A Wu's office opening and my own tea table

Took bike out for a spin on my own during mid-morning, and spent some time in a shop that sold beautiful wooden tea tables, among other hand-crafted wooden cultural things such as walking sticks and wild animals. I'd seen this place before but was with Tan so had had no chance to spend any time looking properly. I got talking to the owner, and it transpired he had done all the work itself. Some of the larger tables had prices on - 6800 kuai for an average size (for this place) sample - I asked how long it took to make one of the bigger ones that was on sale for nearly 20000 kuai and he said "20 days". Not bad if you can sell regularly enough. He didn't seem busy, other than playing computer games, and was happy to speak to a foreigner. He explained that some time ago a westerner had come to his shop asking the prices, and had to communicate by typing numbers into his mobile phone.

I stayed a good twenty minutes and rather liked a couple of the smaller tables, that I thought would be a good fit in our new house. The smallest was 1000 kuai, and the next one up 1500. The 1500 one was particularly nice as it had a couple of places you could put stuff like packs of tea or an ashtray, not that I will allow smoking in our new place. I left saying I was interested and would come back with a friend some time.

As there was still a little time before lunch I popped down to see Xixi at Jiuma's place. She has recently been spending a lot of time with her friend Lala, who is a couple of years older. It's nice to see her developing friendships without hitting the other party.

Xixi and Lala playing on some very safe looking stairs

I got home around midday and was immediately called by A Wu saying I should come to his office immediately as there was something important. It transpired that that it was his office's official opening, after having been decorated. It was now resplendent with a large, dark desk with accompanying accoutrements such as a phallic black stone about 20" high and an elephant figurine, but most importantly, there was the money-counting machine taking equal pride of place with the laptop. There were already about ten people inside, half of whom I guessed were the wives of other bosses. They were all sitting on a couple of sofas and other chairs, around a table with a tea set on it, drinking pu er cha and eating slices of watermelon. Over the next 20 minutes more people congregated before we finally decided to went to eat. Tan, who had previously said she wouldn't go, had told A Ni that she now would, so I got on the bike to pick her up from Lao Ma's salon where she'd just had her fringe trimmed. As she was wearing a dress, she sat side saddle with me perched on the front of the seat with my knees sticking out at right angles as they wouldn't fit in otherwise. We got to the place where I normally eat when I meet A Wu and his bosses near his work. It is a rather understated restaurant, not expensive at all, but they do a fantastic "ku cai chao ji dan" (sour greens with fried egg) and pork ribs. We ate and drank well over the course of the following two hours, and I even left early as I needed a kip. I told A Wu about the tea table I'd looked at earlier and he said he also wanted to get one, so he'd take me back in the evening.

Totally unposed pic of me doing business with A Wu in his newly-opened office under the watchful gaze of a tall, dark phallus

A Wu's fancy money counting machine in full swing, next to his large black phallustone

I managed a broken three hours' sleep. Broken by just about everyone in the house - Leilei wanting this, Tan wanting that, Chuan Chuan asking why there was no Internet. The Internet thing was a pain. It had been out since yesterday evening so we called China Telecom and got someone to come out and look. He found out that some place outside our house but within our complex had no electricity, hence the wires weren't working, so he simply turned it back on. Sounds too simple to me. But it was good to have it back, although I made the mistake of checking my emails and ended up doing some work for an hour or two.

At 7pm I called Tan, who was in the new house - apparently it had been cleaned and was nearly ready. The beds had arrived and had been put up, as had the bed lights. All that was remaining was for the curtains to be put up which would happen tomorrow. So I went and had a look and it's actually looking more like a home now. There were various women there for some reason, so I made my excuses and left a few minutes later, leaving Xixi there. I got home to do a tad more work, then Waipo arrived with Xixi, fast asleep. She was concerned as she hadn't eaten, but she's been eating ok so I told her to let her sleep for the night. I then got another call from A Wu who said he was outside and would take me to the tea table shop as he'd said before. I'd forgotten about that and thought he had too. So we went to the place at around 9pm. A Wu agreed that a smaller one would be better for our place, but was unable to get any discount from the owner. In the end I thought that 1500 kuai was less than I would have expected to pay for such a nice table, so I took the slightly bigger one. Or rather I told him to keep it till tomorrow as I had no cash or means to take it to the house. He told me it was "Ji chi mu", which translates to "Chickenwing wood", and I don't yet know what that really means. Anyway it's mine now and I'm very happy about it.

View from where I would sit while pouring tea for my friends

Front side of the tea table

Top view of the table - I think I may call it "Running Dog"

We drove to pick up some watermelons. As A Wu was haggling I stepped out of the car and bought a pack of 10 toilet rolls (individually wrapped for good reason - they would get wet when left in the shower room otherwise). I then went next door and bought a nice sun hat for 4 kuai, and a cool rechargeable torch for 8 kuai. After getting his watermelons we drove another 50 yards, where he went to get a spare key cut for the padlock that locks in his car at his office. I took the opportunity to step out again and buy a couple of jin of Long yan fruit. This translates to "Dragon eye". For some reason they haven't yet found their way to the UK (as most other fruits have), as they are particularly delicious. A Wu complained that eating such fruits in such hot weather would make you come out in spots, but after he tried one it didn't stop him gouging himself for the next few minutes... The key was taking longer than expected to cut, and A Wu noticed 2-1 with a couple of friends having some barbeque so I joined them for a quick game of cai ma and some nice chicken lungs.

I went home to look after Leilei but hadn't eaten anything other than chicken lungs so was rather hungry by the time he got to sleep at 11pm. I decided to get some bbq so went to the place opposite the guang chang that Tan's aunty runs. This is one of the only two bbq places she will normally go to. Well it just so happened as I turned up she was with Lin Hong and her husband - they had just finished so I was just in time to take her home. Finally got out of the house and back to the bbq place half an hour later, where I met Bi Laoban and a couple of others who took delight in cai ma'ing with me while I waited for my ten duck tongues, ten beef and five "fei niu" (fat cow - I think it's a mixture of fat and meat but it is delicious if not especially healthy). I also ate with them so wasn't too hungry by the time my bbq was ready. As it was around midnight Bi Laoban and the others had to go. I took 90% of the bbq I'd just bought back home and put it in the fridge. Chuan Chuan was there and said that she thought there would be no electricity tomorrow from 5am till midnight. Just what I needed. At least she told me so I could charge up anything that needed charging.