Last Supper 2016

I've still got this bloody cough but I think I slept more than the previous two nights combined. Even so, I still managed a short afternoon nap, so obviously still under the weather. I'd pretty much made up my mind to do my annual mates meal tomorrow as it was already getting on and I had doubts about the meal we'd been invited to tomorrow anyway. And even if it was on we could do our thing later. But at half past five it dawned on me that Yang Haiwei would be leaving for Tian Yang tomorrow so needed to sort something fast.

I called him to see if he could go for a bite at 6pm and he could. That was one down. Then I called Uncle Yellow and he could make it too. Li Kun was also available so there was definitely a meal on. Boss Zhou, who came last time but didn't make it to A Wu's when I realised I'd double-dated was in the middle of cooking for friends, but would be over later, and A Wu said he'd been invited out but would also make it later. We managed to arrange 6.30 as a more suitable time but I got there for six just before Haiwei turned up.

I considered inviting Baksec Zhai but I thought it may be rather below what he was used to. Boss Hu I also considered, but I'd rung him twice this year and the second time he said he'd call me the next day to invite me for a meal but never did. It's likely he forgot, but I didn't feel it appropriate to ring him a third time.

I was happy to eat outside but Haiwei wanted a room, so we got the one we nearly ate at last time and waited there for a bit. I needed some help ordering food but I ensured we got a couple of portions of fried octopus and squid but we told the cook to hold off cooking until more people had turned up. That didn't take too long and soon we were tucking into some nifty grub. I'd saved eight packs of Marlboro fags for this occasion and gave each bloke a pack each. Boss Zhou joined, and A Wu, A Ni, and their young son a tad later, making it a full table. The guys didn't want Li Quan, as it now has a reputation for being fake, so as there was no Snowflake beer we decided on the 2.8% Yanjing bottles. This was a good thing as the meal included several gan beis as it was effectively my last supper with my old friends. A Wu promised we'd sing song tomorrow, but we'll see what that means.

From left to right, Yang Haiwei, Boss Zhou, A Wu, A Wu's second son, A Ni, Lu Wen, Uncle Yellow, and Li Kun

It was good to start early though, as I managed to negotiate a reasonably early finish at 10.30, by which time most of the blokes were pissed enough anyway. The bill was 1100 - very reasonable for four hours drinking and eating, but I didn't have enough and had to go to the bank first. Back home I managed to find a good stream for the City - West Ham match and mostly enjoyed it, except for some worrying wobbles in the second half. I have found that you can get a lot of Premier League matches streamed officially now in China via PPTV and CCTV5 and even QQ. So far I've been lucky with PPTV but I know you pay for some. It's not the 10 kuai that I'd care about, more setting up the account.

By means of a celebration I went for a quick ride down to the river area at Jiang Bing Lu. I heard a shout and it was the bloke I was watching police stop motorcyclists with the other day. He gave me some bbq sweetcorn and opened a couple of beers, but right on cue Tan called to see what I was up to and ask why I wasn't home. So we finished the beers and I went home.

Sweetcorn and beer with the bloke I met the other day