Today started off fairly normally. And then things happened! First there was a knock at the door and one of the people, a woman, from next door handed me two zongsi, pointed to where she came from and went back. Zongsi is a small packet of sticky rice wrapped in a leaf.
That was dinner sorted, of so I thought. Washing done I went for my moring walk before the heat and humidity just gets too much! Thirty years ago I would have waited til the day was at its hottest and then gone out running carrying some weights! How things have changed! Anyway, I manged about two hundred metres when this guy in a black tee-shirt passed me, mumbled something about 'cha' (tea), and indicated that I should follow him. So I did. We went a littel further down the road and into his shop. I'v not really explored this area before, so I was in for a surprise!
It was full of some of the most wonderful carving I've ever seen. Apparently he buys and sells this but also does a bit of the work himself. He took me into the back room and sat me down at a table. It was a table set up for the tea ceremony. He asked me what tea I wanted and showed me a cupboard full of it. I asked for red tea (black tea) and he started to make some. Now this was even more interesting because he understood my Chinese and where he did not understand, he did not dismiss me. So we chatted a while and drunk tea. Shortly afterwards, his young son turned up and we played games, did magic tricks, made paper aeroplanes and taught each other a bit of each other's language. I decided that it was time for me to make an offer, and I invited him and his son out to dinner. My plan was to take them to the local noodle restaurnat and buy them noodles and beef. He was having none of it. He was taking me to lunch but not for forty-five minutes. We carried on talking and playing.
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| The shop owner preparing tea |
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| The shop owner preparing tea |
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| The shop owner and son |
suddenly he went out to the front of the shop and returned wit ha set of wooden beads which he presented to me! How kind!
We sat a while longer and his friend arrived. Off we went to a local restaurant. The one I was planning on taking him to! He asked what I would like to eat. I told him beef and noodles. He again was having none of it. He checked that I liked beef and ordered a hot-pot. A really nice one. Beef and vegetables, egg and tomato, eggplant and various green vegetables. IMuch more expensive than the one I would have offered him! I was flattered.
We sat around whilst he ordered staff to do things...it looked like this was a regular place for him or he held some status in the community. I am not sure which. As the food arrived, he shouted over to a woman, who I thought was his wife, but turned out to be his younger sister. She served the rice and he made sure I had lots of beef. It was all good stuff, none of the boney meat that the Chinese so love and I so hate, but strips of really nice lean beef. We ate our fill and finished. His younger sister then went back to the far side of the restaurant where she had come from and we went back to his car. He asked if I wanted more tea, and of course I said "Yes". We drank a while, talked a while and I made paper aeroplanes with his son. Then it was time for my afternoon nap. He must have noticed me dropping off and asked did I sleep in the afternoon. I told him I did and that I would be going shortly. As I got up to leave he got up too and invited me to come and drink tea again if I had the time. That is one place I will go back to again! I wandered off home and took a nap!
I woke up after about an hour and shortly after that my phone 'binged'. It was a friend request on WeChat. Someone called Sherrie wanted to be my friend. I accepted, well it would be rude not to, and asked how she knew me. She said that a she had seen me in picture that her a friend had taken, and wanted to make friends. All I know so far is that she plays the ukulele! She will ring me back at six pm tonight and introduce herself! Maybe another adventure awaits! We shall see.
A surprise friend
Well what a good night that turned out to be! Sherrie is 28 years old and married less that shoulder height to me and speaks really good English. I got the call at just after six and arranged to meet her. I was late because I couldn't find a taxi. Typical. So we met and went out to a little restaurant that I often visit.
She insisted on paying. We had a long chat about many things and the topics moved to the more serious subjects. She then invited me to her brother's milk tea shop, where we continued n about education in China and the psychology of learning!
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| Sherie's brother's milk tea shop |
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| Sheire's selfie just before we left. |
We left and walked back in the direction of her house. She pointed this out to me and suggested that our next meeting could be there. I might even get to meet her husband if he is not working late as he often does! I wandered off through the park which was pretty quiet, went home and fell asleep on the sofa, only to wake up three-quarters of an hour later on the floor! I almost could not be bothered to get up off the floor, but I managed it. So, free tea, free beads, free lunch, free dinners and two new friends. Not a bad day!
We sat a while longer and his friend arrived. Off we went to a local restaurant. The one I was planning on taking him to! He asked what I would like to eat. I told him beef and noodles. He again was having none of it. He checked that I liked beef and ordered a hot-pot. A really nice one. Beef and vegetables, egg and tomato, eggplant and various green vegetables. IMuch more expensive than the one I would have offered him! I was flattered.
She insisted on paying. We had a long chat about many things and the topics moved to the more serious subjects. She then invited me to her brother's milk tea shop, where we continued n about education in China and the psychology of learning!
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