Life has slowed down a notch now I’m back home but only temporarily. Yesterday I sent a message to ask if the Heavenly Village camp was still on and was told it was. I then asked what day we were leaving. The 18th! Having been prudent in asking this same question a month ago and informing the owner I needed to know so I could plan my other activities to suit, you may imagine I metaphorically hit the roof. Four days at summer camp now starting on the 18th meant returning the same day as my flight to Shanghai and probably after it had taken off to boot. I sent a curt reply stating I could not now go and placed the blame firmly in the other camp. No response was received and I was hugely disappointed because I had relished the prospect.
In the evening I went to town (by bus as rain was forecast) to meet Christina for dinner at the Sichuan restaurant, which she insisted on paying for. She loves really spicy food and so ordered a pot of special Sichuan fish which wasn’t well received. Even I could hardly detect any spice despite the fact the top was covered in red peppers but other than that I think she enjoyed the experience.
Late last night I had a call from the small school owner, who had only just seen my last message. Apparently they had intended to go on the 16th (which would have been fine for me) but some of the students had other things to do first so it was put back to the 18th. However the trip has been shortened to three days, meaning I can after all go. We arrive back on the evening of the 20th and that should give me time to launder my clothes and get them dried for Shanghai. My concerns over getting Pepsi to the vet and my bike recharging fully before I rode it to the airport disappeared when I realised she would be at the vets already because I will need to take her on the 17th anyway. I nearly died when he told me the bus was leaving his school at 0630 though. I expressed my doubts as to whether there was a No 7 bus that would get me there in good time but he will now get their bus to collect me. That will give me another half an hour in bed!
I am going shopping this afternoon and will have something to eat there as I have a rather gruelling weekend in store. It wasn’t supposed to be, it was supposed to be tomorrow morning testing pronunciation and Sunday morning at the mountain school. In addition I now have dinner tomorrow with the businessman Jeff and dinner on Sunday with Susan and Balance. With an 0600 start both days it is a sure fire thing that I will be done in by the end of it. I will need the intervening week before Heavenly Village to recuperate.
Saturday 9th 1630
Despite not hitting the hay until after midnight (despite my best intentions) I bore up rather well this morning. Vivi came with me and patiently sat through nearly three hours of pronunciation testing outside in a public playground.
As per usual we attracted a small crown of older people with nothing better to do than come and gawk at the foreigner but I made it very light-hearted by asking a couple of pensioners to join the class. They were horrified and after indicating “no” they never uttered a peep - neither did any of the other onlookers. The only problem I had was with my seating. Helen has a cane armchair that is always brought out for me but today I was given a wooden chair.
Now three hours on a wooden chair is enough to cause discomfort alone but this was exacerbated by the fact it was the size of chair you would use for a three year old! Just getting down far enough to sit on it was a trial, as was getting up again. And my arse was completely numb by the end. So much so in fact that I had to play the diva and assert that next time it has to be the cane chair. It’s all right for the Chinese - they spend their lives squatting to go to the loo but our Achilles tendons are shorter than theirs.
And guess where lunch was? Only the Sichuan place! I was only there the other night and I’m going again tomorrow! At least I am getting to sample some of the other dishes rather than the ones I normally order. That included a duck blood hotpot (very hot indeed) which had small pieces of something with the texture of abalone but apparently was segments of sea urchin - somehow I can’t see me opting for that in future! During lunch Jeff cancelled this evening’s dinner. I was actually relieved. Not only will I not be hungry anyway but if he kept me out after ten I would be ruined for what is (for me) quite a strenuous morning tomorrow. This way I can - and WILL - call it a day early tonight.
My companion tomorrow up the mountain is not going to be Christina, her driving instructor has told her she has a lesson. It seems to be a strange set up in China. I assume they pay the instructor yet he/she calls the shots as to the timing of the lessons. Most odd. Instead, her friend is coming. I believe she is studying in America and I am told her English is very good. If she is studying across the pond I suspect her Mercan is good rather than her English though. Strangely, she doesn’t have an English name, apparently I am to call her Han and she is allegedly “a really cool girl”. I reserve judgement until tomorrow.
Monday 11th 1145
Despite an early night on Saturday I was still very fatigued by the end of the visit to the mountain school yesterday.
Han was waiting in a car when I arrived at the gate shortly before 0730 and unusually the school car was not. They have always been early in the past. Her mother had driven her and both got out to meet me. Mum decided she wanted a photo of me taken with her phone and my guess is that this wasn’t just the usual laowei photo opportunity, rather it was a precaution to have something to show the police if her daughter went missing. Eminently sensible in view of the fact none of us knew each other.
At that, the school car arrived and we departed, doubtless Mum also snapped its number plate! Han is studying in Phoenix and she does have a good level of American. The morning was identical to the last time, with the added bonus that this time there was only one student I had seen before. However that was from last year so all my games were new to him as well. I reckon he’s being deliberately naughty in order to get sent there each year for a little “holiday”. We were unfortunate in that the weather, for the only time in seven occasions I have now been invited there, was gloomy. It started to rain a little as we left the university but thankfully dried up and warmed up by the time I was ready to start the outdoor antics.
Further to my request last time for egg and tomato and the aubergine and meat dish, both were provided along with river fish and other dishes which aside from the string potatoes all contained the ubiquitous tofu. Sadly Prof Wu had had to leave shortly after our arrival, having business in town that morning, as he is actually quite fun over lunch. The PE teacher and Prof Wu’s wife didn’t join me in a beer as the former was our driver and the latter I think is teetotal.
During lunch I received a text from Susan saying she couldn’t have dinner that evening as she had to go home to collect some clothes. So two dinners in two days cancelled! This being China I have learnt to roll with the punches and accept the reality, but that one was galling considering it was her suggestion in the first place. It also left me with the problem of my own dietary needs. Did I go to town solo, eat at one of the places outside school that remain open or did I simply not bother and have nothing? I chose the latter by virtue of the fact I am going to town today shopping and will have a late lunch. My sustenance last night was an apricot-filled cupcake and a handful of chocolate éclair toffees!
Sometime this week I want to do that dummy run to the airport to ensure no problems when I leave for Shanghai. The ever trusty weather forecast is predicting rain every day! The problems I face are firstly that the roads are too new to feature on any maps yet but I have directions from Kevin on how to get there and back travelling 34km (his car is still parked there while he is away hopefully!) although he said the return journey is more problematic - from a certain point the airport is signposted going but of course the university is not signed on the way back. Secondly, although I know a way to get there myself it is a 54km round trip which is approaching the upper end of the bike’s range. That in itself is not a huge problem because on my return if necessary I could always ride to Meilong, find a restaurant willing to let me plug in for a couple of hours while I buy beer from them, then continue on my way. I would then have to wait four hours or so once home before I could head off to collect the pooch. Sometimes a car would be more convenient………
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