Sunday 14^th June, 2020 1045

Dandan came on Friday and as well as taking pictures they filmed. The students were quite unconcerned, no doubt because they were all wearing masks!

Then it was time to go to BHG and she followed me to film me leaving campus. On the spur of the moment she decided to “escape” with me when the guard was distracted! She was made up that she could take photos of me shopping – I can't think of anything more mundane. But then afterwards when I asked her if she was going back, I received the reply I knew was coming. She wanted to come home with me.

So she spent about ninety minutes here, taking pictures (clutter and all) and then left to go back to school. She does seem very keen.

And just when you thought it was safe to take off your mask again, Roland in Shanghai sent me a message asking if I'd heard about the new Beijing lockdown. Immediately I went online and sure enough, breaking news on the BBC, and once again a meat market is getting the flak. Apparently most of the 45 infected people were asymptomatic so to my mind if they were to test any large concentration of people, for instance our campus, I am sure plenty would test positive. I could have it, anyone could.

However I do wonder if this will result in other provinces firming up their restrictions just when they were easing. Roland, wisely, high-tailed it back from Chongqing to Shanghai in case he suddenly got locked out and couldn't return home! Apparently Beijing has been extremely strict over the crisis all the time, second presumably to Wuhan and equally presumably to protect the top brass. After all, if one of the Politburo were to die from it then it would be a national disgrace. Mind you, cause of death would almost certainly officially be something far more heroic.

So the world is battling a pandemic, Trump trade war and sanctions and now anarchy in the streets over a couple of people killed by police, the latest by some accounts after he fell asleep in his car at a drive-through restaurant. Failed a breathalyser, resisted arrest, fought with police, pinched a Taser and aimed it at a copper and was shot for his trouble. The police chief resigned over it (that will help!) and I saw one sign saying justice for the dead man! Surely justice for him would have been a DUI conviction, had he of course not resisted? I'll bet the Met are regretting Boris' water cannons were flogged off......

Oh well, enough rambling for now, it's a beautiful day outside at 27ºC so I may even cook myself dinner tonight and a lunchbox for tomorrow.