Knobcottage in China

Well the other day I was checking my notifications and noticed that one of my WeChat friends, Julie, was asking to see if anyone was going to Guizhou, the province in which I live.  She often travels on business, but I asked her anyway.  She said she planned to come and see me here in Jiangkou!  Excellent.  She actually lives in Guangdong province, which whilst near in Chinese travel terms is many hours by fast train.  I first met her online a few years ago and we have shared a lot together, and I would consider that we were good friends.  Now if my kids are reading this, then yes, I used the word friend.  It is a kind of standing joke that dad does not have any friends. Well in China it appears I do.  Last night she contacted me and said that she would be visiting for a few days and arriving on Sunday Evening.  I'm quite excited actually.  The friends and friends of friends that I have met here have been wonderful, generous people, and...

The night I was went to the park.  It is actually called a theme park but its more like a big open square.  The kids were curious about the foreigner.  The brave ones came over and attempted some English.  As I chatted with them, the shy ones became craver and a small crown gathered.  They started to call me 'teacher'!  Well there are no other foreigners in Jiankou!  I showed them some English money and they looked through the ''little plastic window' in the ten pound note!  I then did a few magic tricks with them and taught them how to do them.  We then played some games and I did some teaching.  It was fun! Some of the adults were quite curious about the foreigner too! The kids in the park.  Second from left was at first apprehensive of me, but eventually was outplaying all the others! The boy on the left and the girl on the right could speak really good English! #impressed The woman second from left here is my 'sin...

Well today I saw my first bin lorry.  It played music!  So its not only the water-spraying lorry, but the bin lorry too plays music!  It even had more than one tune! ..and ig you look closely, I do get a few strange looks from those working with the lorry!

Well last post I mentioned the Park.  When I think of a park in England I tend to think of a playgrund and a filed.  This is a huge open square.  I went there today to meet some new friends.  I took a few videos to give you a flavour of the place....and yes it really that noisy!  The videos are quite large and may take a time to load if you have a slow connection.   The communal 'dancing'.  This was a big group!   I am not sure about this.  It is singing, but I am not sure what or why! These things might look like ribbons, but the 'head' of the dragon looks pretty heavy and it takes quite a bit of power and skill to get them moving!   Walking towards the children's part of the park.  This area mainly has electronic vehicles for the kids. Walking over past teh electronic kids park to the touchy feely bit. Slightly better music.  I thought it was a group, but as this lady fin...

Well English corner was at 5.20, so I headed back t school early.  As I was nearing the school, I heard someone running after me.  ""Photo, photo she said in Chinese.  SO we posed for a photo and she told me about her son in Tongren University. She seemed happy with the photo and I continued on my way to school. and after what appears to have been a successful evening in English Corner and one game of Egg Jockey later, I went for a walk into town.  I went a different way and wandered to teh end of a new street.  As I crossed the road  this chinese guy came up to me and said in English "Welcome to Tongren Number on middle school".  I was puzzled, how did he know?  I asked him and he said he was a Police Officer in charge of Foreign Affairs!  I had better be careful!  As I wandered back up the street I saw the two littel lads who had ran up to me earlier and shouted "  "Meiguoren!?" (American)and much to his surprise I said "bu sh...

Well today on the way home about 11am I decided to take a short video to show you what the block of shops opposite really looks like.  So I started to shoot the last block working back towards my house.  You can see the results in yesterday's post.  I got about half way along, and there was the 'undertakers'.  They shouted " Hello" and beckoned me in.  The old guy got up and offered me his seat.  I felt a bit awkward taking it as he was even older than me!  But I took it.  Straight away I was offered something to drink, which turned out to be green tea, everyone drinks it here, no one drinks black tea (or red tea as they call it here!), and a cigarette.    This was quite a nice brew.  Anyway we got talking in a mix of English, Chinglish, Chinese and Google translate.  It was really fun.  Smething I had wanted to happen...and now it did!  I love exploring the places I am at and don't really feel the need to go to...

