Nicholas Quirke was excited but full of doubt on 17 September 2020 when he began the day preparing for an interview, that had come ’out of the blue’, for a part time teaching role with a school in Beijing. Other than being in the city at this time, being a native English speaker and being prepared to try absolutely anything that would keep him steadfastly on the course he was currently living, he felt that the odds of getting the post, his age, his qualifications, his visa status, weighed heavily against him. After a smoothie breakfast, he was starting another 24 hour fast as an added extreme measure to reach his goal weight, he cleaned the flat and did some ironing. These activities took him to his departure time, though before going he did have to disconsolately watch Peng eat his tasty looking salad lunch. The trip to the school was via bike and subway. It was another spectacular day, warm with brilliant blue skies which, aided him as he progressed along his journey, to feel confident. The building was easy to find, but when he entered the reception hall the doorman wouldn’t let him through as there was no school there. Eventually he got someone to come and lead him to the school which occupied a space on the third floor. His meeting with Jenny was very positive and by they end of an hour, after discussing flexibility, what lessons he could teach, he had made an introductory video for the parents and was offered the possibility of actually teaching the next day. Fortune favours the brave, he thought as he made his way to Teasure at the U Town Mall. He was in shock that having bemoaned his future within two days he had gone through an interview and was now looking at the ‘ prospect of work. As he drank his never ending pot of Jasmine tea he finally got to grips with the tatty sheet of ID’s that travelled with him and transferred everything to his IPad. It was a laborious task bet it felt good to have finally done it and to dispose of the confused tatty paper. It was getting dark by the time he left the mall and he decided to cycle the 9Km back to the apartment. He enjoyed the cycle in the cooler temperature and was glad to occupy the time when he should have been eating with exercise. At he apartment they watched the latest episode of ‘Raised by Wolves’ and then stated to watch ‘All Creatures Great and Small’. He became absolutely infuriated by an incorrect detail in the production and they turned it off and he fired off several social networks messages on the topic. Expending his energy. In anger which had been depleted due to his fasting, prepared him for his bed and sleep quickly drew him into its arms.