Firstly, thanks for the detailed reply.Good to hear you are getting "hands on" in helping your wife out.I do enjoy coffee myself also.

Now to address your frankly unneeded latter part of the posting. There was no harm nor foul intended, and it was in another unrelated post, but I will reply if i may?

I've been called arrogant on this Forum but I don't know what was meant as my reply was based on fact and not hearsay or idle gossip.

Nothing personal intended, but that is how you come across at times. You may not remember the post in question but I and others do, it made you seem a very self centred person.

As for what have been called "champagne socialists" that's certainly not me. But I will readily admit that I remain a democratic socialist in the style of the Scandinavian countries. I do believe that the state has a role and putting everything out to market forces doesn't always work.

I quite like that term, it's as good as "guardianistas" or "hipsters", those who talk the talk, but do not walk the walk. Like those idiot protestors railing against the system, but with ipad or iphone and headphones and expensive hipster trainers and so on. In your 20s a socialist, in your 40s a realist?

I occasionally wear a suit but most of the time I'm in casual clothes, sometimes even working clothes when I'm putting-up a shelf, knocking down a stud-partition wall or doing some painting or plastering.

I much prefer casual clothes too. I used to do moving work and some renovating work, so wearing work clothes is no big deal to me.

Lots of high-school students in the shop today and they buy something to eat or drink and then go upstairs to the main seating area to do homework and ask me to speak English with them ( only 15 covers so it's not a big place).

You should hold a english corner once a week, that is a good way of paying it forward imho.

We all take our opportunities and lifestyle choices and I'm most certainly not going to feel in the slightest bit guilty that I have property in the UK and in China plus two businesses and am enjoying my life. If that makes me the worst kind of westerner then so be it.

Nor did I say you should feel guilty. I do think you should proffer the email of your former employer however, as it costs you nothing but a simple few types on a keyboard and it could really help someone else out. I was not implying you are the "worst kind of westerner", but was in fact referring to someone else I knew of from the UK.

Happy new year,
S