Thursday 9^th July, 2020 1415

So Alice left yesterday morning to catch the 1230 slow train which arrived 25 hours later at 1330 today. Rather her than me. However, she's excited because she's meeting up with a group and they are touring all over Tibet. I'm sure she will have a great time as long as she doesn't succumb to altitude sickness. She also left me a little gift of a black brassiere which sadly is too small – although I suppose I could use it to make two face masks.

However today's big story is Mr Jing Jo.

Three days ago I rocked up at their shop to get my dailies and as usual didn't have my specs on so never noticed the shop was shut. Very occasionally that happens – a wedding or sometimes just because Mrs Jing Jo popped down for ten minutes to the little supermarket. I wasn't desperate so I left, more annoyed at having bothered to walk there.

Yesterday the barriers on the shortcut had been removed so I happily wandered over (Alice had gone for my drinks the day before). Now as you know neither of us speak each others' language but we still have many “conversations” and unbelievably they are mostly successful.

I put my three large cans of pijou and two quarter-litre bottles of jing jo on the counter and before he put them in a bag for me he showed me his left rear forearm. There was bruising. I asked him what he had done and he pointed to the bare bulb dangling from the ceiling. I assumed he had perhaps been changing it and fallen off a stepladder.

But no. I think I just discovered what he was before he became a shopkeeper.

He had gone to Tianshui about 200 miles away to earn a few extra bob. I was intrigued. I asked what had happened and he mimicked being electrocuted. I pointed at the lightbulb thinking sure, you get a belt but it's not normally serious. Oh no no no! He then mimicked welding!

Then he lifted his shirt up at the back to reveal angry purple welts that looked as if someone had flogged him. His stomach was even worse, as if a cat'o'ninetails had been used – serious damage. It seems either the equipment was faulty or he made a mistake but he was convulsing on the ground until someone switched off the power and an ambulance was called. While they were waiting someone administered CPR. He was rushed to hospital.

The funniest part of it is, he had to call his wife to drive and collect him, hence the shop was shut, and ever since she has been berating him for his stupidity. I think the incessant nagging is for him the worst part of it. I can believe that, I have witnessed her having a go at him on a few occasions!

I haven't figured out what caused the welts though, they are about the thickness of a pencil and between 6” and 10” in length. I doubt I'll ever know.