Tan and kids to to Kunming/Dali

Got up to say good morning and goodbye to Tan and the kids as they were about to head off to Kunming (actually Dali a bit beyond) and I was about to head back to bed for a bit, before work raised its predictable head again, but as I was about to get on with it Haiwei rang to drink tea. That sounded a nicer prospect even if it would mean having a later night so I went there to talk shop and eventually a bloke went out and came back with four portions of bao zi, nearly as good as the ones from downstairs at our place, and I gobbled my portion as breakfast had made way for sleep earlier.

I then made my genuine excuses and went back to work on through to the evening. At 6pm Haiwei called for me to go out to eat but I had to be good and stuck to my tasks at hand. During my 9-10.15pm meeting he called me three times to ask where I was, even though at the end of the first call I told him I’d call him when finished. Anyway I dutifully did and I found him with his sons at some eatery by the market supermarket. For a change it was not loads of meat, but white carrot in a soup with spicy bean sprouts, a refreshing change. Then came the tofu skin and fried tofu, followed later by a load of oysters done with garlic and a bit of chopped vermicelli spaghetti which were delicious.

Some more people turned up and one had a son of 12 years with whom I managed to make speak a tiny bit of English. Then he built up some confidence and lifted up his glass and said “cheers!” to everyone’s delight. But by close to midnight I could see there was still stuff to do for work so again made my excuses and went back. Ended up working till 3am then chatting to Awl till 4 as there was no-one in the house to disturb, before falling asleep without the air con on for the first time this year.