After the trip to Yanxi,I stayed in bed late and caught up with work in my apartment. I ordered in some food and the driver brought it to my door. Just before he arrived I got a phone call. I think it was the courier. He was slightly late and it seems couldn't find out exactly where I was. There was a knock at my door and there he was with three little girls who knew where the foreigner lived! They smiled at me. I recognised one of them. She was a little girl who had bought me some Chinese sweet dish in the park when I first came her. She is a relation of the head of English who lives on the floor above. The courier went, I said goodbye and closed the door. I heard a little discussion outside and then a knock on the. The three little girls wanted a chat. I told them that I would love to chat but I was having my food. I finished eating and there was another knock on my door. They were back. A safeguarding nightmare in England but not so over here in Jaingkou. All the same, I was not going to invite them into my flat and shut the door! They began to talk to me. It is so nice how kids have the time to try and explain things to me whereas adults just think I'm not able to understand and reach for their phone translator. I pulled a chair up to the door and sat there and chatted with them. One asked for help with their homework and I helped. There were a few printing errors in the book. I corrected these too! I then taught them a few magic tricks and gave them each a lolly and a Chinese flag. They were happy. Maybe they will be back. I think in England I would just have had to tell them politely to go away! I am so glad I don't have to do that here and that people generally trust each other. However, I still do take care. The girls popped back shortly afterwards to give me a little bag of milk. They also showed me a trick with the milk. There was a little pocket of air alongside the plastic milk bag. Via my phone translator they told me to watch closely. They poked the tip of a biro refill in there and the ink level in the refill rose.
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| The lovely little girls who came to my flat for help with English homework. The one on the left is the one who brought me the Chinese desert in the park when I first came her. Lovely little girls! |
Mean while it was time to go to town. After all I had been in all day! I got maybe 1 km from the house when the phone rang. It was Sherrie. Long story short, when I have a parcel delivered the postman rings me before he delivers it. Because I cannot always understand the postman, oon this occasion Sherrie let me use her number and she answered for me. My mattress topper was about to be delivered. I was 1km away. Fortunately, between Sherrie, the postman and the undertakers shop, the mattress was delivered to the undertaker shop. I wont explain how, but I know the undertaker fairly well! I marched off home, picked it up and plonked it on my bed. For some reason I decided to put sheets on it so it would be ready when I got home. Little did I know that that would be rather late!
I popped off into town.. and unusually had a few chats on teh way and a photoshot with a securtiy guard and a man form Chongching!Just after this a guy jumped of his bik and handed me a steamed bun! Lovely.
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| The secutiry guard, the man from Chongching and me. |
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| Me and my steamed bun! |
I had a few parcels to pick up at the local courier. When I got there the usual woman was there. We get on well. She is a pretty young woman of about 23years old with a young daughter. I think it is a family delivery business. Anyhow, I picked up my parcels and packed them into my rucksack, hoping to go home fairly shortly, but she invited me over to eat some lovely fruits. As we were talking I remembered that two parcels were still out for delivery I mentioned this to her and she said she would ring them and see what she could arrange. She rang them and told me that one would be delivered at 5.30 and the other at 6.00. It was about ten part four. I told her I would be back at six. She said she would wait. I went to explore. I walked to the far end of Jiangkou and as I was crossing the road, I noticed two 'foreigners'. Almost missed them because I am so conditioned to seeing only Chinese! We stopped and chatted and exchanged Wechat: they were Russians. I forgot to take the obligatory pictures. They said they were touring China and worked as 'dancers'. They were going to the beauty salon to get their nails and hair done. I left them and wandered on. Eventually I got to the supermarket, and was wandering through when what should I see but another foreigner! It felt strange but I went over and talked to her. She either knew or was with the other girls. We chatted a while until a little Chinese girl came over and asked to take a photograph with us. The girl I was with, another Russian girl, looked puzzled, but I spoke to the Chinese girl and to the Russian girl and we sorted out a few photos. I think the Russian girl was new to Jiangkou because she had not yet experienced the endless requests for photos! We talked a little and went on our way. I messaged Anna and told her about my encounter. I aksed if she wanted to me to forward her contact card. She agree.
I then noticed the time. I had half an hour to get back to the far side of town to pick up my packages. I made it and gave the woman there a small bag of roasted chili. She likes spicy! I then went and sat on the wall in the park for a while but because nothing much was happening, I decided to head back into town. I was just about to get to my eating place when I bumped into WanYi. He invited me for a meal, but did not eat himself. Half way through my fried rice, he started telephoning people, and just as I was finishing one of his friends joined us.
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| Yes, I'm using a spoon! Most people here do when eating fried rice. |
Wan Yi asked if I had finished, I had, I asked him if we were going to the park. We were......but it turned out that we were going somewhere else first!
We jumped into his friend's car and drove off in the opposite direction to the park. Now I know Wany Yi, as does everyone in Jiangkou, and he is a nice guy, but a little impulsive and a little bit strange! And as were driving in the opposite direction to the park, I did begin to worry. We drove to teh far dark side of town and stopped by a deserted building in the pitch black. We then drove down a rough half finished track. I was not so much worried as cautious, so I set the location on my phone and sent it to a couple of people with the message "If I don't return, this is my last known location" with the hashtag #joke...ish.
They were taking me to his office. we went into a dark building and passed a woman who recognised him and asked if we had eaten. We had! Up some dark stairs to a dark room and Wan Yi's friend switched the light on. It was a big 'U' shaped room with the centre of the room being the bathroom. There were lots of good quality but lightly dated desks.
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| The post outside the building. They were both very proud of this, but I don't know what it is! Possibly the name of their outdoor club. |
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| One of the lesser quality desks in the room. |
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| The room we walked through to get to the office. There were no light on on the way in! |
Wan Yi sat me down and they both had a laugh. There were a lot of red and yellow signs on the table nearby. They had a plan. They each had one and they gave me one. We all sat down together. Wan Yi placed his phone on the table opposite and tried to get it into selfie mode. Whilst he did that, with the help of WeChat translate I got a translation of my sign. "Vice President's Office" They then went on to explain that they had formed an outdoor club and this was the offices of said club. Wan Yi showed me a few exercise class video on his phone and we headed out. His friend took us to the park, but not after getting me to promise that I'd go drink with him later!
At eh park Wan Yi took me to his aerobics group and pulled me into a quieter side of the park and started to teach me to shuffle dance (Google it if you want). It looks spectacular when done in formation but not so good done alone. It looks very difficult and is very energetic. It is both, however after five minutes of two left feet, something happened and I'm getting the hang of the basic step. Don't hold your breath! One of the other guys grabbed me and insisted I took part in the formation dance. I did. Then someone gave me a tangerine, then I danced some more, then I went to buy water and grapes! I came back and a mum introduced me to her little son. I gave him the badge of my Jacket. It was a Chinese flag! He was very pleased! I later saw her with her shildren anda box of stones...she gave me a one!
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| The little boy and his badge |
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| my stone |
After a few more dances it was time to drink with Wan Yi. Not quite sure what that involved but he accepted that I did not drink alcohol. He led me off at breakneck speed and I tried hard to keep up with my shuffled danced knees! Eventually we got to a restaurant. It was his friend's restaurant. Now it was all making sense. His friend arrived so quickly whilst I was eating because his restaurant was over the road from where we were eating! Anyhow, we were invited in. Too cut a long story short, we ate and drank and sang songs. If I went in with any dignity, then I am sure I left with none! Results below.
There is a singing video as well but stuff is taking so long to upload these days.....well that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Oh, go on then, here it is!
See, I left I told you! I left with no dignity at all!
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