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...

Day two started off late, after last night's lack of sleep.  I wandered off into town and explored.I fond the indoor market.  It was interesting, but I took no photos.  There was so much there!  The usual vegetables and tofu, and meet but there were fish, crabs, eels molluscs etc etc.  Animal welfare people would have had a field day, as would the food inspectors!  No one seemed to surprised to see me.  I wandered here and there trying to find a simple path through the maze whilst still looking at the  myriad of 'things'!  eventually I had wandered enough and decided to go back to the outside market.  This was a little easier to navigate.  It was mainly full of very old people trying to sell small amounts of produce. I felt really at home here.  I can't quite explain why.  I said a few words to a few people as I walked by but could have just sat and watched for hours.. it was fascinating!  I emerged from teh market a...

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....