Never fly on Friday 13th.

I'm not really superstitious, so when I saw that I had booked my flight on Friday 13th, I didn't really take much notice. But now it looks like I won't be flying at all.

Over the past few days, British Council have been in contact to say that there is a problem with my visa and that I might not be able to go to China. I’m trying to stay positive, but I’m absolutely devastated. I’ve planned my whole year around this job; I’ve turned down a lucrative summer job at my university, I’ve had inoculations, and I’ve bought enough pharmaceuticals to last several months of feeling peaky. And now I can’t get a visa because of my medical history. What a sick joke my life has become.

What am I going to do? I knew this was too good to be true. I can’t go back to my home town. The opportunities there are so limited, and without a car I will be totally screwed. What did I do my degree for? So I could waste precious hours of my life working a call centre job, being so miserable that I spend what little money I earn at the weekend drinking myself into oblivion because I’m surrounded by total ignorance. Even though Liverpool is a small city, I loved living there because of all the theatres and museums, and the gorgeous Victorian architecture. Every time I think of going back to Wrexham a part of me dies. How could this have happened?

Goodbye Britain. Hello China!

I’m so bad at saying goodbye to people! I suppose I was quite lucky that I happened to have my graduation and a big family party in the same weekend, so I could get all the farewells out of the way at once.

It seems like years ago that I was sat in my university library, begrudging taking time away from my dissertation to apply to the British Council programme. I am excited about going to China, but only cautiously so; I’ve never left the west before, and I’ve never left the UK for more than 2 months at a time, so I really don’t know what to expect. Culture shock is a phrase which is as empty as it is ominous to me, but I’m hoping that this experience will help me to be more independent and resilient.

This week is devoted to immunisations, insurance, and Imodium! I only have to pay for Hep B, as Hep A and Typhoid are free, and I’m getting quotes from different travel insurance companies and weighing up which company to use. When I was last at home I cleared out mum’s medicine cabinet of anything that I thought I might need (“Are you sure you don’t need to take a sling, blossom?” “Mum, please stop”), but I still need to get something for “Chinese tummy”, as I really don’t want to have to ‘Mime and Point’ that illness to a poor unsuspecting pharmacist!

Condensing my possessions into a 30kg is going to be tough. It wouldn’t be easy for most people, but I am a real clutter bunny/worrier, and am famous with my friends for over-packing for music festivals. I am a UK size 9—they won’t have my size; how many shoes do I need for twelve months?! They put whitener in their moisturiser—how much moisturiser will I need for 12 months? ARGH. Luckily, my sister is planning on visiting me before Christmas, and I'm sure if I ask her nicely she will bring me things I've forgotten, or British food that I'm missing but couldn't justify bringing in my own suitcase (such as Weetabix and HP sauce).

P.S. The next instalment will be from the British Council induction course in Beijing. Hopefully that will be less dull...