Tuesday 31st August, 2021 1500
On Sunday afternoon Brenda decided she would come and collect my passports, preparatory to lodging my application. No opening the door, put them in a bag and hang them on the door handle.
She collected them and whilst walking back to her car, called me. One thing she said was that prior to the restart all teachers needed to be tested for Covid on the first and second of September and that I should go to the main campus main gate either day. Hmmmm.
Hold on Brenda - I'm either in prison or I'm not? My being confined to quarters doesn't end until Sunday night. Oh. Quite what the point of getting tested before I flew back, double-jab and having a green code was for if I was to be banged up anyway I do not know. Now they are going to try and get a doctor/nurse from the Covid Crack Team to do a home visit on Thursday. It's enough to make me want to put a skull and crossbones on the outside of my door.
On a happier note, I have cured my throwing-up problem and am now eating normally. Well, insofar as calling toast with various things is normal anyway.
Brenda was also speaking of having a word with departments I teach for about lightening my workload. I say departments but as they have merged maybe there is now only one. I told her if there are seven freshmen classes then leave well alone, I will teach them as usual. That's not heroics, I will still draw the same salary!
0000 Thursday 3rd - Merchant Navy Day
We've had a few frosty days here at Chez Fatty. No idea what happened between Jody and Mrs Jing Jo but it clearly upset her. Certainly the woman can come across as brusque and offhand but I have always managed to keep her in check. Well, me or what I spend each week in there! Apparently it was all my fault and it took until yesterday for the atmosphere to thaw. Come Sunday I can get my own booze, thanks to Brenda today I have enough in stock to last until then.
Yes, she came today with a doctor who kept out of sight (I am guessing she was treating therm to lunch) and a nurse in a spacesuit. Christ knows what any neighbours who observed their arrival thought. Test done, Brenda went and bought me alcohol and ice cream to last until I am free. As I am tired of toast with everything, later today Jody is going to bring back some chicken chow mien, which she said wasn't too good - until I suggested we try it with Linghams and then things changed! Amazing how Linghams can transform food. And Chinese people.
A week Monday and still I only know of four of my classes - no sign yet of the English majors despite my reminders. The bloody Chinese teachers had their timetables before they even went on summer holidays! But oh no, some people think it's fine just slotting me in as and where. Well, they've come a cropper if they did because Dean Delia is officer I/C the lot now and she has laid down the law re no long lunch breaks or classes above the ground floor for me. Whoops! Best of all, my latest accident proves my fears were justified so I can refuse with impunity.
As for the recovery, slowly slowly but taking place. Saturday is I think four weeks on. At least I can sleep now.
This must be the talk of the town:-
ReplyDeleteThe university, Lanzhou Jiaotong University located in Northwest China's Gansu Province, on Thursday made its first official response to the case, which occurred on August 18, saying that the suspected murderer has been detained and further investigation is underway.
The 26-year-old victim, a third-year graduate student majoring in civil engineering, surnamed Yang, was killed by the suspect, surnamed Zhang, with a knife on the night of August 18. Zhang was detained by the police later that day, said the university.
Hope you're getting a little stronger and more mobile. Still at least another week of rest and recuperation? Have you managed to shave yet?
Not heard a thing! And it's only a stone's throw from where I sit.
ReplyDeleteGoing to be brave tomorrow and go to BHG. Can't have a scrape yet, my arm doen't go that high yet. If I knew a barber that did.......
The full article:-
ReplyDeleteCollege student's murder by stranger on campus triggers outrage.
The murder of a graduate student by a "stranger" who reportedly had escaped punishment after attacking another student on campus previously has thrown the university in Northwest China's Gansu Province into a wave of controversy on social media.
The university, Lanzhou Jiaotong University located in Northwest China's Gansu Province, on Thursday made its first official response to the case, which occurred on August 18, saying that the suspected murderer has been detained and further investigation is underway.
The 26-year-old victim, a third-year graduate student majoring in civil engineering, surnamed Yang, was killed by the suspect, surnamed Zhang, with a knife on the night of August 18. Zhang was detained by the police later that day, said the university.
According to Jimu News, Yang was attacked by Zhang in a dorm building when he was about to go back to his dorm. Zhang stabbed Yang with a knife on his neck.
Yang's cousin told the media that Yang "had no contact or intersection" with Zhang before the incident. The 31-year-old Zhang was reportedly the son of the owner of a snack store in the university and several students from the university said he attacked another student in the same way in May but only got a warning from the police without punishment, according to Jimu News.
The case started to draw public attention after pictures circulated online that show Yang's parents sitting in front of the school's gate with a quilt and umbrella, appealing for a proper response from the school on the case.
Netizens who are angry with the death of the victim and sympathize with Yang's parents questioned why the university shut the parents out for days after the incident and did not make a public response on the case, which had already caused huge controversy among students at school.
Topics related to the case have triggered more than 100 million views on China's social platform Sina Weibo as of press time.
Yang's parents told the media on Thursday that the school had paid the family 2 million yuan ($31,000) in compensation on Wednesday and they would stop their requests to the school.
However, questions still linger after the school's Thursday announcement of the detainment of the suspected murderer.
"What took it so long for the school to make a two-week delayed announcement after the detainment of the suspect?" asked one netizen.
"How much responsibility should the school bear for allowing a man who attacked a student to stay on campus until he killed another?" asked another Weibo user.
Would have heard if I was on campus. Reckon they got their sums wrong on converting the compensation!
ReplyDeleteYes, way off, guess it should be 200,000
ReplyDeleteYou must look like Santa Claus 🧑🎄 now.
If it was thicker!
ReplyDeleteAre you starting back at school this week and are you a little more mobile and stronger after your resting and did you finally get a shave?
ReplyDeleteNext Thursday with freshmen. Need a shave and a Zimmer frame now.
ReplyDelete