Thursday 6^th May, 2021 0830

I am not a happy camper today. And I am irate with the person responsible. Me.

I got up at 0530 and arrived on campus for 0745. My suspicions were aroused when I put my bags in the classroom before going for a smoke. There were no students, which is highly unusual.

That sinking feeling grew when the eight o'clock bell sounded and still no sign of my class. With increasing annoyance, I fired up the laptop and double checked my emails from days ago. Translation majors are it seems not affiliated to the English Language department and until Monday, all classes other than English Majors plus the one class of juniors I have, are doing alternative classes.

So it was a case of trying to get a taxi back home and return again in time for the 1430 class I do have or a six and a half hour “lunch break”. Guess who's on a long lunch break? And nobody to blame but myself. At least I know that tomorrow I don't need to be here until 1430. I'm just hoping there isn't a class taking place in this room at ten and I have to relocate, that will just cap it off.

1750

There was a class at 1010 so I had to decamp and with no spare classrooms I had to go to the office. I hadn't been there more than half an hour when the permanent resident came over and asked me if I could avoid smoking. Nothing wrong with that per se but I immediately pointed out that the only reason I had smoked in there in the first place was because I had seen male Chinese teachers come in and smoke!

Get this: she then responded with a reply to the effect that they only smoke occasionally but I smoke lots!! I refrained from hitting back with the fact once a week IS occasionally (because it's only on a Thursday when all classrooms are full) and agreed to take my habit outside in the corridor. Bitch. Next time I shall stand outside and blow the smoke in through the doorway. And if I see a Chinese teacher smoking in there...........

Joan sent me a Wechat message yesterday asking if I remembered the Indian restaurant where we had curry and onion rings (by which I reckon she was referring to bhajias). I do. The Taj Mahal in Nanjing and so I told her. Sadly the place has had bad Trip Advisor reviews lately and the Al-Jannat has now cornered top spot so I suggested perhaps there instead. She is going to Nanjing this month and has a hankering for curry again. It has to be seven years since we went there together!

When I finished today two of my students wanted to do a short “cultural” interview with me on camera. That's fine but I do wish they had asked in the morning, then I could have told them I had a huge void to fill and could do it any time before class. The main reason is that getting a taxi home is hit and miss. The gate I use, because of all the building work going on, has for some time and will be for a considerable time to come been a dead end. The only taxis you get are ones that bring people to school – you hop in when they get out.

Well the girls delayed me so I missed the usual couple of cabs and stood waiting for 25 minutes before deciding I'd better start walking. Sod's law states that as soon as I do that a taxi will appear and by the time it has turned around someone else has nabbed it. I got halfway up the road and a taxi hove into sight. Then another. And another. And yet another! Unbelievable. The last one actually had a green light so I flagged him down and the story ended well.