Painful massage but nice late bite

I got up at a leisurely 9.30, then it sort of  turned to 11.30, at which time I turned to work until lunch called. As I didn’t want to waste time I went across the road to Luwen’s but the only “beef” he had was hard offcuts of gristle but I was sort of obliged to eat it anyway, not least because he refuses to charge me anything, but damn it was ghastly and I left most of it. I worked till it was time to go for a massage in an attempt to ease my nerve (literally sciatic nerve). I realised I’d really only eaten two brown eggs all day so when advertising friend invited to go and eat bbq I said I’d happily go a bit later. The massage was actually mostly painful and the woman kept on telling me to relax and as much as I tried I didn’t really succeed - and she kept telling me she was being light.

At least the last few days have seen the rain take the edge off the heat, even if it has made driving the dian dong che a bit harder. But despite the slight impairment to my driving I got to Lao Tong Kao Ji, where last year I had performed, and sitting outside was advertising friend along with five or six friends, who invited me to sit with cheers and arms. I was barely there 10 minutes when the table next to us but indoors bade me come over to have a quick gan bei, and I told my current table I’d be but two minutes. Actually it was closer to 10, not because of too many gan beis, but the three women at the table insisted in taking numerous selfies with me, with the others’ phones providing the light, so it was one of those sitting down with a false smile sessions until it hurt. And of course soon those pics would be shared across Pingguo...well I didn’t try to fight it, I just accept I pretty much have half of my life here beamed up for anyone to see.

I was offered milk, which I abhore, but took it as a gift anyway and hope the kids will like it

I gan bei’d with the guitar doctor (he is a doctor who plays the guitar, not makes them better) then got back to my proper table to the background noise of fairly out-of-tune karaoke and hoped they wouldn’t ask me to go up. Well after a bit they thought about it and as it was getting late I suggested we leave singing to another time when we could plan it accordingly, and they agreed, and I hoped they would forget my suggestion.