Knobcottage in China

The couple of days in Tongren turned into three!  I knew I would be there a third day and originally expected the third day to be the wedding.  However because of yesterday, I thought Wendy had made a mistake and thought I would go home.  So I packed up my things, checked out and got back my deposit.  I sat in reception and texted Wendy.  I told her I needed to get back and asked if she wouldhelp order a taxi.  She seemed puzzled, was I not staying for dinner?  I agreed but understood dinner to be midday meal.  She otld me to go to the nearby Jiank Hua Hotel.  It was about fifteen minutes away.  I'd be there by about twelve fifteen.  It actually took me about half an hour because the schools had just let out and they had not seen a foreigner for a while!  The walk was refreshing due to the variety of shops along the way; far more than in Jaingkou. The hotel was situated on a huge roundabout and finding a way to cross the road...

 Times had been a bit rough at Jiangkou lately so when I discovered that the pupils were having the days of examsI thought I'd escape for a few days.  Tongren is near and I know where some.things are, so I decided on there.  Equally my area boss , Jamie, wants to see me about the renewal.of my contract.  Two birds with me stone. Up until now, I had always relied on friends to book my hotels and taxis, this time I wanted to try myself.  My friend Meng had used Qunar to book the hotel in Guiyang and recommended it to me.  However like most things in China, it is all in Chinese.  However , I thought I'd give it a go.  It's icon is a small camel.  As the app searches for things, things the camel walks, and as the longer the camel walks the more it sweats!  Cute, but after half an hour of trying my best, I could quite happily have throttled the little animal! Anyway, I think I got it right because it took my money!  Th...

Today I got a call from Angela.  Did I fancy a trip to Tongren.  Of course!  I could do with a change of scenery!  So I got changed and as ready in twenty minutes.  She had ordered a taxi for me and it was waiting outside.  I jumped in and I was off to Tongren! It was a standard taxi and as usual, it was full!  This time there were two biggish guys in the back and me!  Shoulder overlapping shoulder and thigh to thigh and this driver was in a hurry! Not too bad though. We eventually got to Tongren and met Angela.  She took me.to the school canteen and I had lunch.  We chatted for a good whole.and caught up in what had been happening to each of us, a good gossip,  and then I accompanied her to a hair wash!   After the wash and blow dry, we took a taxi back to her place because Angela had misplaced her glasses.  We eventually found them under the baby blanket! Then it was a trip to the military training .  For...

As I said in the last Hospital post  all this 30-40 degree heat, no air-conditioning in the office, 80% plus humidity, constant sweating and my pig-headed perseverance, something had to give.  So at the end of term my system finally gave in and I spend three days indoors mostly in bed; I was recovering.  I learned a lot from that.  The day here starts early, maybe 6am.  It stops maybe midday until 2pm and then continues.   I am now trying to fall into that pattern, but perhaps too late.  My skin is not good.  Particularly in places where constant wet clothing touches it.  This is my elbow, in case you are wondering! It started at my shoulders, as prickly-heat, then dry patches and now this.  It is spreading.  Soon I will be a Ninja Turtle, my wife says she want a Michaelangelo.  I am preparing my orange bandanna later this week before I loose the use of my hands!  However, having tried it on, it does not look ...

The friendliness of Chinese people never ceases to amaze me.   This story starts at the end of the conference.   I was out very late the night before the end of the conference, and I had decided to stay and extra night in the hotel.   I got up in the morning and booked an extra night.   Then I got a message from Angela.   “Did I fancy a day out in Tongren!”.   She had learned that I was there alone and wanted to take me out!   Excellent!   Soon afterwards I got another message telling me the plan of the day and telling me what time she would arrive.   She arrived in a taxi and we went off with all my luggage to the centre of Tongren.   She needed to take a few photos for an official document and then we would go to shopping for some ingredients for a meal that she would cook for us at her friend’s house.   We went to the photographers, but he was not there.   However, we parked my luggage in the back of the shop and we...

Yet another surprise message from Wendy asking me out to dinner!  Me, Wendy and her friends seem to get on well, and get on well enjoy each others' company, after all I am the foreigner and even Tongren does not have a lot of those!  But also she is doing a little bit of 'guanxi' building.  'Guanxi' literally means 'realtionship' and it's how a lot of things 'get done' in China, because who you are connected with or who you know is often more important than what you know.  So if you know a local government official and there is some local government business to be done, then the chances are that the local government business will go more smoothly and bypass any obstacles because your friend can ensure this.  As for me and Wendy, I am a native English speaker, a rare commodity in Tongren, made even more rare by the fact that I am actually English.  So if I am associated with her school this looks good for her and helps her promote her business....

Well, when I got the message of "to all: tonight 10pm BBQ and beers donstairs confirm hotel please"  I woud neve have imagined that I'd be getting a communal massage at 1.00am in the morning whilst watching a Jackie Chan horror tyoe film and eating watermelon, but I was.  Let me explain. It all started with a message from Wendy at about 8 pm. " have you eaten Mike?"  "No." "Where are you?" " In the hotel" " Ok Ill be over soon with some food" "To my hotel?" "Yes!" "I’m room 8248 or do you want to meet me in the lobby?" "Stay there I'll be there soon, I'’ll bring my student!" Half an hour later there was a knock on the door.  It was Wendy and Taylor, her student An and a bag of assorted food!  An is a thirteen-year-old boy.  So, taking everything in my stride, I invited them in.  They set out the table for me and waited until I had eaten. Then An w...