So yesterday a colleague and I were debating my devious plan to actually leave work on time for the first time since I've been here. We discussed how I should be quiet as a mouse and sneak out like an unseen Ninja….to which we realised, this is me we're talking about so there is a far higher likelihood that whilst 'sneaking' I would trip over the carpet and bring down a filing cabinet…

I'm pleased to report my sneaking was successful, I left on time and was in such a good mood I was unfazed by the obligatory 15minute wait for the lift and the fact that it stopped. At. Every. Floor. from 28 to 1 on the way down. I had a lovely evening at home reading my tourist books, planning my trip to the Great Wall on Friday and watching An Idiot Abroad in China to determine what not to do on the hike. I went to sleep having good dreams about my forthcoming adventure.

However, we all know that God hates me and the Law of Sod saw to it that in the middle of the night my electricity would run out, bringing all air conditioning and any sense of refreshness to an abrupt end. After attempting a shower in the dark (not advised) and emerging to an engulfing wall of heat, rendering the shower utterly pointless, I think it's fair to say the stress free evening I had has been completely eradicated.

So I'm first in the office today, having navigated door locks, light switches and air conditioning units (all in easy to read Chinese symbols of course) and am set to easily clock up the additional hours I thought I had got out of doing yesterday.

In these situations I would normally have chocolate for breakfast….but alas it is not meant to be….

A Very Unimpressed Pulford