet. In the end I got her to ask if I could owe them until next week as they see me every week anyway. Maybe I have a dishonest face (and to be fair, with masks on I wasn't sure if they even knew me) but miraculously they managed to find 55¥ change in their till.

Then when the taxi dropped us off for the standard 10¥ fare and I handed him a fifty, HE didn't have change either! Luckily I had plenty of ones – always have plenty for bus fares – so I could pay him. Seriously, who would anticipate a shortage of money? I'm sure the banks are still open and the ATMs definitely are.

Following on from the bum steer I was given a couple of days ago regarding Lanzhou being in quarantine, this morning Jody informed me that the USA has a vaccine/cure for the virus but Beijing has refused to use it. Well, quite apart from the fact that I know the States licences drugs far quicker for public use than any other nation, I knew that it would be at least twelve weeks before any possible cure or vaccine would be developed and so I checked it out.

Utter rot. I honestly cannot fathom what pleasure these people get from posting porkies online. It does though highlight the damage that can be done by people spreading lies on the internet – because gullibles swallow it wholesale.

Anyway, roast chicken postponed until tomorrow because she was late getting ready. Tonight is sushi.