Saturday 23^rd May, 2020 2100

So I have one more week before I endure the shock of having to set my alarm clock for the first time this year and the agony of commuting to work. And shock it will be, especially the walking, even going the short totter to the jing jo shop occasionally sees me suffering full-scale pelvic protests. I hope to God that short cut from bus to campus is fully open now.

I cleared all my work yesterday and decided to have a day off today, which I have done, marred only by a straggler class submitting their assignments about an hour ago. I am now wondering whether there will be another. My decision to declare a Steve holiday next week was justified.

Yesterday it seemed the world and his uncle were gawping at me in my little office. They weren't, they were showing great interest in a new notice which had been posted in a rather inconvenient position as far as I was concerned, one which by the amount of attention it garnered was of some import.

When Jody came home I asked her to check it out, naturally the Americans could have been invading or there was going to be a hydrogen bomb test a mile away and still nothing would have been posted in English.

Apparently it was indeed important. Facial recognition is being implemented city-wide and between 1400-1800 today the equipment and staff were to be on hand at the entrance to zap everyone. I'm not quite sure what happens if your physog is not on the system but I avoided leaving home at all today. No doubt I will know the answer tomorrow! Bugger it, security all know my face, I “talk” to them every time I leave and the authorities know full well they have an illiterate laowei living here – hell, the police turned up twice before didn't they?

Alice phoned at lunchtime. She has been back since Wednesday farting about with her thesis and defence so she can graduate. I do feel sorry for these kids not getting graduation photos, they've worked four years to actually appear in one and now they won't happen.

She was complaining she is in prison, which is precisely what I told her would happen. She's not allowed to leave campus, she can't even order shopping online and collect it at the gate and she can't get takeaways delivered. Given the state of the food I experienced in the cafeteria my heart goes out to her. It's more akin to what happened in UK schools when I was a kid – what we never ate was sent to the pigs except here they bypass the pigs.

What answer could I give when she asked how come students were in prison but teachers could come and go? How can anyone logically justify that? I certainly can't because it's precisely what I would ask were I a student.

The planet has lost its marbles. Airlines, restaurants, pubs, travel firms etc are going to the wall and whole economies have collapsed and will take years to recover. And for what? Something that has killed 340,000 people worldwide in the same time that 600,000 have died on the roads this year.

It was never something I shit myself over when China was the only star of the show and although it wasn't a joke then (or now) it has become ridiculous.

Oh and now there's a 14 day quarantine rule for the UK.......what can I say?