Saturday 24^th April, 2021 1200

Well it has been fun and games this week. Seven of my eight classes are most disgruntled because they have been made to practise synchronised dancing after school. We have the sports days coming soon and there's a competition between all the departments for best dancers.

I think for the first time in eleven years I may give the opening ceremony a miss. There's quite simply too much walking involved for me now.

Then of course we have the May Labour Holiday imminently. As always, classes have been reshuffled so we make them up at weekends and the students can have a straight five day break in order to go home.

Well that's fine and I expected it, hence I asked my assistants in the different departments I teach for what the arrangements were. The first reply I got informed me we have classes tomorrow, then as usual 5^th, 6^th and 7^th with make up on the 8^th. In other words, it told me nothing. I waited until Jody came home and asked her if she could decipher it but she just laughed and said no. Which classes was I supposed to teach for make up????

I had to ask again and this time I learnt we have Tuesday tomorrow and Wednesday on the 8^th. Crucially, most of my classes in the translation and Chinese teaching departments are doing alternative things instead of some of my classes so for once my luck is in and I might have an easier ride for a week. The only thing I have to do is marry all the timetables and information and figure out exactly what I AM doing. So far, Jody pointed out that tomorrow I don't have to do the early class on the third floor. I will be honest and admit I hadn't twigged that so if she had said nothing I'd have got up at 0530, struggled upstairs with my laptop, books and lunch, only to discover an empty classroom and a six and a half hour wait until I do have a class! I would not have been happy.

Still no sign of them doing their military training though, which now seems rather odd considering the entire student body will be gathering for the sports. The virus can't be the reason for the delay now.

This evening Baiyin Alice is coming to visit for a couple of hours after she has had lunch with a friend and before going home to see her Mum for a couple of days.

I now need to ascertain when I finish this term and that I am indeed staying here another year. If so and if no more spanners are thrown into the works (I will be fuming if there are) then I want six nights in Nanjing/Suzhou seeing Joan, fourteen nights in Yunnan with Alice and then possibly ten days in Shanghai. Alice will be free from 15^th July. At a month in duration that would be the longest city break holiday I have taken in my life. Hopefully this time my stomach will behave itself.