Valentines Day: More free food, an interesting offer and my first larvae!

Today Wednesday 7th August my air conditioner broke.  It had been playing up for a while but now flashed "FO" in blue when I started it.  Wonder what "FO" stands for...answers on a postcard! Anyway the repairman could not attend until Thursday.  I then got a message from the Woodshopman's account, it was in English and he doesn't speak much English.  Apparently his friend had arrived and wanted to talk to the foreigner.  After working out that the repairman could not attend until tomorrow I went to his shop and talked to his friend.  After a while a message came on my phone " Friend request".  I accepted.  It turned out to be one of the teachers from school.  One who had taken out both me and Anna earlier in the year.  She made me an interesting offer.  Not what I was hoping for, but an interesting offer anyway!  She had some friends who had some children who wanted to learn English.  Mum, who was a square dancer, had seen me in the park and was curious.  She in turn spoke to Stephanie who in turn spoke to me.  Was I free to meet the parents later.  I agreed and later was told that I was being invited out to dinner to discuss the matter.  In the meantime the woodshop  man had returned and we chatted a while before being invited out to lunch again.  This time we were going to his house and I would meet his family.  It was a fairly simple house round the back of the shop.  I said hello to everyone and was asked to sit down.  The food was brought out. It was really good food.  I especially liked the pork dish in the centre of the table!  Anyway we ate and chatted a bit and went back to his shop.  We drank even more tea!  eventually it was time for the afternoon nap, so I said goodbye and went home, and as usual fell asleep on the sofa!

I woke up and found a message from Stephanie.  I'll meet you at 4pm outside your flat.  I got ready and after a short delay went down.  Stephanie has a metallic grey Mercedes coupe...nice!  We drove to the family who wanted me to teach their children.  It was a big house by the river.  It even had a garden, a rarity in china!  I then met the kids.  three of them from two families.  The kids were some of the loveliest well-behaved kids I have ever met!  Would I like to teach them?  Of course!  I played with them a little while and did some teaching. They were like sponges and soaked everything up.

We then went out for dinner at the restaurant which was owned by one set of parents,  it was a beautiful place and the food was top quality!

Me and Jiang Tao Cheng

Left ot right: Stephanie, Jiang Jia Jia, Jiang  Xiao Xiao two and mum.

I even got to eat my first larvae!  They may look strange, but they were really tasty, like a strong sesame taste, a bit crunch and quite spicy!

Spicy larvae

I even got to take the leftovers home!

Then I went with mum, the kids and Stepehanie to the park.  Mum went off square dancing and Stephenie and me looked after the kids.  The painted pottery animals, shot pellet guns, drove an electric 'car thing' and went on the bungee trampolines!

 Gel bottle art.  Put the gel balls in a syringe, squirt them into a bottle

On the electric car thing.  It was like a big wheel which had space inside for passengers.  It was controlled by a joystick and swayed backwards and forwards as it moved.

On the electric car thing

The evening eventually came to a close, we went to pick up mum from the square dancing and headed back to the house.  Dad was there and invited us in.  There was a lot of talk in Chinese that I didn't understand, but I answered a few questions through Stephanie.  Stephanie asked if I wanted to go home.  I did.  I said goodbye and she drove me home.  Another thoroughly nice day!