Valentines Day 2018 2200

Haha!

Most bloggers I believe post once they have had the chance to sanitise and glamourise their posts, presenting a rosy view of their existence.

From inception I decided this blog would be a warts and all job, narrating the highs, lows, triumphs, tragedies, disappointments and the nice bits. It has at times seen me look a hero, at many others a prat. The one thing I CAN say though is that it has always been nothing other than a true reflection of my life in China and aside from one or two omissions to spare the blushes or feelings of others, has ever been thus. Sometimes I do wish perhaps I adopted the policy of waiting a few days before going on the keyboard but then that would betray what I started out to do. I have had huge excitement over meetings or trips that never came about, expressed angry opinions on things only to have to retract once the full story emerged but above all it has been an honest reflection of my thoughts.

Tonight's Valentines date seemed to be on track. Adriana texted me mid-afternoon to enquire about the water. It was off when she contacted me yesterday and I told her I do not leave home without showering. Today the water was fine and she said she might be later than the original 1730 suggested, probably 1800. Fine, I asked her to text when she was five minutes away.

By 1810 and with no message, I sent one asking if she was on her way. Nothing. I sent another. I was getting annoyed because I would have batch-made lasagne today but didn't seeing as I was going out for dinner. At 1825 I sent another text to say that sod this, I was going out alone, I was clearly being stood up.

Sorry, I'm stuck. No, not in traffic, obviously with her family or friends. I am used to disappointment here and that does not annoy me. What DOES though is that it took me asking to get an eventual response. No courtesy in letting me know there may be a problem and I could have been still waiting. And sending me stupid picture smileys and things that appear on my phone as a series of □s hardly improves my humour.

Adriana has a dreadful reputation among the foreign teachers all over Lanzhou for telling tall tales of rape and other dreadful things that allegedly happen to her every week. I accepted her friendship in spite of this and in full knowledge in the hope I could perhaps get her to see the error of her ways. The opinions of the other foreigners matter not to me, I wanted to rise above that and do some good. She is now in peril of destroying the only foreign friendship she has in this city.

So anyway, I went out, I was all dressed up and in the mood. And I fancied trying out the Italian sausage in Subway. Hardly cordon bleu but yes, I wanted it. With cheese.

Some nights start off badly and yet turn out to be great. Others start off badly and just get worse.

Wondering why Subway was empty, I swiftly discovered they were closed because they had run out of bread! Great start. Ok, I found a decent little restaurant which to be fair I will visit again, had sweet pork, prawns and chives and a couple of ales. Then off to the bar for some gin.

Well the yappy dog was there but nobody else was! It was locked up. There went any notion of venturing out tomorrow for a new year party! I almost just got a taxi home there and then but as I needed the loo I decided to try and find a bar that was open (this was only 2030) and did. More staff than customers, two large screens, one showing some televised contest between “gamers” shooting computerised things which changed from lizards to birds to horses to ogres – enthralling of course, the other showing pop videos which did not match the songs being played. Two small cans of Bud and I'd had enough.

I got a taxi back and at one point the taxi driver asked me which way? Well he had taken me an unfamiliar route so I had no idea. In daylight I would have but with all the new year lights on I was disorientated. By the time I twigged where he had taken me we were heading away and had to do a U-turn! He must think I am thick. At least the meter remained on the minimum 10y fee.

So tomorrow I am staying put except for going to let those pigeons go free and maybe, just maybe, going to the square at midnight to see if anyone is letting off fireworks.