Christmas Day 2016                                  0100

Well the cooking, fretting and partying is long over here. Sad news received at the finish but here is not the place to either air or dwell on it.

The party could not have been any more similar to one of my classes. A stomach ache, wisdom tooth (where the hell Chinese students get so many of those is a mystery) and even a teacher cried off because his son had a cold.

I have  probably offended people tonight with my replies and I couldn’t care less. I prefer the truth and a son with a cold and a wife at home to care for him is not in my book a valid excuse.

I did think at first we were to be but five because only four came. Ok, what the hell, if that’s it then we can have a small party. Of course, having not only blogged about the food but the numbers, disappointing, yet it was not to be allowed to get in the way of a good evening. From the ashes very often rise great occasions.

In the end others turned up very late indeed but they were most welcome. I was getting rather miffed that they weren’t eating much (for sure they ate before they came)  but they loved the satay sauce. Quite why is beyond me for it was made without coconut milk. But they liked it.

To my delight at some point a group (by now I had ten guests) disappeared to go and buy playing cards so we could have two games of Do Di Jou (Landlord and Farmer). I haven’t played that in two years and I love it so I was extremely pleased even if I think I ended up losing 5y at the end. I blame that on Lanzhou having completely different rules to those in Chizhou - which of course worked against me.

Whilst playing it gladdened my heart to see the other table deciding it was time to demolish the drumsticks and some of my apple pie. I had been pissed off with nobody eating anything hitherto.

Of course the party had to end early, they all had to get back to their dorms miles away but they asked me what food would be put out for the wild dogs. I said everything. Sometimes I can be incredibly stupid because that signalled a rush on plastic bags so that absolutely EVERYTHING would be taken away! And I mean EVERYTHING! I have eaten nothing in two days and I have been left with half a cabbage. They even took the satay sauce.

So yes, foodwise what I initially thought was a failure would seem to have been a success. Albeit late in the day. As for those who cried off with excuses - they think I am stupid enough to actually believe? Well………….

Anyway Rico has agreed to fete me for my Christmas Dinner later this afternoon. No idea if he will come good on that but if he doesn’t I will sort myself. If he does though it will cost Mum 200y that’s for sure.

All the worry over cooking plenty of western food? I could probably have produced a huge stew and two apple pies but who’s to know?