Tuesday 15^th September, 2020 2000

Yesterday the hotel rooms were “opened” for me to book and pay for a stay starting tomorrow, which of course I will not. End of story?

It is as far as I am concerned as I now have a bank account to prove I paid.

Not so apparently with Hotels.com. Two emails today, the first sent ten hours after I sorted it telling me to urgently contact the hotel (but of course not them as they have no contact details other than foreign numbers) and the second to remind me I was staying at the hotel tomorrow! Definitely a site to avoid folks – and I very rarely recommend or pan anything but they deserve it.

After class today I was in two minds as to whether to go to BHG on the way home or leave it until tomorrow. I decided to go and got off the bus. As soon as I rounded the corner past Bank of China I wondered what the hell was going on. In four years, not even coming up to Chinese new year, have I ever seen anything like it!

The entire outside strip for shops resembled the old Wembley stadium before an England v W Germany game! It was of course due to students either returning to campus or freshmen arriving but I have never seen the like before and parents were contributing to the throng. I nearly fled on site but persevered. A man has to have his wine, after all.

Lines of youngsters clutching bowls, bedding, towels and all the necessities needed for campus life. Understandable but seeing as their parents were blocking the main road with their cars it begs the question as to why the hell didn't they just buy them in their home towns and bring them with them? And most of the parents were outside the supermarket waiting while their kids shopped inside. Interestingly, the mask wearing stipulation had been abandoned under the onslaught, as had the temperature taking and strict entry on the left and exit on the left policy. Thank God it should be back to normal next week.

And where I am reading about the strictures placed on universities around the country, today I witnessed students arriving on campus. Nothing unusual there except that I was told students were forbidden from leaving. By chance a couple of mine were coming in as I was leaving and so I asked why were they out collecting Taobao parcels when they were supposed to be incarcerated. They happily informed me they can leave at will now! Ok, I said a while ago it seemed pointless keeping them in when teachers can come and go (much the same as the UK opening schools and workplaces but inexplicably limiting other gatherings to six people) so for the students I am pleased.

However, compared to Westminster, China has throughout maintained a consistent and largely effective response to the overrated virus threat. I asked my class this afternoon their thoughts on how the USA and UK are dealing with it. They think Trump is a joke and are completely confused by the UK response. I can't blame them for the latter, I am sure most UK residents are confused and I foresee unrest in the future. If people see a rationale they will in general abide by restrictions but when they make no sense you cannot blame rebellion.

Anyway, enough of Covid, I have tried to avoid it as much as I can, particularly seeing I can host a party for 3,000 if I wish – and it is no dfferent to going to work among 10,000 students and faculty.

I wonder how many million jobs have been or will be lost worldwide due to panic and just how many years economic recovery will take. I can see a clear winner in this and that's what is driving Trump during his last two months before he finds out his fate.

Sorry, far too political!