Breakfast with Xiao Nong and evening game feet with Li Kun and family

Got another early message from Xiao Nong to say she was hungry and fancied eating jiaozi. I wasn't really in the mood to get up but social intercourse is better than no intercourse, and I'd be able to sleep in the afternoon. So a few minutes later I drove to the place I like near my flat, and met her there after picking up some gorgeous sweetcorn jiaozi. Of course I'd missed her message to get the boss to give me some vinegar and soy sauce and only saw it as I dismounted from the dian dong che outside my xiao qu (area of block of flats I need to scan my face to get in). So I popped into the local 24h store and picked up a bottle of each as it's unlikely to be the only time we'll breakfast together.

Sweetcorn jiaozi for breakfast as you do

We ate at my flat and as is quite normal among Chinese friends, we proceeded to peruse our phones without talking to each other for a while. While this is massively frowned upon in Europe (as far as I know), it's considered to be completely normal here. And I have come to like it. Why not be comfortable browsing Douyin or Reddit if you feel like it, whether or not in the company of others? As long as it's not considered rude by any party.

In fact I ended up doing a character test on Pleco. Chinese characters, not a test of my own character. She noticed and then started helping me out as I'd chosen categories HSK 3/4/5 and I probably only know half of them. It was great as she would give examples or example situations of where you would want to know the word, and I'd often be able to work out how to say the characters so then I was starting to put them together with what they look like. This went on for the best part of an hour before my poor little brain started to get tired so I'd need to get some rest.

I don't recall what time I roused/rose/arose, but it wasn't early. I finished off the uneaten sweetcorn jiaozi and went back to Waipo's for a bit before deciding I'd pop to Li Kun's for a bit. I wanted to turn up unannounced but thought I'd pick up some roast duck first of all. But as it had gone 10pm that place was closed and the closest place I could find was selling chicken and duck feet, both boned (40 kuai/jin) and unboned (50 kuai/jin). I got a jin of both, a mix of spicy and unspicy.

And it was a good thing I did as when I got there his kids were there too as well as a few others, and his daughter loves chicken and duck feet. Within a few minutes Li laoshi put a guitar into my arms and asked me to sing an English song, so (as I have had a beer or two at Waipo's) I obliged with a couple of Simon and Garfunkel numbers as per usual. It turned into another memorable and fun evening and I got back home (to Waipo's) by 1am for an early change.

Li Kun's wife and second daughter tucking in to chicken and duck feet as you do

Another night of many meals, but highlight was shopping with Tan Shiyun

I awoke to the sound of a young voice and women's voices. I realised that the younger voice was my "grand daughter" Tan Shiyun. I knew she'd open my door so I quickly clothed and not a second later indeed she was trying to get in. I'm not sure why they'd come back but it's their house too so fair enough.

I said I'd take her out shopping but she said "no" (or "bu"). But a few minutes later she'd warmed to me again so we agreed to go out to the supermarket together. She's super-cute, especially when she holds my hand and all the grannies coo over her.

Tan Shiyun is super-cute...

...and a great companion at the supermarket

So I got her a toy fruit juice maker and some pistachios which I now know are pronounced pist-A-chios, and not pist-AH-chios...jeez they had fun correcting me on that (English family, not Chinese). Not long after, Haiwei pinged me to go for an evening meal at his girlfriend, Li Baoli's house. Why not?

So around 7pm I turned up and Baoli was outside to find me. It was yet another lovely family meal with three generations but I felt genuinely welcome. Living here is so nice.

Another cracking meal at Baoli's with her boyfriend Haiwei

A bit later Lu zong called me to go to his bar for a bite to eat so when it was appropriate a bit later, I told Baoli I would go elsewhere but not before we'd finished there. I guess I got to Lu zong's around 10pm or so but really don't remember...all I know is I also had a cracking time at his bar and didn't leave till around midnight.

Moving on to Lu zong's

Of course that's when it should have been it for the night. But Li Kun was pinging me to come over. I said I'd see...and indeed around midnight I made it around for a third evening meal as you do. But it was really cool...his younger kids were there and they dote upon me...it's like an early chance at being a grandparent to see if it would fit you...so far I think it certainly would...though I'd not want it any time soon. Not sure what time I got back home but I managed to find a place to charge up the dian dong che at least.

Moving on to Li Kun's

Rat meal at guitar shop followed by music at Feng ge's

Woke up at Waipo's for the first time in a while and as it was not yet 10am decided to pick up what I could of Tan's stuff from Lin Hong's flat, which meant her hand-luggage suitcase and violin, so there'd definitely be at least one more journey there for my stuff. After checking with Tan I've decided I'll probably spend most of my nights at Waipo's now so went to my flat to pick up most of my clothes there and hang up with ones I'd washed yesterday morning. Hmm...they were already starting to smell a bit...may have to re-wash them. So by lunchtime I was back at Waipo's with my suitcase and guitar in hand but my next stop planned was for jiaozi, which I ate in with a bowl of soup after a chat with Awl on the way there.

Ling Ming's wife's house for future reference

I hadn't really had as much sleep as I wanted so treated myself to a couple of beers and a siesta and before I knew it Huang Lei had sent a message at 5.30pm to go and eat with him at 8pm. Hmm...8pm seems a bit late for an evening meal, but too early for an evening snack. Anyway, before I could respond he called me to confirm 8pm so that meant despite being hungry I only allowed myself a couple of biscuits as didn't want to do in my appetite for later.

I didn't even have any more beers as I'd had an email from the solicitors and needed to sort out a lot of dad's utilities. Luckily so much of this stuff can be done online now, almost all in fact now that I have access to his email. The only really annoying thing is that they want wet signatures for a couple of the documents so I'll have to print them out and send them back to the UK. Boo.

