A day out to Tongren with Parklady and friend, and a meeting with an angel....part 1

On Friday Parklady asked me if I fancied a day out.  Of course!  It was a day in Tongren at what I think will be a renewable energy show.  She was going with her friend who had just opened a car dealership...Or at least that is how I understood it. It now appears that she was going with a friend and it was nother friend who had opened the dealership....I think.  It was scheduled for a 10 a.m. start. We eventual left at 12.15. and stopped for noodles before we got on the motorway.

park lady at the noodle shop just before the motorway

Now to say that Parklady is a good driver in town is an overstatement, but on the motorway.....Well let's say I made sure my seatbelt was fastened!
Eventually we arrived in one piece.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but after several months in China I thought that nothing much phases me now.  I was wrong.  Firstly this was not what I expected.  I expected a sort of trade show or exhibition, this was the openeing of a new dealership for the sale of prestigious cars, and the launch of a new electric car.

On the outside it looked like the picture above.  They were buildig a tage at the right hand end of the photos and setting up the speakers.

This is a later picture of the stage and at th is time the 'dancing girls' were on stage.

Also knocking around was the a couple of people who were later to be inside the lion costume for the lion dance.

the people who would later be inside the lion costume

This is not what I was expecting.  However we went inside.  There was an normal, car showroom front, but the back had been converted with the use of banners to make a huge dining-room like area, complete with tables and chairs.  As we arrived, a salesman ushered us to a table and gave us some fruit and water.

Parklady and freind sitting at a table in front of the dining room like area.

Being a curious typ, I wondered what was behind the banners.  If I looked up I couls see floor upon floor of deserted building.  This is quite usual for China.  STuff is built really big and only parts of it are occupied.  Maybe to allow for future expansion.  Anyway, behing the banners was a huge dirty room, with a few cars and piles of rubble!

The rest of the room behind the banners, the dining room like room is to the right.

So the day moved on.  I was not sure what was happening or where it was going!  Park lady, as I think I have mentioned, speaks dialect and is one of those people who finds it difficult to understand what I say.  We often communicate through a translation app.  That is not always successful.  However today she had an agenda.  I kind of wandered around on my own chatting with people and scaring kids with my blue eyes, and sometimes following her.  Her agenda was, I later realised, to support here friend who had opened the dealership, get free entertainment and food, test drive the new electric car and see what deals she could get and offer me a fun day out!  Not necessarily in that order!

She then indicated that I should follow her.  She went to a salesman and asked for a test drive in the car.  He seemed happy to oblige, but soon put on his seat belt when he experienced her driving!  

Park lady in the new electric car in the showroom.  She only comes up to my shoulder so was having difficulty seeing over the wheel!

Parklady in the electric car.  The salesman was not at first wearing his seat belt.  He did later!

We went for a short test drive and then returned.  The salesman and an assessor came to her car and some dealing was done and offers made.

assessing the car

assessing the car

assessing the car

After assessing the car she went to the sales office and had a chat. I chatted with a few people there.  We were in Tongren, most people understand my Chinese here!  Then the show began!

Negotiating with her friend, the man in blue.