Sunday 9^th August, 2020 1600 Chizhou, Grand New Century Hotel

So we had a meal with Helen, some bald guy who cooked at her home once, a bald (allegedly famous) Chinese artist, her sister and the artist's wife. It was the usual affair, they all loved the dishes but I hated them and wished for a Big Mac instead but at least there was beer.

I was waiting for it and when it came I wasn't disappointed. “Steven, my weekend/summer school now has 120 students.” That's good, isn't it? “Would you have time on Sunday to come and talk to them?”Wham! I didn't want to. I'm on holiday. But to be fair she always looked after me once or twice each summer when I would spend a morning testing her kids. I was paid 300¥ and treated to lunch afterwards and in those days the money was certainly most welcome. So I said reluctantly I would but for one hour. Knowing full well it would go to nearer two. No such thing as a free lunch eh? Well I had two beers, one lump of fatty pork and two little potato discs of unknown provenance. Sod it, for old times' sake.

Yesterday I never moved from the room. 

Joanna went exploring on her own and went to see if she could get into Chizhou university for a photo. She hasn't been back since she graduated six years ago so very understandable.

They wouldn't let her in. In fact they told her this summer the only people there are security, even the current students and faculty are not allowed in. Glad I never went.

Molly's plans to take us to her home to meet the family went awry and we simply ended up meeting at RT Mart to find a restaurant in New West Street. There was a place I used to like and I think they did a dish I really liked, possibly akin to sweet and sour pork. It has disappeared. So we looked at other places and I saw a picture that had prawns in it and we went there. I had eaten very sparsely since leaving Lanzhou so simply had to get some food inside.

The girls ordered the food and I merely stipulated prawns. We ended up with fried potatoes, deep fried frog (which was quite nice) and great prawns along with spicy fried veg. What was unusual was that there was a huge sheet of brown paper to cover the table because there would be no plates – the food is chucked on there. Literally. Each dish came out on a shovel! It was though an awful lot better than the photo suggests. 

Afterwards we went to a bar near the hotel where four G&Ts, a mojito and a mocktail set me back a reasonable 150¥.

Today of course was time to see Helen's students. A car was sent for us and I started my“hour”at 1100 knowing damned well I wouldn't be done at midday. I was though at 1240. Helen gave me a lucky red envelope which I gave to Joanna to put in her handbag and a group of us were taken in a lovely Buick out in the countryside.

Now, I am sure many of you will find the idea of going for lunch at a Chinese farm extremely odd and who could blame you? This one, unless you knew exactly where it was, you would never find. It was about a mile up a rough track but the farm was sitting right on the shore of Pingtian lake. Rough as guts but here you get used to that, water off the proverbial ducks. They breed their own fish, chickens, ducks, geese and grow their own vegetables and lotus flowers in the lake.

It really was a spit and sawdust affair but we sat outside, most of the food I wasn't keen on but green beans were fine, as was the aubergine concoction and an omelette.

After lunch we were chauffeured back to the hotel and Smile came. One of Joanna's classmates and of course my ex student. She couldn't stay too long as she was meeting colleagues from the law courts, she is now a clerk there.

In the end we abandoned ideas of finding restaurants for dinner and opted for the hotel AYCE buffet for 128¥ a head. For someone with a normal appetite – even western – I must say it was impressive. I had very little but nonetheless sit here right now feeling too full.

Tomorrow is a short hop to Hefei and a brief overnight stop before flying to Chongqing.