Nicholas Quirke was making plans on 25 April 2021. He now had his ticket booked to the UK and he needed to make sure he made the most of his remaining time. He still had commitments to teaching as he had interrupted classes with his various trips away but the summer holiday was approaching and that meant he would get some travel time and as his plans started to fall into place he realised he would be able to get to Shanghai again and get to see the ‘Punchdrunk’ show Angel had suggested they go and see. The morning passed in the pursuit of travel and once their delicious lunch of faux meat was out of the way and he had taken a short nap he set off cycling to Galaxy Mall for tea before work. It was a grey day and storms were threatened and as peddled through the wide avenues the humidity seemed a clear indication that something explosive was due. When he reached the traffic lights at Xuanwumen they were on green for Xidan and rather than wait the cycle he turned up and would again cycle down Changman Street past Tiananmen where preparations for the upcoming celebrations on Thursday had reached a zenith with seating in the square for the dignitaries that would be attending. it was clear that he would not be able to get anywhere near the centre on the anniversary itself and wondered what the parade would be like and where he could see any of it from. It was certain to be impressive and for an outsider exciting and being in the city for such an auspicious event should not be missed. His lesson with the twins and Sissi was lots of fun though it wasn’t until they had gone that he discovered it had been his last class with them and he hadn’t said goodbye properly. he took the subway home and the signs that the CCP were going to be very present in the city were once again apparent with the appearance of soldiers at the entrance to the stations. Their presence in the stations always made the very ordinary aspect of travel seem a very important affair. Once he was home he sat down to watch the latest episode of ‘Lisey’s Story’ which felt like it had reached a lull and seemed to go absolutely nowhere and as soon it was over they livened the evening up by watching ‘Minimata’. He always found corporate coverups a gripping plot line and when the baddies are messing with the health of employees and citizens it made for mesmerising cinema. Photography was at the core of this story with an ｕunrecognisable Johnny Depp portraying a washed up photo journalist who in the early 1970’s asked to cover the scandal of Chisso corporation dumping toxic waste into the waters off the coast of Minimata causing severe damage to the lives and health of the town. He wished it wasn’t a case of an American putting right the wrongs of the world but never the less he felt it was stirring stuff. perhaps it had been too stimulating as he found it difficult to get to sleep and when he did it the dreams that played through his mind were disquieting and disturbed his slumber.