Knobcottage in China

My friend Angela, who was the second person I met after arriving in China, now works at a college of education in Tongren.  I met her at Guiyang railway station when my 'chaperone' Wendy was buying some McDonald's! Long story short, her college is celebrating it's 100th anniversary this weekend and she invited me over. It all started with a taxi ride.  She is well connected in Jiangkiu because her husband use to work here, and she knows many different ways of getting to and fro… Tongren.  In this case she booked a private driver for me.  This is a taxi operated by an individual who gets calls from prospective passengers and when there are enough passengers the journey commences.  In this case I was the first passenger.  We then went to the bus station and picked up another passenger.  Then to the other side of town and picked up another passenger.  Then back to the bust station for passenger number four.  Then the fun started.  T...

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...