Sunday 22^nd March, 2020 1730

Well the meal on Friday was a welcome change (even though I was in the chair). The problems were that they were short-staffed and snowed under with delivery orders. I have nothing against deliveries but if I ran a restaurant I would prioritise the customers actually sitting in my restaurant.

They didn't, and as a result the first of three dishes (sweet pork) took over an hour to arrive. The second (more pork but with chilli – everything else I had tried to order such as beef or squid was off the damned menu) took another half an hour and Jody's choice, or rather her second choice, a further fifteen. Hers was an aubergine dish. Since being in China I have acquired a liking for this but I never even put a piece in my mouth. It smelt wrong, Deniro declined and even Jody who is keen on vegetables only picked at it. At least it only cost 130¥ including three warm beers. In Lanzhou many places won't refrigerate the beer until everyone is sweating. I wasn't impressed, so if we want something from there again before all this is over I will see if Jody can organise a home delivery. I can't, I don't even know my address!

And hey! What about Italy????

My old shipmate, an ex radio officer had been on holiday in Spain and was concerned at being trapped when they shut the country down. I am glad to say that he and his wife did get their flight and are now back in Scotland self-quarantining for two weeks! At least they can use Just Eat and Tesco online for now. Or is Asda still the pre-eminent go-to supermarket north of Hadrian's Wall?

I had a shower earlier. Since they came to unblock and shovel tonnes of debris out of the outside drains my toilet has flushed the fastest it ever has. I was over the moon. Until today. The toilet is still flushing like a good'un but the main drain is blocking again so the bathroom flooded! That means they will need to come yet again tomorrow. Well Jody is going to campus anyway so she won't be seen but I'm going to have to specify a “not before” time as I want to go to BHG first. It can't be anything from in here doing it, all that goes down that drain is shower water.

Then I went for my monthly drug run. 517¥!!!! Ok, that included another three month supply of fish oil capsules (they are at least having a slight effect on the creaky hip) and I am trying to build up a two month stock ready for August when I don't get paid. The plus is that I don't need a prescription, the minus is that being a diabetic in the UK it would all be free!

Jody is the most different guest I have ever had in China. She washes the dishes, cleans the floor and pays for some of the shopping. Also, she doesn't want me to cook every night. Today I was actually free and offered to do a Sunday roast. No. Ok what about leek and potato soup for dinner instead? Can't we just have sandwiches?!!! So sandwiches it will be, tuna and cucumber for her, cheese and onion toasties for me. The height of culinary excellence! To be honest, I am fine with that. I'll have marking tomorrow but I am looking at opening the pack of frozen meatballs I got in Metro. I have some cheat's Napoletana in a jar – bake the balls, cook some pasta (yes UK readers, we have plenty of that here in China!) and heat the sauce. Actually one of my favourite simple and cheap meals in the UK was a can of Campbell's meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta and a dollop of Linghams chilli to give it some bite.

Oh, and about an hour ago she was reading the local Chinese news. Middle schools will restart on 30^th March, high schools 6^th April and universities 13^th April. So indeed, another three weeks of marking from home.