Drumming in the park, dancing with a drunk and the mobile shop.

Today I worked all day on conference stuff, but didnt't get far due to the noise next door and below.  The two falst next door and one below are being severely renovated.  They are having walls knocked out, plastering and also having the floor skimmed.  Because it's China everything arrives loose an is then carried up on in two panniers, one on each end of a bamboo stick.  Sorry no picture of this.  So there are spills everywhere, sand, stones, cement. The landing outside my flat is like a buidling site but slightly dirtier.

One of the flats being renovated

The landing outside my falt

The sand and cement

After another day of hammer drilling and little work from me, I decided to go out. I still have money on my cheap school meal card, so I went to school and ate rice and things.  I then went to my office and got about three hours work done in twenty minutes.  Excellent.  I then went ot the park.  There was drumming.  Not the ususal ethnic drumming, but real drumming.  Kids wer playing along to music.  I think it was a recruitment drive for a drumming school.  Not sure of the quality, but I was impressed enough.  Maybe Dan can add a comment about the quality?

Well after that I wandered the park looking at the usual things, and surprising the few people who did not know there wasa a foreigner in Jiangkou.  Most do now.  Then as I wandered over to teh far side of the park ther were one or two people gathered around this dancing guy.  I cant describe it, so here follows a video...

...there was just something about it...it made me happy.  I wanted to join in but this was 'care in the comminity' dancing.  I looked around and saw this woman who I had met weeks ago, she tapped me on the shoulder and urged me to dance to. How could I resist!  With all the skill and timing of the guy mimself, I parallel danced with him as he indicated to me to go forwards and backwards, and pretended to blow kisses at me.  I was having fun!  More people arrived and started to giggle, and bythe time I had finshed, there was a large crowd!  Well it made them happy.  As I ws sitting there on teh wall this old guy came up to me smiling and offered me a cigarrette. I told him I didnt smoke, he smiled and pushed me as if he wanted me to dance again....I smiled and declined.  Another younger guy came over, bowed his head to me and offered me the sign of respect.  A good night!  I decided to head home via the quiet end of the park and sat and listened whilst a few old men sang songs though microphones and amplifiers.  They offered me the chance to sing, but I think I will leave that until Friday night!  Enough is enough for one evening!
I left teh park and walked home the busy way.. Somehting caught my eye...it was a moving shop!  I had seen these things on the street conrners before, but thought they were like caravans, and were dragged into place by cars.  I was wrong.  They look very like very rectangular ice-cream vans but without a 'front' or  'back.  They must have had an engine and steering wheel somewhere!  I was not quick enough with my camera to get the moving one, but photographed a static on one the corner of a nearby street.

So I walked home and stopped to chat breifly to a few guys near my house and watch the local 'aunts' dancing.  A thoroughly good evening!