Yesterday didn’t quite go as I envisaged, for while Anna and Joanna were with me I asked them what they wanted to do in the afternoon. They replied “watch TV” and so I sent Roland a message to say that as we were all together we could meet him any time for our evening drinks at the Big Bamboo followed by dinner at the Flying Fox. Almost immediately he responded by saying “we” are going tenpin bowling, would you like to come?
Not half - the girls had never been and were eager, so we went to get a cab to Century Park where Roland would collect us. He said what I thought was Vinsheng Road and when I told the driver he was quick to say Dinsheng Road. Sounded similar so off we went with Joanna expressing doubt. She was right, it should have been Minsheng Road and did she make sure I knew she thought it was all my stupid fault! A second taxi was taken and eventually we met up.
Roland had his son GJ with him and so there was a mandatory stop for everyone bar me to have a stone plate ice cream. I wasn’t chancing it with my toothache, bad enough drinking beer. Then the bowling alley. I haven’t played for years and I wished I hadn’t agreed to it this time! More of my balls went in the gulley than didn’t and after game one I was joint bottom with Joanna. It was embarrassing. I did improve slightly for games two and three though, coming third after Roland and his son. The girls enjoyed it though and got to try something new so I was happy.
Then it was off to the Flying Fox for dinner. Everyone are heartily except me because my appetite is pitiful. I had looked forward to the all day English breakfast quite literally all day. I knew from past experience that it was big although before I had chance to stipulate that a child’s portion would do, while I was ordering drinks at the bar Roland had ordered it. It was delicious but I couldn’t even manage half of it. After dinner it was off to another couple of bars in search of a pool table, in one of which there was a live band and a performance by a pole dancer. Joanna was so impressed she videoed the girl. I must admit she was very agile and very good and it was tastefully done. We played until about 0230, at which time I simply had to cry “enough” as I was so tired. I haven’t been sleeping very well for a while and waking up in the middle of the night in all these different hotels wondering where I am, was I leaving today and the like has not helped.
The girls and I took a taxi home.
Monday 25th 1545
Shortly after typing the above, I left the hotel to get a taxi to meet Roland and GJ at a shopping mall. I was in search of Jacobs cream crackers for Kevin and myself, plus anything else small that I thought I might need. We went to three stores in three different locations and never found the Jacobs so in the end I just bought Carrs water biscuits and a pot of ground cinnamon I can use in my fruit bread. We could have continued the search but my legs were done in from the bowling.
The girls couldn’t join us yesterday, Anna had gone back to her parents who live a long way away and Joanna had other plans. At 1555 we went to the Blue Frog for a much needed drink and were informed we should wait until 1600 as it would then be two for the price of one. A small price to pay for getting two pints given the prices in Shanghai. GJ was champing at the bit as he had been promised crepes for his dinner so that was the plan. However he also likes playing pool so we changed that and went to the Big Bamboo for pool and nachos. Having embarrassed myself thus far by failing to finish a single meal, I ordered quesadillas thinking they would be more manageable. They were but even so I never finished them all!
Now, I wanted an early night as I had decided to get up at four this morning, so just after seven we left to satisfy GJ with his crepe. It was a small “shop” with no seating except outside on the decking but it was next door to a bar. Quite handy, as they will cook the crepes and then bring them to you while you have a drink. Roland and son amazingly both ordered what can only be described as breakfast crepes, with bacon and eggs on them. Wimp here ordered a suzette simply because I knew it would be small and thankfully it was.
Then it was time to take me back to the hotel. Just as the heavens opened. The rain had stopped as I got out of the car. It is a Skoda Superb and amazingly it has automatic parallel parking - you just tell it to park and it finds a space and reverses into it! No sooner had I got to my room than there was the most almighty thunderstorm and suddenly all the famous landmark skyscrapers I could see from my window were completely obscured by lashing rain. Unlike here though, I didn’t have to wonder how long it would be before the power went off.
I went to bed at ten and duly got up at four. I had memorised my flight details because I had no ticket. At ten to five I was packing because my flight was at 0805 and I was mindful of the accident that made me miss my flight three years ago. Before I shut down my laptop something made me double check the details and to my horror I saw my ARRIVAL time was 0805!!! Takeoff was 0705!
I thought “no, not again!” and hastily finished packing and went to check out. Thankfully the hotel were able to summon a cab for me and equally thankfully traffic was light and there were no accidents. I had enough time to stop for a smoke before going into the terminal and then bypassed the long queues at check-in by striding straight up to the 1st class counter. I even had enough time to visit the 1st class lounge which was nice and had free bananas, pot noodles, drinks (non alcoholic at that time of day) etc. No smoking there though, you still have to go to the smoking room but at least that airport has a room instead of a glass booth that lets all the non smokers gawp at the lepers as they pass.
We took off bang on time and arrived early, a bit before eight. My e-bike was still there and I was home before nine, shattered. I delayed going to bed long enough to launder my clothes and hang them up to dry, then flopped on the bed. I kept waking up wondering where I was.
Later Kevin brought my new oven which so far I am very pleased with for 500y. Not only is it bigger than my old one but also his, and on this one the convector fan appears to work. I am back in business for western Wednesdays and tonight I can cook one of my Australian chicken curry pies for myself. In the morning I am off to Anqing for the night and when I return on Wednesday that will probably (but not definitely) be the end of my gallivanting for a while. The good thing is, I still have a decent amount of money left so I may buy that deep fat fryer.
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