Pikachu

Wednesday 18^th September

Fairly typical day at work, picked up a little shopping and the hugest onion on the way home.

Wednesday’s are usually DnD night but several missing through illness and being abroad so we mostly had drinks and sat around talking.  Seem to be a lot of people getting sick at the moment and getting to hospital around here, especially one that has English speaking staff, is a pain in the ass.  Hope I never get properly sick.

Thursday 19^th September

Given a small lamp in work, powered by a USB power bank.  Until I get something more substantial it is ideal for my bedroom where I only have the very stark bright ceiling light.

Bought this curious pig shaped drink, maybe milk inside?

Friday 20^th September

Always a busy day, four lessons to teach and a short lunch break.  Dashed out for some food but ate it in my only free period.  Two classes did practical experiments and the A-level did a test, made for an easier day.  Evening was a staff party at a local hotel, food and drink aplenty.  Though everyone decided to go out to karaoke again, huge turnout including the principle and others who rarely come out.  The karaoke rooms are designed for groups of 15, we had 25 squeeze in.  As one person said, ‘This isn’t karaoke, it’s a disco!’

Saturday 21^st September

Woke up fairly early, so went to Walmart first thing.  They were testing air raid sirens on the way over, which judging from my group WeChat messages woke everyone else up who was enjoying a lie in.  Just bought regular things in Walmart but then stopped in Miniso downstairs which sells various nicknaks and decorations.  I had a good notebook and some pens for school work, and a huge stuffed Pikachu!  Lots of mysterious reductions, the whole lot came to barely £6 by UK prices.  Will surely go back for more pens.

Invited over friend’s place for hot pot.  Very popular here, but my first time.  Not what I imagined, there’s a bowl of boiling water in the middle of the table and you put vegetables, shredded meats and meatballs into it to cook.  Then scoop them out and mix with other things on your plate.  Delicious.  Then we played the Lord of the Rings board game until evening, just two player, I think most other people were resting from the evening before!

Karaoke Night

Saturday 31^th August

Invited over to a friend’s flat for an afternoon of painting.  He has started getting back into it with a huge box of paints and a box of Heroquest to practice on before doing the good stuff.  I chose this old evil sorcerer, must be the third I have painted over the years!  Still, hope to paint again soon.  My first miniature in China.

Evening the plan was first to play poker, but with a mix of school friends, and in laws we went out to a karaoke bar instead for something everyone could take part in without language barriers. I wasn’t so keen to start with at all, but actually highly rate it, a lot of fun and would definitely go again.  I found that, mostly, I don’t know the lyrics of most songs beyond the chorus, leaving it a struggle even when the words are on the screen.  Also the video from the night really has some terrible singing on it...

Sunday 1^st September

Wrote this day off.  Watched TV and played games all day.

Monday 2^nd September

Flag raising ceremony at break time, staggeringly hot outside.  First the anthem and then some speeches by pupils in Chinese and English about how they should all be grateful for the sacrifices of the teachers, which apparently includes going without food or rest??!  Bloody hell, after 20 minutes I thought my cheap shoes were going to melt on the concrete, feet were scorching in the direct sun.

Picked up some mooncakes in the supermarket, these seem rather high quality ones. They look like an Aztec tablet, but with Chinese writing about a hundred fruits, I think.  The filling tastes something like a rich Christmas fruit cake with a biscuit coating.

Tuesday 3^rd September

First practical class with my Y12, seemed to go well even though the results didn’t come anything close to the calculated amount of gas we should have made. Bit of a puzzle.  They seem to have a good sense of humour in the class and are generally a bit more talkative than my Y11.

Two power cuts in two days at the flat, for 5-10 minutes in the morning.  Probably should invest in some candles if this keeps happening.

Finally got my passport back with my residency permit.  Hurrah!  Next job is to get a bank account so I can actually be paid...