I just enjoyed being home for a bit and did a little sorting out before remembering I actually had some important things to do: sort out internet in the house, replace the cord on my jade necklace that Tan gave me when we met 11 years and nine months ago, and register us UK citizens with the police. So I called Tan but Chuan Chuan answered and I understood she had just got Tan's SIM card cut to micro size and was on her way to drop off the phone. Of course as soon as Tan had her phone back I got a call but it was to take the kids to A Xia's shop. But first things first; we needed to eat. There was nothing in the house as usual so we went to the dou jiang place to pick up whatever was left, then took a san lun che to A Xia's place. Unfortunately I still don't know the names of most of the roads here even though I know them well, so I had to explain to the san lun che driver. I remembered that since we were last here 10 months ago there is a new cinema near A Xia's shop so just asked her to go there.
We arrived at A Xia's shop and walked inside to the bemusement of what appeared to be the shopkeeper, who evidently wasn't A Xia. We apologised and left and I got out my phone in order to call and berate Tan for not telling me that A Xia had moved. But before I could dial the shopkeeper came out of her shop looking less bemused and shouted to go to a place next to a certain shop that was pointing distance away. It wasn't the power of language or of pointing, but rather luck, that Xixi found the place as she recognised A Xia through the window. The shop was twice the size of what she previously had, and as usual there was no-one there except her and friends chinwagging as they do.
Interestingly for me, neither Leilei nor Xixi wanted to accompany me to the police station to be registered, so I happily left them with Tan and other females and started the unspeakable act of actually walking more than 10 minutes in the lush humid heat of Pingguo. My priority - internet at home - I had been told was out of my hands and I'd already texted Ling Ming to help me out there. But the next two I could do myself I hoped.
I walked to the centre of town amidst the pulsating sounds of crap pop music deafening me from each shop that sold mobile phones (most of them that aren't clothes shops it seems) until I found the place I've been coming to just about every year now to re-thread my necklace. About time too as the bit holding on my jade pig was very bare and in danger of breaking. Plus, my jade bracelet given to me about seven years ago from A Wu had been badly fixed last year and was too big for my wrists. I showed them both and explained what I wanted done and said I'd be back within the hour.
I continued my walk to Jiang Bing Lu, which is the only road I know the name of here. I don't even know the name of the road we live in. On the way I got a call from Uncle Yellow (Huang Lei) and he told me that the police station in Jiang Bing Lu had closed down and I had to go somewhere else. I trusted my less-than-perfect command of Mandarin so much that I didn't believe him so continued on my way. I went down a street that I'd either not happened upon before, or was new, or both, and decided to take it. After a minute I heard the inspiring sounds of out-of-tune pianos, and I had a yearning to tinkle. I walked past the place and it seemed to be a school or something, with tiny rooms along one side the width of a piano, and not that much deeper - just enough to allow a stool.
Despite my temptation I didn't walk in and ask to have a go, and continued on until I found a shop selling large water bottles but with a blue band on the window saying "Police". It took a couple of minutes, and a difficult conversation with an old lady, to realise that I had understood Uncle Yellow correctly, but had refused to accept it. The police station had moved.
Not wishing to appear as though I'd gone the wrong way, I continued in the direction I'd been walking only to realise a minute later I was just making my way back even longer. I realised I wasn't in London and did a very un-British thing and turned around and walked back the other way (hoping no-one noticed of course). I went back the way I'd come and this time my temptation got the better of me when walking past the music place. I ventured in and was immediately surrounded the young girls that I assumed were there for music lessons. I asked if I could have a quick tinkle and they all shouted for the teacher, who was upstairs. She came down and said of course I could.
It's a very strange thing for me. My favourite purchase over the last 10 years is (except for our place in Pingguo) my digital piano. It's allowed me to get back into playing after 20 years because you can plug in headphones and not disturb people. I should have got one years ago. But having an audience makes it so so different. I know how easy it must be to score a penalty when no-one's looking but in the World Cup in front of 80,000 people and a quarter of the world and some just can't do it. For me it's not 80,000 people, but even recording myself playing the piano almost completely changes the way I play. At least until I get into it and forget about the outside influence. I think those professional musicians must either have a way of shutting out the outside world when performing, or somehow their personality is bordering on the sociopathic in order just not to be aware of others.
