Ever since I have been in China, I have been dancing with Dama (middle -women), except in Jiangkou the park dancing usually includes men and women and an age range from maybe twenty to 60. At the end of the evening, all the big groups pack away and a small group starts shuffle dancing. I'm not sure quite what it is called in Chinese, but it looks really good, is really fast, and not easy to do! Tonight I was watching and up pops Wan Yi. He is a friend that Parklady introduced me to one evening when she took me out singing. He is a small intense guy and unusually for Chinese men or women in this area he is built like an ox! I guess he must be around my age, but probably fitter than I was when I was 30!
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| Wan Yi and me. |
I didn't see Wan Yi, but he had spotted me. He has asked me to the park many times, but I have never been able to go as he goes early in the morning and I am at work. First thing I knew was that this had grabbed my wrist. It couldn't be anyone else but him! He speaks no English and I speak little dialect, but it was obvious that he wanted me to dance. I was reluctant because shuffle dance looked difficult and really hard on the knees, and my knees are not good. Anyhow he pulled me and tugged me, stood alongside me and got me to do basic shuffle dance. Everyone was dancing in lines following a particular pattern, however, he was teaching me a different steps, but in time with the other dancers! It was a very strange experience! Eventually I go the just about got the hang of the basic steps, when he suddenly changed the teaching so it matched the other dancer. I was doing basic shuffle dance. A few people had gathered, and they also were following his instructions...and of course videoing me! The dancing stopped for a change of music and he introduced me to a friend. He said Tai Chi would be good for me as it was slow. His friend started a Tai Chi (sequence?). The dancing started again and he Tai Chi'd his way to a partner, and without so much as a break in step, moved into shuffle dance and carried on! I bumbled along with Wan Yi. Toward the end of the night and much to the delight of the small audience, Wan Yi 'went bandit' and danced his own dance alongside the main group dance. He was good! However it was dark and the video does not do him justice!
Perhaps this picture better explains the ox that is Wa Yi!
Eventually the park wound down and we went our separate ways and wandered into town. I had a goal! I had seen this shop that sold Duck's heads. Cooked ones. Ever since I saw a YouTube video about duck hotpot I knew it was something I had to try. I bought one. A spiced one. The woman asked if I wanted it split open, I decided I'd do it myself when I got home. I popped into another shop, bought a few pieces of chicken, had a laugh with the owners and headed home. As I got outside the shop I got a message from Betty in out block of flats. "Is your water working, because mine is not." Although I wasn't at home, I got the same question from Sherika. I guessed the water must have been out and told each of them that their state of dryness was not unique! I headed home. Sure enough, no water. Quick wipe down with some wetwipes and off to bed. I decided to leave the duck head to the next day. The next day was also a day off. I got up late and went for a wander into town. On the way back I saw the weirdest of 'cars'. The picture explains it all.
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| The strange yellow 'car'. |
Anyhow. I got home, and it was time to try the duck's head. Having never had a duck's head to eat before, I did not know exactly how to eat it! But as the woman in the shop had offred to cleave it for me, I thought that would be a good start! I spilt it open with the cleaver and started to eat what meat I could find. There wasn't much and after eating the main bits, it was sucking the bones that got me the rest of the 'treat'! It was quite spicy, but I could tell the different tastes. The brain was not bad, and certainly better than the chicken's brain. Other parts had different tastes. Next time I'll try it unspiced! Maybe the true taste will come through!
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| The Duck's head in all its spicy glory |
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| The halved suck's head. I think the white bit at the top of the top piece is the brain! |
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