Last week I went to Tianpingshan and the heat was severe, when I got back home I drank many litres of water but I still didn’t venture to the loo before going to bed. In contrast, today’s weather is very different. Autumn arrived on Tuesday last week just one day after my gruelling walk at Tianpingshan. If I had gone for a walk today I would have been soaked to the skin just like last week but today it would be due to the intense rain. The weather in Suzhou seems to change very quickly, one day it’s summer the next it’s Autumn.

The last two days have been very wet and it is a welcome relief from the very hot weather we have had over the last few months. To be able to sleep at night without waking up in a sweat is marvellous. My morning coffee tastes better I think, although it does cool down a little bit quicker. My only real complaint is that I cannot go to the park in the morning to do my exercise. The rain is supposed to be here for the week and I’m sure by the end of the week I will be complaining profusely about how miserable it is, but for the moment I like it.

Staying home watching TV curled up on the couch is a very pleasant pastime although I do feel a little guilty at times. I really should be more proactive and do stuff, but I can’t be bothered. I have semi important stuff to take care of but I can leave it for another day because I have time and then I have other stuff that I don’t need to do but is way more interesting. For example I need to work out my travel plans for next year. I will return to the UK at some point and I want to take the scenic route and I have a few ides of where I would like to go but it all comes down to a matter of finance. I’m thinking of passing through India and then maybe Egypt, Greece and then onto Barcelona before I finally land in the UK. I have already planned my next two visa runs and I do enjoy spending time doing the research but it is very distracting and gets in the way of actually doing the more important stuff……….

I have the house to myself today and it is marvellous………..I could run around naked if I wanted but I won’t because, well it’s too cold now and so I will have to wait until next year and the warmer weather returns. A missed opportunity indeed and I hope the image of me doing that does not stay in your head too long.

I guess my biggest decision for today is what to eat, which is like most days really. I really enjoy the Lanzhou La Mian restaurant because their food is so good and does not break the bank. Their food hits the spot, not too much oil and the flavour is so much better than many other places. However I did have some satay dumplings the other day which were just bloody marvellous and I will have to return there soon, but the portion is too small to sustain me throughout the day and I do believe they are a bit fattening due to the amazing satay sauce. And so the dilemma of lunch is just starting and so I will go the noo to try and work out the best course of action………