Thursday 10th January, 2013         1330

Seeing as I won’t have chance to blog tomorrow or possibly the entire weekend, I thought it best to have a crack at an entry today.

I was taken somewhat aback at midday when Anita breezily announced on Skype she was coming to campus tomorrow morning, when I wasn’t expecting her until Saturday. It was good news because I haven’t stopped thinking of her since she left, but what stunned me was her plan to come here, say goodbye to her classmate who returns home tomorrow and then “whisk” me off to Tongling until Saturday morning! Well, “whisk” is not something that happens considering the Chinese public transport, but you get the idea.

I protested that until payday on Saturday I was skint and asked if we could do it next Friday instead. No, she wants it now, not least because the expats in her hometown have a get-together tomorrow night and she wants me to meet them. They seem to have many more westerners than here, so it will make a nice change. My protests were not to be heard though because she said she would pay for everything. A man has his pride and I wouldn’t hear of it. But I do want to go, she is good for me, so Kevin is very kindly taking me to town later to lend me the cash. I could raid my UK account but I am trying not to touch that.

Anyway, the plan is that once she sees her friend off, we leave for Tongling, I meet her parents for the afternoon/early evening then we go out with the laoweis and presumably whilst I go to an hotel afterwards she will return home for the night. I think it improbable she will join me with the folks nearby! On Saturday morning she will come back with me and stay for the weekend. It is my hope that she will stay for most of the next six weeks, although of course for the important spring festival celebrations she must be at home. She would love me to go with her but with nobody available to look after the pets it isn’t possible. Kevin was horror-struck when I asked him to cook fish for them tomorrow night! I told him to simply boil it and he asked aghast, “for how long?”! At least I am not leaving him the liver to do, which needs cutting up after cooking.

Now I have to go downtown, get some dinner, return and press some clean trousers, then address the problem of not possessing an overnight bag. I think I may just be able to squeeze a change of clothes into my little shoulder bag.

2130

I now have some money. Kevin, Daisy, Susan and I all went to town and went to Da Niang for dinner where I had a steak and dumpling platter as always. Normally it fills me up but for some reason tonight I could have eaten two. Anyway, the good news is that I don’t need to do my trousers until tomorrow because we won’t leave until one. As it will take until three-thirty to even get to the city it looks like four hours tops with the parents - although it would be good in a way if Dad came out with us - at least we won’t get arrested! I have already been asked by Anita what my favourite foods are, presumably Mum wants to know. I just hope to God I am not presented with something entirely inedible. The best thing would be if there was just one dish that I can honestly enthuse over - that way I can use that as an excuse for not eating anything else!

I mentioned over dinner that I would love to go for Chinese new year with her to her original hometown Lu’an but because there will be nobody here to look after the pets it wasn‘t an option. He suggested I leave them with the vet. He has a point. The cats can stay in cages for a few days and Pepsi doesn’t do anything when she goes out anyway (and they walk them at the vets) plus it would probably cost me 200y for three days. I am seriously considering it because it would be a privilege to share a special time of the year with a Chinese family. I will discuss it with her tomorrow. Lu’an would be a change as it is a city of 6.5 million people - I would be bound to find some western things there!

One way or another my life has recently taken some odd turns and of course I hope all of them lead down good roads, but if not, life is an adventure and to be lived!

For now though, this is the Chizhou Chronicle signing off, possibly for a few days whilst your reporter ventures into uncharted territory - physically, emotionally and culturally. I bet my Mum rings at some point!