So here I was, sitting at the piano in front of about eight 10 year old girls and a couple of ladies, thinking I'd screw it up but actually I didn't do too badly. All I played was the AABBA bit (the first half or so) of The Entertainer. There's something about ragtime that is so sympathetic to out-of-tune pianos and I think that helped me. I don't think anyone had heard that piece of music before but they said nice things about it. I was pleased as punch that it had gone ok, and asked if it would be possible to practise some time (I brought some sheet music with me for this reason), and was told of course I could, any time up till 6pm. I can't wait - last year I'd just had the digital piano a couple of months before going to China and it was the thing I missed most.
I realised although I'd been told the road, I had no idea where the police station was, so called Uncle Yellow when back in the centre of town. He said he'd come around and help out. I was grateful as he is in some way part of the police here, in that he wears the uniform at least. I asked if he was coming in his little yellow car and was told he was. A few minutes later, what looked like his car turned up but it was bright orange. But it bibbed at me and I realised it was Uncle Yellow. I wondered how my perception of his car being yellow in the previous years (not to mention the link with his name) had been so wrong.
Well I didn't wonder too long as I got in and shook his hand. If his car had been any bigger I might have been able to give him a hug but it's not much bigger than a go-kart. We went to a police station, and were told to go to another section, then another, then finally another before finally happening upon the place where I could register us. I suppose this is not a regular thing here. But it is computerised somewhat, and the same lady as last year was able to bring up all our details based on our Chinese names. She printed off the forms and I noticed errors in all of them. So what should have been a 15 minute job took closer to an hour, and I felt a bit guilty as she should have been eating, but she diligently corrected the errors (Leilei's date of birth, my arrival airport etc.) before reprinting and handing the stamped official documents to me. We were now officially here!
During this time, Uncle Yellow's wife, Xiao Chong, had been calling him to come and pick her up from the bank. He'd been saying "2 minutes" quite a few times, but I know it would have been the same in my situation. We eventually got there around 12.30 and she appeared with a black bag that we normally use to put rubbish in, but in this case it had about three inches of 100 kuai notes in it that was the reason she wanted to be picked up. She got in the car and insisted on doing a couple of selfies with me before leaving. Gosh I really hope I used the right term there.
Uncle yellow took me to Waipo's house where the kids were. This time I didn't go and hug her. I think she sort of likes it but the more I'm here the more I'm being like a native. I just nonchalantly nodded at her and I think she appreciated that more than a hug. I had a bite to eat there. Apparently lunch had been ready since 10.30am but I couldn't have done that. There was only zhou, no rice, and as I don't eat zhou I just had some beans, which didn't quite fill me up. But I didn't care; I just needed sleep now.
As luck would have it, it started raining. Those thumb-sized raindrops you get here. I thought sod it, I needed to go to the supermarket to get some washing powder and mats to stand on when you get out of the shower so walked there and got a little wet. So what? It was far cooler than it otherwise would have been. At home, sleep was fractured but appreciated. I wouldn't have known I'd slept as every time I checked the time it was 15 minutes past the last time I checked, but the dreams told me I did.
I did get up when Waipo called me to tell me to come to eat at 4.45. Then a minute later Tan called me to say the same thing. We had a nice family meal that lasted all of 20 minutes before people started leaving. Chuan Chuan wanted to take the kids out to the cinema, which they were more than happy with, and this gave me time to get home and sort out the internet. In fact, far from what Tan had said about having to reprovision it, Ling Ming had paid for two years in advance, and we still had time to go. All I needed to do was to put in the password for the SSID he had created "pengduoming".
Feeling pleased with having connectivity again, I ventured out to the bank to get some cash. Nothing new, except that when I got home I found I had a missed phone call and a message from HSBC saying to call them immediately about a potential fraud issue. I was miffed as I'd already registered online to say I'd be in China for some time, so was ready to have a bit of a go as I didn't want to spend money on calling them. But when I looked for my card to get the details for them I realised I couldn't find it. I did that patting around all possible pockets before dawning on me that I must have left it in the cash machine. Somehow the systems must be joined up and HSBC must have been trying to tell me I'd lost my card. I was glad I'd controlled my initial anger about being expected to make a long-distance call to confirm I was where I said I'd be.
