Knobcottage in China

It was New Years Day.  I had been up late, and was still in bed at 9.00 a.m.  I was spending a little time in bd sorting out the New Year's Messages from various people.  Just after Nine I got a message from Sherrie inviting me to eat lunch with her and her husband at her home!  I jumped at the chance!  Slightly later came a text asking if I minded if her niece was also there.  She is a senior three student at my school.  That was fine by me!  So I got ready and headed off.  I also had a few boxes of chocolates for my friends in the shops nearby to celebrate the new year.  I delivered these on the way, and picked up some peanut milk and crisps to add to the food already there. I knew Sherrie's flat was somewhere near the block below so when I arrived there I gave her a call and she came down to meet me.  Her flat was on the eighth floor. One of the blocks of flats in Sherrie's community The view from the Sherrie and Star's ...

I had had a late morning but at about 11 o'clock, I was getting hungry.  I was just about to order a take away, how my life has changed since I learned how to do that, when I got a text from Freya asking how I was.  I told her that I was fine.  She asked me what I was doing, and I said that I was doing nothing.  Apparently she was about to do her laundry.  It turned out she was washing her stuff by hand.  As a throwaway comment I offered that she could come over here and use my machine and we could share lunch.  Much to.my surprise, she said "Yes!".  China still surprises me.  Such a mixture of traditional and modern.  Usually single women won't come to my apartment alone due to the fact that 'rumours' would spread.  So I was surprised that Freya agreed...Although she is an out-of-towner!  Anyhow, 45 minutes later, outside my door was Great with a bucket of washing that was about the same size as her! We set up the ...

All in all it was a  bit of a busy day.  Wan Yi wants to take me to his hometown and had told me last night hat he would take me today sometime after two.  At about one, he texted me and said that he could not take me because he could not get off work and his son had taken the car to Tongren.  seemed like a good enough excuse.  Meanwhile, Freya had invited me to play with her and her friends in the park.  Seemed good to me.  It was along way to the park but I decided to walk.  The mapping software was very good except that it was north up and wouldn't change.  It told me that my preferred route was no entry.  It was correct, but it didn't know that I would climb up some scaffolding and over a bridge rather than take the 3/4 mile alternative route!  This area of Jiangkou, like many other areas to be honest, was under heavy re-construction.  There were blue corrugated panel fences everywhere, and not much else!  Eventually ...

When I was at the food festival, I met a girl who has now taken the name of Freya.  She is twenty one years old and is a teacher at a local kindergarten.  Her family lives in the south of Guizhou and she is here alone working ans living in the school dormitory.  She is a lovely little girl and is so keen to learn English.  We swapped WeChats at the festival.  She is keen to meet again and the other day we met for breakfast in the smaller park. The 'breakfast shop The menu me and Freya Freya and the food The food.  Baozi, jiaozi, 'cake' and boiled egg.  Complete with chopsticks.  Her favourite new word is 'chopstick' She is keen to meet again and learn more English.  I am happy to help!