Table Tennis and KTV

I woke up at 6am and that was it, no getting back to sleep, so I made a decaff coffee and read the news for a bit and just watched the traffic outside at one of the most peaceful times of the day. I had pretty much decided it was pointless going back to bed now so thought what to do. Then it dawned on me that obviously I must go to the Old People's Leisure Centre to say hello to my friends again and get some table tennis in. I had had a bit of practice in the last few months so hopefully wouldn't be as rusty as previous years.

I got there pretty early at 7.30am but there were some familiar faces there that bade me come and play in the upstairs room that is normally reserved for the best players. It felt really really good to be back here, sweating buckets but holding my own better than previous years. The good players then came in to practice, and after watching for a bit I retired downstairs to the room with three tables and within a minute was whipped into a game. I can never understand if they mean best of five or first to five but this time three losses seemed to suffice. I say losses, but losing 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 is more of a moral victory for me. A sprightly old chap turned up, under five feet and skinny as a willow branch from which you would not swing, with sunken eyes but a smile that showed the sparkle of youth that did not go with his obvious advanced years. The others, mostly a generation below, were obviously respectful of him and told him to give the foreigner a game. I felt if I smashed the ball and hit him I would damage him but I needn't have worried. He was the epitomy of brains over brawn and used the whole of the table with drop shots (that no-one does) and sharp angles that made me run more than with any other opponent. We didn't play for points, but had we done I don't think it would have been a moral victory. When, later, the others gleefully pointed out that he was 83 years old I genuinely don't think they were trying to rub it in, but they were just proud of counting him among them.

It was 10.30am by the time I left and I must have sweated a good deal more than the litre of water I'd taken with me. But this is sort of necessary when coupled with the food and drink intake of a typical evening here while in your first week back after a year.

I most certainly was zoning in on an early siesta but needed to eat lunch. I popped in to A Wu's office to see if he wanted to have something simple and he said yes but first needed to get some money from the bank. As I also needed to go to the police station to register our stay I went with si ji (driver) in the car while A Wu waited in the office. But first we had to go to the bank for something. I couldn't easily count the number of zeros on the withdrawal request but expected to need a suitcase to hold that amount of money in 100 kuai notes. But for the first time I found out this was a purely electronic transfer. I think it was about £100,000.

1 million kuai transfer (I've tried to pixelate any dangerous details)

Si ji at the VIP room making the Very Important transfer

We got to the police station before they stopped for lunch and the woman there remembered me and called another employee who knew how to use the computer to come around and help. Although the whole process took around 45 minutes it was made easier in that most of our details had been saved from last year. That didn't stop copious mistakes being made on Leilei and Xixi's papers though and reprints needed. In truth it might have been quicker for me to fill the forms in in Chinese as in previous years but I'm sure this process will become more streamlined in the future.

So, finally officially residing here, I got back to A Wu's office and the two of us went to a fairly simple place to eat aubergine and pork mince with rice and a fried egg. I got home around 2pm but fairly easily managed a siesta until A Wu called me again at 5pm to say we were going for a meal. I do miss having the dian dong che this year as it means I'm stuck with getting lifts with A Wu or taking a san lun che - nothing wrong with either except control. I asked A Ni and she said it was at her mum's house and available but I get the impression Tan doesn't want me riding it as it's old. I will find a way. Anyway we passed Boss Hu's office on the way to the restaurant and I suggested giving him a ring, which A Wu did and arranged for him to come too.

There were about 10 blokes and one woman waiting for us in the room and all greeted me with handshakes and looked quite excited at the prospect of eating with a foreigner. Than gan bei'ing started earlier than usual, before much of the food had been noshed. I did the rounds over the next half an hour and made sure I missed no-one out, even the two non-drinkers. Boss Hu was very embarrassed as he explained he had to stick to water as he was on medicine but that was no problem. The meal finished before 9pm and A Wu and I got into his car and drove back to near where we live. But we didn't stop there and instead went to the KTV. Ah - the first time this year. As he was the host we were the first there and ordered beer and bits to eat. The blokes from the meal then started to come in, and as usual some young ladies too.

Aluminium bosses and a lady and Boss Hu at another sumptuous meal before KTV

I went through my limited repertoire of You Are My Rose, and Friend to the delight of the others, and had plenty of gan beis before the night was over. I learnt later that the blokes were bosses from the aluminium company on the outskirts of town. I don't know what relationship they have with A Wu but he does seem to treat the slightly more menial workers well, if indeed they work for him.