Thursday 1^st October, 2020 1700

Mid-autumn festival, China's birthday and sadly the day my father died 37 years ago so a mixed bag for me.

Monday to Wednesday went reasonably well and I was gladdened to see that some students on Wednesday have already bought the course book I asked them to seeing as the school has been of absolutely no use in that regard. The Thursday English major classes found it on Taobao for sale at 9¥ or £1 so it's not as if I'm imposing a huge financial burden on them. In fact, I have told them all that if they are from a poor family to come and see me in confidence and I will gladly give them the money – after all, I came from a poor family and am proud.

The holidays have indeed taken into account the fact that mid-autumn in the lunar calendar coincides today with China's national day so they “gave us” an eight-day holiday. Which is absolute nonsense because it is actually six days when you take into account we worked on Sunday to cover Wednesday classes and next Saturday we make up this Thursday's classes. But the students are actually allowed to go home now so I have no argument with them extending the break for them to be with their families, especially as all but one of my classes consists of freshmen on their first period of being away from home. Anyone who went to boarding school will know how homesickness can affect you.

As for me, I've done stuff-all today, not even set foot outside. Dinner was part-baked rolls with cheese. Tomorrow I am meeting Andy for lunch near BHG. He contacted me last week wanting to come and see me at home. I cannot have that with Jody living here and her being a teacher on the same campus, we have kept it discreet throughout 2020 and I intend to keep it that way. Andy you may remember used to come and clean for me. He's not looking for his job back as it happens, just wants to see me and thank me for giving him the chance to earn some money in his first year. So I will treat him to a dry prawn hotpot tomorrow hopefully as long as the restaurant is still in business. I love a dry prawn hotpot, especially the rice cakes. Afterwards I can do my shopping.

Saturday if Jody actually plays ball, it will be a trip to the chemist (she has a card the uni puts money on each payday, like the one I had in Chizhou) so she can pay for my drugs and then now the nights are, to use the Scottish vernacular, “fair drawin' in” I have decided I need to get her on a chair to remove the kitchen lightbulb so we can replace it. I swear the one the maintenance men put in is 20W and a simple candle would allow me to see better at night. As my timetable will see me coming home in the dark until 2021 any cooking of dinner I need to do I would like to actually see.

I have failed to find a travelling companion for my Xining trip. Jody says she has to go to campus every night to check her group of international students so it will be a solo foray. No matter, I never had any intention of leaving the hotel, it will be purely two days of breakfast and dinner and complimentary VIP lounge (Sofitel call it Millesime) drinks and snacks with watching films in between or maybe even a nap or two.