Saturday 14th February, 2015               2130

St Valentine’s Day, one of three such days China has annually. And still I have never received a card. Sent plenty though in my time.

Yesterday was a nice day so I took John on the bike for breakfast and shopping. That boy eats for China so with Mulan expected back in the afternoon I bought a load of potatoes to do mash with and the plan was to cook the ham I have had curing on my balcony for a week, combine that with some peas and Branston pickle and have a simple but delicious dinner.

All that changed in the afternoon though.

The uncle had requested that John go to stay with him that night and stay until after new year. In no way do I begrudge the man the right to recall any of his charges for certainly he has devoted his life and any chance he may have had of marriage and children of his own, in the name of their upbringing. Disappointing certainly, understandable definitely that he wants his family around him at this special time in Chinese culture.

Then a bomb was dropped on me. Not only does Mulan have a sister and a brother (this despite the one child policy) but there is ANOHER baby brother!!

I was incredulous. Worse, Mulan was bringing him with her to stay, so we are playing musical families now! Er, how old is he, I asked. Twelve was the answer. Inward groans. Twelve is not a good age from my perspective. Oh, and don’t cook because she will take you and her brother for dinner in town. So the pork sat in the brine.

I walked to west gate to take a bus, the idea being that we could get a cab back to the door and I wouldn’t need to retrieve my bike. It was a pleasant evening and much as I think walking is unnatural, I quite enjoyed it. Shortly after leaving home and just as I was passing the boys dormitories I heard what sounded like a small kitten mewing. Being a sucker for baby animals I called out to it. Then it appeared. Not a small one, I estimate maybe five months old, a lovely ginger cat which came trotting over to me with its tail held high. I scratched its ears and carried on walking and then I witnessed something most unusual. It followed me as a dog would, near enough all the way to the west gate. That alone would be enough for me to gather it up and bring it home had I not already had four bundles of trouble.

I waited for the number seven bus intending to catch the last one but when it approached the stop and I hailed it the driver just carried on driving past! I understand now that the last bus had left ten minutes before. Angry, I started the long trek to the joint 7 & 29 bus stop, wishing now I had in fact taken the bike. My mood darkened when I saw two further 7s going the opposite way, for that bus goes about a mile past west gate, stops, turns round and retraces the route. The first driver, had he had a shred of decency (and knowing I wanted to go somewhere and there were no more buses that night), would have stopped and at least dumped me at the next stop so I could take a 29. No, not happy at all.

As it happened I still managed to get to the Sichuan restaurant five minutes before Mulan and her 15 (not 12) year old brother, who, not having an English name, had to be given one by me - Louis. Louis was too young to be looked after by the uncle when the parents scampered so he has been raised by the uncle’s sister. After a pleasant dinner it became a quiet night in with the promise of breakfast this morning.

I ferried the pair of them to south gate shortly after nine and we went for McBreakfast. Shopping on this occasion was secondary, the main purpose was for me to buy a bus ticket to Anqing on the 21st when I shall visit Yvonne. I had planned to take Mulan on the bike but with Louis in tow that wasn’t possible. Now Chinese people and McDonald’s big breakfasts have become something of a fascination for me, by way of the rather outlandish things they do with them. None have so far disappointed - from Anna with jam on the hash browns to Mulan and a jamburger, John with absolutely everything stuffed in the muffin including jam and this morning Louis with a full sachet of strawberry on top of the scrambled eggs. if I wasn’t now expecting such outrageous eating habits it would have put me off my own food.

I have my 27y ticket for the 90 minute trip to Anqing and the hotel is booked for two nights. I can only hope the weather is similar to today where it has been positively warm, then I can take the dog to hospital on the bike with no need of a taxi.

I had to have a nap this afternoon and when I woke up and switched the phone on there was a message from Mulan saying she had been invited out by friends, she may get drunk and don’t wait up. Great, not only do I not want to make ham just for two but earlier BECAUSE I was going to make it I refused a dinner invitation from the small school to celebrate new year. But then there was the small matter of the young man in the next room. Luckily I had some chilli in the freezer which has now gone. Plans? What plans?

There are photos of the gala show on the TV station website plus a couple of short clips in news broadcasts presumably advertising it so I attach the links.

http://www.0566md.com/news/viewtp.php?infoID=82070&Page=15

http://video.cznbtv.com/video/2015-02/13/cms28024article.shtml

http://video.cznbtv.com/video/2015-02/13/cms28014article.shtml