Saturday 10th November, 2012         1400

I am going back out again in 15 minutes but I thought I would start today’s entry anyway. It would appear the problem with my camera was a faulty USB lead as we tried it on Kevin’s equipment and it worked ok, so hopefully there will be a fair few pictures for me to attach to this.

Getting up this morning was a wrench, but as Kevin actually stayed on campus last night it didn’t matter that it was damp because we went in his car. Considering the type of event today was, the stadium was never going to be packed out but there were still a fair few hundred people there - at a guess with 16 different high street bank “brands” participating with an average of probably twenty on a team there were 300 competitors alone. But it wasn’t Tai Chi - it was what can only be described as synchronised aerobics! Despite it not being my cup of tea I enjoyed it and it wasn’t a waste of time because I had a friend taking part. She spotted us straight away when her team marched proudly in but couldn’t wave as she was carrying the sign which said (in Chinese of course) which bank they were. You will see from the photo which one she is (wearing light blue jackets) and also of the one immediately after their performance where she stopped before joining us and posed in a typically Chinese way with both hands giving the Churchillian victory sign.

As we waited for the remaining banks - some of whom we had never heard of, let alone seen a branch - to go through their routines she sat and chatted with us. We were then informed that this afternoon there is another round but this time it sounds as if it is involving skipping ropes! Kevin isn’t going so I am leaving shortly on my bike, I feel compelled to attend if only for Sonia’s sake (I think she is secretly chuffed at being able to show off her laowei friends to her colleagues!) and also because it sounds interesting. That and of course also because it is something new to me and I try not to be a stick in the mud here as you never know how much enjoyment you may get.

Ok, I will finish for now, after it is over I may carry on to town and have dinner there but on my return I will continue. I don’t have to get up early tomorrow as my two lessons don’t start until 1550 - meaning, as today will, that I will be riding home in the dark.

2200

Today has been tiring, interesting, unusual and actually quite fun.

This afternoon did indeed feature skipping, not synchronised but three team members from each bank skipping solo in batches of four. The object was to skip as many times as possible in 60 seconds. Sonya was quite good and finished with fourth place out of 48 - there is a team photo with her looking rather pleased with her prize of a plaque.

When that finished there was a tug’o’war competition which sadly her bank wasn’t in as they couldn’t muster enough hands as volunteers yesterday, but it was fun to watch anyway. I couldn’t take any shots of it though as you couldn’t see the teams (let alone the rope) for the throngs which crowded in close.

When I finally left I carried on into town and to Ke Bi Wang for my dinner and it was the first time I have ever had my camera on me there. I took advantage of it by taking pictures of two waitresses, the serving wenches & buffet bar and of course Kaleeja and JinJun in the dark jackets by the till.

Whilst eating dinner I observed a car park illegally on the main road outside. Besides the fact there is no parking it was left blocking an exit from the e-bike side road and worse, right in front of my own bike. Now, I never use the side stand when I leave my bike, most people do but to me it makes it easier for anyone to knock over if they are walking past and bump into it. I use the rear stand which involves the rear wheel lifting off the ground and the whole bike moving back about a foot. As a result, when I hop on it and propel it forward to release the stand, it moves a foot forward again plus a bit more with the momentum.

Coming out of the restaurant it was still there so I inspected the distance between my front bullbar and the nearside rear door of the car and decided that if I was very quick to stop my bike once the back wheel hit the ground I should just be able to avoid hitting it. I also decided not to make strenuous efforts to prevent forward motion because the car door would do it for me anyway. As I created a nice little dent in the door the owner emerged from the eatery and saw the “accident” as it took place. He never said a word. Had he done so I would have suggested he call the police (he may still, but I wasn’t the one parked illegally) and I would have happily explained the circumstances.

Ok enough. Here are a ton of photos which sadly for some reason seem to be jumbled up, however anything taken outside is the uni sports meetings, inside is the bank jamboree and Ke Bi Wang is pretty obvious.