Rude awakenings from the guang chang

At 4am I still couldn't sleep, so I decided as I'd paid for it, and it was comfortable, that I'd go back to the hotel in case the electricity went again in a couple of hours. So much for that idea. When I got there shortly after 4am I was peckish and asked for a bite to eat but was told there was nothing. I'd just driven past some outdoor bbq places where there were still a few tables filled with late night eaters/drinkers but I couldn't be bothered being asked to drink at that time, so I accepted a bottle of water and thought about the good it would do my expanding belly. Actually it was not so bad that I came back as I'd left all my toiletries there. Although I got to sleep soon after 4am, I hadn't counted on the noise emanating from the guang chang area come 8am. Thumping bass leapt through the single glazing and punched my ears to let me know that four hours' sleep was all I was to be allotted yet again. I groggily looked out of the window to find that it appeared to be a new shop opening rather than the guang chang making this offensive racket. That is not the sort of thing that makes me want to shop there.

So I though "bollocks", packed my stuff (properly this time, including toiletries) and checked out. I remembered that there might be police around and put my helmet on in the humid heat and picked up a few breakfast buns and a couple of cups of soya drink for the kids before getting home. I found that the kids and Tan had just woken up and were ready to eat so it was a good time to get home. But I still had work to do so I settled down to that for around three hours as Tan took the kids out. Come 1pm I was really tired. Even though I wasn't particulary hungry I went to one of my local eateries, where I normally get the chang fen, but this time asked for a couple of vine leaves wrapped around rice containing some animal fat. They were actually quite nice, and I ate them as I hoped they would help me sleep. Also I bought a can of beer for that purpose. Later at home I had another beer and was ready for a siesta not long later that took me from 2.30 to 5pm - much needed.

Lots of work until 10pm when the electricity went again while I was talking to Boss Yang who was trying to invite me somewhere. I don't know why the electricity going would cut our call but it seemed to. I sorted out torches and candles with Tan, and made sure she was ok with the kids before Yang gave me a ring again and said he was coming to pick me up. Well I was happy with that - family asleep and work nearly finished after another very long week. Although he picked me up in his car, we only drove 100 yards to No. 5 cafe that was also sans electricite to pick up Boss Bi, who is also a regular fixture at our gatherings. Then we drove back to our house where we got out and went to the seafood place I have been frequenting frequently recently.

Thanks to having set up internet on my phone I was able to chat with colleagues at work to explain the lack of electricity and give them an update on how things were going. So once that was sorted I settled down to some seafood delights and a couple of well-deserved beers with Boss Yang and his wife, son, and various others. Normally going to the toilet takes one minute for a bloke. But this time it took half an hour as I was requested by some Bangxu bloke who knew me to sit at his table for a few minutes and have a drink with his friends. Then, once I'd made my excuses and parted from them the owner of the seafood place made me sit down with him and a couple of other mates for some more gan bei'ing. I got home at 2.30am quite full.