After late last night I didn't get up till nearly lunchtime to find that Jiuma had brought us some changfen. I couldn't manage a whole portion so snipped off a third and managed the rest with a yoghurt as it would be gym time shortly. Indeed this time I spent most of the time in the VIP area with Tan and we focused on legs, using a pointy roller first of all to prepare the muscles apparently. We did quite a few things using weights and she's actually quite good at lifting them but although I could do as well I said it was harder for me as I had longer legs. She disagreed but I thought better than to stand my ground. We finished off with only 10 minutes on the elliptical but really by then it was 3pm and we were both knackered.
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| Tan doing leg exercises at the gym...I followed of course |
A bit later I went to pick up the shoes I'd put in to clean a couple of days ago. This should have been the simplest thing ever. I may not have had the ticket but I had a photo of it. It clearly said it was number 0000537. But the bloke flicked through his receipts and went straight past 537, going down to 520. I interjected and said he might want to go up again but he disagreed. Now sometimes I'm very wrong, and I thought this might be one of those times...I mean it's so obvious you find the ticket with the same number right? So I waited as he flicked down again, and the he started flicking up again but annoyingly went past 537 to 540. By now I was slightly annoyed. I focused in on the ticket number on my phone but he said he didn't agree. Didn't agree with what I'll never know. Eventually he started counting down from 550 and I tried to stop him at 537 but he didn't want to know. Finally he called his wife who came and immediately found 537 and my shoes in under 10 seconds. I really hate to have any prejudices against anyone but how in heaven's name the husband couldn't have worked it out I'll probably never know.
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| Surely the number was clear enough‽ |
Unfortunately it seems the dian dong che is broken. I know it kicks a bit under acceleration but Leilei said it had just stopped now and when I checked I saw he was right. On the way back from the gym I'd seen a place that was inflating the tyre of a dian dong che and I asked the bloke if he fixed them too. Unfortunately I asked the owner of the bike rather than the owner of the shop, but he didn't seem to care, and when I actually asked the owner of the shop he answered in the affirmative and I said I'd be back in half an hour as it was just across the road from our complex and I wouldn't want to wheel it any further.
But of course as soon as I got out of the shower it showered the way it tends to here: a lot. Taking the bike out would be impossible without getting soaked, and my thoughts of getting in a piano practice also got diminished as we were to go to Tan's cousin's baby's 100th day celebration at some time. At what time? I'd just asked Tan and she said she didn't know as no-one had called her. But by now it was already 5pm, and by the stink of tobacco I could tell Tan's brother or A Heng were here. It was the former. Then Tan announced the taxi was coming just like that. I mean at least give me 5 minutes.... Whatever, I put on a top and shoes and walked to the main gate to find them in a didi che and shouting at me to hurry up. This is well and truly Guangxi!
It was of course a huge affair, and the opportunity to meet even more relatives for the first time or the first time in ages. It would have cost a ton to hire out the place and to feed the 300+ people but here the red envelope means you effectively pay a fee per person and I've love to know exactly how much that was. So it's a lot more like going Dutch, or AA zhi as they say here, even though that never happens for a "normal" meal.
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| A Heng, Qi Qi gege, Chuan Chuan, a cousin, the husband, the wife, Tan and their baby, me, Leilei, Xixi |
After the main meal was mostly done, someone from a neighbouring table came to ganbei with me (Tan had reminded me to bring some beer over earlier when the hosts were coming round toast each table, but I wasn't really able to drink by myself). I thought I'd better reciprocate the manoeuvre and looked over towards that table to see Lu zong beckoning for me to come over. I didn't need a second invitation and brought a can of beer with me and was immediately given a chair and a bowl etc. There were three old men to my right, one of whom I recognised, and my can of beer was promptly taken out of my hand and I was poured a glass of baijiu despite my protestations. I mean real protestations...normally I can convince them that I can only drink beer but on this occasion they were having none of it. I suppose it was a celebratory occasion, and they were old gents, so for only the second time in 20+ years I gave in. I asked how strong it was and they said 35%, but luckily it didn't have that awful taste that most of them do. And at least with baijiu, unless it's a tiny thimble, you can have a pretty little sip. So I pretty little sipped my way through three glasses of cheersing, during which time I invited Tan over to meet some of the people. And then I had a quick look at the bottle...22%...so not that bad at all.
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| Celebrations in full swing at the baby's 100th day meal |
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| A view of the Guangxi specialities on offer |
It transpires that Lu zong's mum's sister is Tan's mum's brother's something or other. Either way they are blood related and they'd never even met before! I used to plan on making a family tree on this side of the family but I've pretty much given up hope now. After an hour we were one of only about four tables with people on them, and I was obliged to stop at one of them as it was on my way to the loo. At least they let me caima with beer. A bit later one of the blokes said he had arranged a KTV room downstairs, so we went down there where at least beer is expected. But I would have expected at least a couple of women. Two eventually turned up, and I did my "Pengyou" number of course, before Li Kun pinged me to go to his office for a drink. I sent him a pic and showed I couldn't really leave and invited him over but he was working the next day and couldn't do a late one.
But I was getting a little fed up at KTV, so when Chen pinged me to go for a drink again at soon after 11pm I made my excuses and somehow got home to find that Leilei said the dian dong che was now working, so we guess it must have been some water that got into the system. That was lucky as I could take the dian dong che to the same bbq place I'd been to two days ago. So it was another late one with these mates, but at least this time without a downpour. I managed to leave around 2.15am and a while later found myself strangely lost. I'd taken the scenic route back as you do but it was a very long way round, so when I checked where I was I was aghast to see I was a good three miles from home, but not as aghast as when the dian dong che ran out of dian a couple of minutes later. Blast, I still can't use the blue electric hire bikes like even Leilei can, and I'd promised myself to sort that. With no ability to hail a didi che either there was no choice but to walk it. But I was sober enough to have an important idea; I took a photo of the dian dong che - not because I'd recognise where it was in the pitch dark, but hopeful that the photo would have the coordinates so I would be able to find it again soon.
It was 2.45am but I didn't have much choice other than to march the three miles home. It was still wet and once I slipped and fell down and hopefully my favourite linen trousers are not ruined. Eventually I got home a bit before 4am swearing something. I don't remember what...maybe just swearing that I was an idiot. I was tired after the gym, and drinking, and walking, and it didn't take me too long to get to sleep.
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