I did first try by Skype but for the last couple of years at least it's been crap when calling phones. That's really disappointing - I could try installing the Chinese version I suppose but I suspect something more than the app itself would be installed. I got through on my UK mobile only to find that it was a "routine" fraud call, as they'd noticed I'd made a withdrawal in China, as I said I would on their web page. So I was a bit angry again as this was an expensive call, but once again I didn't vent it and took advantage of it by asking to block my card until I'd retrieved it (if that would be possible). I also took the time to make Tan's card useable here, something I'd promised to do back home. I think there is a lesson to learn from not venting one's spleen before taking time to consider the consequences, although there are extenuating circumstances where that is not practical (try explaining that to most people...). Now I have to remember not to mention any of this card stuff to Tan.
With the kids being seen to, and Tan out with her friends, I realised it was getting on for 8pm and I'd sorted those things I had aimed to do, so did the only sensible thing and donned my shorts and old Man City top and went to the old people's leisure centre to see some old friends and play table tennis. On my way I bumped into Uncle Yellow who was at a baby shop that had just opened with Xiao Chong and their son of three. I had planned to go to the bank to see if I could retrieve my card but he said not to bother as it would already be closed, and reminded me that we were to meet up this evening to watch the footy.
It's probably my favourite place here, and there were many old faces I recognised and I spent a good two hours sweating out the couple of beers I might have had for lunch earlier. There was a new bloke who had amazingly spinny serves and I felt like Andrew must have felt when I came back from China in 2009 with spin to completely change the game. He insisted on playing a game straight away and was pulverising me 5-0 before I almost flukily tamed one of his serves. It was the sort of return that the server cannot even deal with. I got a round of applause and realised then that I was being watched. But such was my sweat and fatigue that I didn't take into account the audience and simply focused on not losing 11-1. It was 11-3, but those precious three points were deserved, and all got applause. Then I realised it was best of five, so I had to go again. I won a great point (in my opinion) on my backhand-forehand-sidespin serve, but not many more. I lost the next two games of course but my relief in being able to walk off with the knowledge it wasn't 11-0's was removed when I found out that best-of-five meant even though you'd lost you still had to play five games. Ok so it was 5-0, but I had relaxed a bit and managed a few more points. But bloody hell I had to go home to shower after that.
The kids were back by then and not quite ready for bed so I took them to grab a bite to eat at the bbq place by the guang chang. No sooner had I got out of the house when Haiwei called me. I told him where I was going, and to come along, and he said he'd be there straight away. I also remembered to call Uncle Yellow. It had been raining most of the day and still was, so we sat inside while Haiwei ordered some bbq and beer. Neither of them touched the bbq, or Leilei, so Xixi and I munched through it for a bit until it was 11.30 and the footy was starting in half an hour. I said I'd go and shower the kids and expected to come back to watch, but Haiwei said we'd be going somewhere else. Then Lu Wen rang while doing the kids and I said I'd call him in a bit as didn't know what was going on. Then of course Haiwei called me to ask where I was but finally soon after midnight I left them with Tan and got out and into Haiwei's Land Cruiser and ended up going to new bar in Jiang Bin Lu. Lu Wen called during the journey and I handed the phone over to Haiwei, who handed it back a minute later saying Lu Wen wasn't coming. Hmmm...I wonder what he said to him....
The football seemed little more than an excuse to eat and drink more. Haiwei's wife was there, together with another couple, and the remnants of some seafood dishes that made me realise I was still a bit hungry. The rain broke into a huge storm and we eventually had to move inside as even the awning under which we were eating could no longer shield us from moisture being fired in at all angles. The satellite signal went down 5 minutes into the second half and nobody really seemed to notice. Haiwei then told me he hadn't drunk for three months. Not a drop. I didn't know whether to feel guilty or pleased that he'd come out of his (presumably) self-imposed exile so I ganbei'd him to finish off our glass.
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| Uncle Yellow, some bloke, and Haiwei |
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| Is that a woman doing a number 2? |
I got a lift home at around 2am and finally got to sleep at 3am when I literally couldn't open my eyes any more while reading about the football.
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