 Yesterday I was walking home from work ...quite late, as I had been into 'town' with friends for a meal.  I walked past my usual block of shops opposite my house.  I use the word 'shop' as that's the only word I know. There is quite a variety of 'shops' there ranging from things like restaurants with no customers to garages and metal workers to 'shells' of buildings that contain piles of 'rubbish'.  The 'rubbish' spills out onto the pavement, and is often sorted into piles of 'similar rubbish' presumably for re-cycling, as little three-wheelers come from time to time and take stuff away.  I hope to talk more about these 'shops' in later posts.  Today is the turn of the 'undertaker'.  I have passed this shop maybe some twenty or thirty times and seen a small old guy sitting in front of a machine putting packs of paper under the machine.  The machine then does something to the paper and he takes the p...

One of our extra curricular activities is English Corner. Twice a week.  We imagined that we'd get 20 to 30 pupils.  We got about 250!  Not a lot else to say really, but we did have fun!  Photos and videos below! (In case you were not aware, the grey 'tracksuits' the pupils are wearing are school uniform)

Well, there's not really a lot to say about this, its a musical lorry and it sprays water on the street.  Here's the video!

We went to Fanjingshen today.  By Chinese standards it was not busy... but for me it was busy, very, very, busy. It kind of went like this: Show passport buy ticket, queue, scan ticket, queue, get on a bus, climb stairs to cable car, scan ticket, queue, get on cable car, get off cable car, scan ticket, climb stairs, lots of them.  Visit, take photos, go down the stairs to the cable car, queue, scan ticket, queue, get on cable car, get off cable car, queue, scan ticket, get on bus, get off bus and no scan ticket! Always very busy, but the queues were always moving.  It was well ordered, and due to the scanning of the ticket numerous times my position was well known to whoever wanted to know it! The steps were steep and numerous, constantly filled with people, some quicker than others, but a constant 'trudge' onwards and upwards.  BUT respect to these guys.  The sedan carriers.  They had these makeshift sedan chairs made from bamboo, wire and a normal...

Today , actually tomorrow, I am going to the famous UNESCO Heritage site .  Fanjingshan.  A mountain with a monastery at the top.  I am going with Anna, the Russian girl and my Chinese friends sister Meng.  Her home town is Tongren which is maybe forty-five minutes from here.  We are meeting at the hotel we were at the other day.  An early start, we need to be there for 7a.m.  So it's an early night for me! So I was headed to bed early when my WeChat pinged.  It was Mentioned.  She was coming to meet me tonight!  After a while since got the message. "I'm at your downstairs now". I went down and there she was!  Me and Meng last night Almost didn't recognise her, longer hair and she looks like she's lost weight.  I went to give her a big hug and ended up in that sort if awkward hug you often end up with with Chinese folks who are not used to that much physical contact. (There's even a section English in Chi...

Today I woke up at 5.oo am.. not on purpose, but these things happen.  So I went to school to have breakfast.  Thin rice noodles, a sort of savoury bun and an egg! 5 yuan.  I then went to the office to eat.  I finished my breakfast and wandered around the school talking to kids as they dis their early morning reading.  Some were studying English, so I read the passages to them.  I suggested that they record what I said as it might help their pronunciation.  They leapt at the offer, but noted that my pronunciation was not like the American that they were used to. I then went to the music room.  I had discovered this yesterday at the far end of the 'roof'.  I went inside and spoke to a couple of the girls.  They asked if I could play the piano, haha, I said no but played a bad version of chopsticks!  I asked if they could sing..silly question really: I think you can see that the answer was "Yes!" When the pupils had gone ...

Today was an extra day off.  I got up later than usual and cleaned the flat.  Anna rang and asked if I wanted to onto the supermarket with her at twelve o'clock.  So off we went.  We never got to the supermarket.  Let me explain why. I have a friend in Beijing whose home town is Tongren which is a big city near here.  Her younger sister still lives in Tongren and she has a friend who owns a hotel in Jiangkou.  Pretty big coincidence given that China is so big! Anyway, I persuaded Anna to come with me to search for the hotel.  It wasn't too difficult to find.  We took the obligatory photos outside as proof we got there and went in.  In my poor Chinese I spoke to the receptionist.   Told her that my friends friend was her boss and showed his WeChat icon.  She then tried to phone him...It didn't look to succesful.  In the meantime we ordered two coffees and a piece of cake.  The receptionist beckoned me over and ...