Friday 6^th November, 2020 1845

It's been a week since the last entry. Fatigue is the culprit. Getting home at 1930 four nights a week doesn't help and Thursdays are a killer. Last week and today I just didn't have the energy to go to BHG for my shopping. In fact, last week I arranged to meet up with Jody after my classes on Monday so she could help me to buy three boxes of wine. That should be enough to see me only needing to buy one box per week until the spring holidays.

The USB has been performing in an exemplary manner since I sussed out the problem but the internet has not. Last Friday (I forgot to mention) I had no internet all day and waited for it to come back. Until 1730 when I texted Brenda to ask if it was going to be fixed at all that day. Apparently there had been nothing wrong with it!

She got Mr Wang to come. It needed him to change my password to a stronger one and voila! It worked again. On Thursday I take my laptop to campus to use at lunch and I couldn't log in there all of a sudden. This time it seemed everyone was locked out and being asked for a stronger password. Nobody I know yet has resolved it but I am hoping next Thursday Jody can get the IT guy to come and fix me up. How am I supposed to read Chinese computer errors?

In my final class of the week early Thursday evenings, as of last week I gained a new student who switched majors. The first class she attended she expressed her fear regarding my carrying a knife, something I always do unless flying, obviously. I have carried one almost continuously for half a century (HMS Conway drummed into us a good seaman always carries a knife) and in that time the only person I have ever injured has been myself!

Yesterday she seemed not only to have conquered her fear but she wouldn't shut up! Don't get me wrong, she will likely be my top student this term for her sheer enthusiasm and if all the others had just 10% of it I would be in heaven. I felt bad when I had to tell her she couldn't volunteer for absolutely every reading when I asked as I have to give others a chance. Not bad for a late arrival?

I hit it lucky all this week with taxis back from campus. Previously I have usually had to walk a fair distance to where they park up but not this week, and indeed on Monday two fellow teachers saw Jody and offered to give us a lift to the taxi place. If only it was ever thus.

And breaking news literally just in. Joanna leaves with her company for Kuala Lumpur next Sunday. I have very mixed emotions. On one hand I am delighted for her and on the other, devastated that it is possible I won't be able to see her next summer.