Soon after 8pm I got to the music shop north of the guangchang I've been to a couple of times before. Huang Lei was there with his younger son but few other people were. I ended up playing a sort of flicking draughts football type game with him for about half an hour until others turned up, and eventually a trolley of sumptuous food, and we finally sat down to eat at 9pm. I know Huang Lei could have told me to come at 9pm but it's not like that here...they generally want you early for a chat and to make sure you don't end up elsewhere.

Rat and other goodies for an evening feast

Anyway the main dish was rat. They have the same word for rat as for mouse here, as normally the context is close enough, but in order to make sure I asked if it was "big mouse" (rat) or actual "small mouse" (mouse) and it was confirmed it was the former. I breathed a sigh of relief but I don't know why really...would it have been that different...yeah...less meat and more annoying bones I suppose. Hardly worth skinning a mouse anyway for the amount you get. In fact it's hardly worth skinning a rat but they did and it was delicious. A fairly fair way of dealing with unwanted vermin.

Soon after 10pm Feng ge turned up looking a bit the worse for the wear, and invited me to go to his place at Yang Ming park so after a couple more beers it was the 10 minute journey over the bridge to his place. Except with him on the back of the bike nearly falling asleep it was over 15 mins. This time there was no Li Kun to accompany me unlike 10 days ago, as he's away for four days. I was invited to go but turned it down as I rather like being in Pingguo. Having said that I should branch out a bit more...one day. Anyway, other than Feng ge I didn't know the other people, but there were two blokes playing the guitar, one on the drums, and a rather pretty woman to watch and listen.

Music at Feng ge's place in Yang Ming park

It was a nice evening but at midnight Feng ge wisely decided to stop drinking alcohol. I didn't, but I was flaking by 1am and for once a guitar wasn't thrust into my arms, and I didn't request it. So we all spent 10 minutes tidying up and I guess I was home at 2ish.

Another sausagefest and dreadful footy, with some nice dog in-between

Well I got up in time to manage some of yesterday's delivered food for a brief lunch and managed to chill for a little while until A Wu pinged me to ask me to come over to play caima as he was losing. But it was now only 5pm which I thought was a bit early to be drinking. However, it's the New Year period and anything goes. So after a dingwei was sent I was on the longish route to wherever it was and was just glad I had a full charge in the dian dong che.

Another sausagefest, but a bit more fun than many

It turned out to be yet another sausagefest, but hey-ho it meant my evening meal was sorted. It took a while but I managed to get over that time where you just don't want any more beer, until it's ok again, and I table-hopped until I got a call to go to A Hoc's place for a late bite. This gave me the excuse to leave after a few more ganbei's, and it was definitely a quieter environment than the raucous one I'd just been to.

Eating dog with A Guang (middle) and a couple of mates at A Hoc's

And of course since I thought I'd had my last taste of dog nearly two years ago, that was what was on the table, and to be fair it tasted great - only A Hoc can make me a doggivore anymore. Even though I'd got up at lunchtime, it had only been 6 hours' sleep, so I started to flag at midnight, and anyway wanted to watch the Arsenal - City match at 12.30am so decided to kip at Waipo's tonight for the wifi. What an awful watch... a 5-1 with a bitterly disappointing second half. It's curtains for us this season. Well at least it wasn't a 4am start....

A normal day for a while with nice meal at Lin Hong's

Almost a normal day today - at least for the most part. Lin Hong had pinged me to go for a meal at her house for 6.30pm, so I headed out to pick a box of cherries first as you should do, and I've been getting a lot better at, despite them costing more than in the UK. Tian Tian was there with four ex-colleagues and her boyfriend, and A Zhong was still cooking. So we played a bit with the cat until it was time to eat when Tian Tian was instructed to go downstairs to buy some beer. The boyfriend was apparently driving so wasn't to drink, except as soon as I poured myself a glass he did the same.

Great meal with Lin Hong, Tian Tian, and friends

The food and the company were as good as ever. None of the women were drinking. That was until Lin Hong said she had some home-made wine and poured each of them a glass. I said I'd have a wee taste but she poured a plastic glass to the brim of course. It was actually quite palatable if a little sweet, and somehow I did manage the whole glass before refusing a second and going back on the beer. I love the little huoguo pot that has a wide edge for effectively frying meat on, and if had the space would be tempted to bring one back.

A Wu pinged for me to go and eat with them but I told him a little later as I genuinely like these family meals. Tian Tian's boyfriend not only joined me in drinking beer but also had a whole glass of wine that was around 18% according to Lin Hong. Eventually around 8.30pm I made my excuses and left them as I was truly stuffed.

Another evening with A Wu and family and friends at A Zhou's place

But of course there was more to come when I got to A Zhou's place where A Wu and his family were cooking bbq and drinking beer and playing cards of course. I managed a little nibble when I got there but not that long after Xiao Nong pinged me to sing song. Could I really manage another venue? Yeah...it wasn't even midnight. But at not even 1am I managed to make my excuses and leave to get some rest.

Xiao Nong and friends at a KTV I'd not been to before...just wish I was awake enough to stay longer

That was until getting on for 3am when Xiao Nong announced she was seeing a sick friend at the hospital as I was about to sleep, but she needed a lift so of course I did. The dian dong che was on its last battery-legs when she then announced that her "sister" was involved in a bit of a fracas at a bar at bloody getting on for 5am. And of course there were no didi ches at that time so I did the noble thing and took her down to Jiangbin Lu. I only just managed it back home at snail's pace but I realised I'd squeezed 42 km out of it so now I understand why so many people drive so slowly...it simply gets them more kms out of a charge. Finally at getting on for 6am I bloody took a small beer and got some well-deserved shut-eye.