Monday 4th April, 2016              0200

Saturday night Kevin collected me, we went to get Vivi after she finished her teaching, ditto Joan en route to the restaurant. Due to Vivi we ended up in a private room rather than upstairs with the proletariat where I wanted to be but then Chinese women like to appear subservient whilst nevertheless getting their own way.

I had to laugh when apparently the reception staff asked if I had booked. How the hell can I book when none of us speaks a common language and anyway I wasn’t sure of the location itself?

However we spent a very pleasant couple of hours in our secluded room, I was happy as two of the dishes the girls ordered I could eat (that’s a result, believe me!) and they were sweet pork and spring rolls - the latter much less rolls and much more samosa-like in appearance, for they were triangles.

Not often I get an evening like that any more and no offence to the other laoweis here but they are neither my age nor nationality and I suspect they feel much the same way about me. And let’s not forget Kevin and I locked horns and fenced for five years here - the only difference is that now we don’t have the furious arguments because we are not in constant contact! I really enjoyed the night, plus I stuck a fan heater in his car for him to take back to Huangshan to fix for me before he visits again.

Yesterday we arranged to meet at RT Mart and then go to Yumeics bakery for a pizza for lunch. Not the one opposite the supermarket but further north. We shopped and I lost 1y because he had parked underneath even the basement and there was nowhere to redeem my coin from the shopping trolley and so off we went, intending to have pizza and coffee.

After he parked and we got out I remarked that I wondered what was inside the “Amazing Brewery” nearby. In the past I have commented and he opined that it was probably a clothes shop or anything other than a brewery. This time I said come on, I have to satisfy my curiosity, let’s take a walk. It’s a sports bar! From the sounds we heard there are pool or snooker tables up on the floor above and they sell imported drinks. There are large vats of draught beer up above, although whether they actually brew on the premises (somehow I doubt it) is a mystery.

They do serve food so I suggested we have a beer and at least thumb through the menu. Doubtful they do everything listed but they did have pizza. Yumeics was history! Overtopped though they were, the pizzas were half decent and lo and behold, who should come in but the chap who owns the western bar about fifty yards away. It turns out he owns that place as well. I am glad I suggested taking a gander because I will certainly go there again, maybe one evening with Joan or Dumpling. Not cheap so definitely not a regular thing but a nice change.

On Saturday night after dinner I told Kevin Joan and I would get a taxi back to save any inconvenience. It was raining and no taxis appeared. At Kevin’s insistence we got in his car and I asked him to drop us somewhere better populated by cabs. Instead he drove us all the way home which was most kind and saved me 30y. It was amusing to see when we pulled in to west gate a veritable sea of e-bikes and mopeds parked up just outside because they have no permits. A much smaller sea of them outside the south gate yesterday though, presumably as that’s a longer walk from the dormitories.

I have to say that on Friday when I rode back onto campus the guards were being particularly vigilant (being the first day of the passes) and being Chinese they suffer from poor eyesight. I pointed to my sticker and shouted that yes, I did have one! I got huge grins and thumbs up all round and to be honest I doubt they would have stopped me, just reported me to the school to get me to obtain a sticker. Bloody stupid really - if I have an accident I don’t need identification for my bike, all they have to say it was the fat foreign teacher and that narrows it down to…………..me.