Muslim beef and meeting Chen Again

Up a bit late and took the kids to the Muslim place I took Xixi last year for lunch. While we were making our way through some beef some boss entered the establishment and I recognised him from somewhere recently. He chastised me for eating so late (it was only just gone 1.30pm). He too was eating with his son and a few minutes later as he left he shouted out that he had paid for my order too. I tried in vain to reject this but knew there would be no availability of avail. I wish I could have thanked him by name….

The beef was gorgeous and the kids had quite a bit despite it being a little chilli. The kids ate a fair bit of the hand-made noodles too. Then Leilei decided to try eating some cut-up chilli on the beef and spent the next 15 minutes in agony trying to stop the burning and finishing my water...we couldn’t understand how the beef was so mild with those chillies all around it. We had to doggy bag the rest of the noodles as I couldn’t bear wasting it even though I was nearly certain it would find itself in our bin within hours.

The kids enjoying some beef at the Muslim place

Although the rainy season appears to have left us for the sun, and it was blisteringly hot once again, we went for a ride around until we could feel that the sun was doing us a disservice and stopped at my favourite watermelon juice place. The girls I remember as mere tots were now serving there and seemed to remember us with a smile, as they told me they’d just run out of watermelon and would honey melon be ok? Yes it would, and Leilei took a zhenzhu naicha too before getting back on the dian dong che and knocking over a standing bicycle. Whoops sorry.

The best watermelon drink place in Pingguo...I first came here when they were literally half the size (the girls not the drinks)

We stayed most of the rest of the afternoon in the sanctuary of our air-conditioned flat until Tan went out to see friends and then Chen pinged me to say we’d meet at 蚝门螺吧 at 6.30pm. I didn’t really understand the Chinese as it looks like Oyster Door Snail Bar, but I didn’t care as it was really close to our house and nearly next door to Tian Yang Po’s, Tan’s favourite bbq that we’ve been going to for close to 15 years….

We ended up having a great meal for me, but not so much for the kids but they had their various sweet drinks so they were relatively happy. And I was sensible with the beer.

Great meal with Chen

Xixi "sort of" enjoyed it - Chen waving...

The toilets warning it is forbidden to poo

Later I went to a bar with the waterman and bar owner but I didn’t stay as long as I might have done due to paternal duties and tiredness. But it was weird that when I left I had to take a fairly heavy woman home and I worried that I wouldn’t have enough in the battery to get her home but thankfully I just about made it.

Just for historical reference I'm checking on how many km the dian dong che is doing between charges...not amazing but don't need to change batteries very soon