Another Teacher Ling meal and Zhang Hua's birthday

Oh nothing was planned so today could have been a chill-out session, and indeed it was until Tan said we were to meet her secondary school Teacher Ling this evening at 6pm. That was cool by me, I like the bloke and he definitely helps build my vocabulary.

Typically the boys got up late, but at least Leilei was out to Li Kun's music studio by 3pm and Nezha went out by himself to get some fodder. Tan had gone to A Xia's again so I just made sure Xixi was not hungry and my lunch comprised a boiled egg and a mini pack of la tiao. I then got a text to say we'd meet at the wine shop for tea at 6.30pm, which was fine by me so later we all left the house together at 6.35pm to be fashionably a little late.

Three of the 30-something young entrepreneurs from the previous meal were there drinking tea, and we immediately went upstairs to a sumptuous room to sit down and the lady of the shop laid the table with lots of meaty goods. I learnt that no Chinese meal was complete without chicken, duck, and fish. That's clearly not true so I asked if that was Guangxi culture. No! This was Chinese culture! I suppose it means a grand meal when you're inviting multiple people but whatever. Nezha was feeling sick as apparently the boys had been to some place where you cook your own chicken but his was probably underdone and was too chewy. Nevertheless he did manage to eat a reasonable amount.

As it was a "wine" shop (selling wine and spirits) I deigned to have some for about the first time this year. The lady poured about half a bottle into a small jug and it actually had measurements on it so I could see it was 400ml. Everyone was playing the game of not wanting to be the first person to eat, so as I was starving I sort of cheated by pouring a bowl of soup for Tan. That was a timely trigger as Teacher Ling then poured one for me, but wouldn't allow me to pour his, preferring to pour the wine shop boss's to his left. But by now people were tucking into the food so after a few minutes I took the initiative of offering a gan bei to the boss, but he said no! I should first gan bei Teacher Ling. But Teacher Ling said no! We should all gan bei together first, so that we did a couple of times before the personal gan bei'ing began.

I realised I'd been pouring too much red wine into my glass for each gan bei as after half an hour my jug was nearly empty but the boss's was only half so. I had planned just to have that much red wine before moving on to beer but I found my jug filled up by the woman again, and felt it would be rude to put it back in the bottle. So I drastically reduced the amount I was pouring into my glass and made sure I gan bei'd every non-family member in the room. At 7.15pm the boys were asking to go and I told them to stay till at least 7.30pm and to gan bei Teacher Ling and the boss at least once. They agreed and were good to their word, and Leilei stuck to the water though Nezha managed a small beer. Then Leilei asked to take the black dian dong che I'd driven here instead of the 3 minute walk to avoid sweat, and I said he could as long as they initiated a final group gan bei. So they both stood up and raised their glasses, and the rest of us did too, before saying thank you and "man man chi".

Another great meal with Teacher Ling

I managed to finish the second lot of wine (350 ml, so in total a whole bottle) by gan bei'ing each of the four young men, and then asked for two beer glasses as Teacher Ling also said he was moving to beer after baijiu. But unlike boss meals we didn't descend into cai ma, rather we were just talking about stuff as Teacher Ling likes to do and I was trying to hang on, using Tan to translate much more than I wanted to.

Zhang Hua had pinged me earlier in the day to meet up tonight at 8.01pm. Yes he specifically said one minute past eight, to celebrate the opening of a friend's shop. I'd IM'd back to say thanks but I'd be late due to a previous engagement. But the previous engagement was still going strong when I told Tan I'd take Xixi home as an excuse. But Tan wanted that excuse too, so they left together and I had to tell Zhang I'd be even longer than I expected. But we wound up before 10pm as we finished what beers were on the table and didn't open a new pack. They all seemed satisfied and we had the opportunity for a photo shoot downstairs, and Ling said they may use me to advertise their wares.

Looking interested at the baijiu they sell here but not yet advertising it

By this time A Wu had also pinged me to go for a beer but I was not going to miss Zhang so after saying my goodbyes asked him to send a weizhi. The red bike was its usual slovenly self but it got me there where I was met by one of his friends who is an art teacher. We got on the bike and drove around the corner to get off by some mates eating outside. But Zhang Hua wasn't one of them, and I just had to perform a perfunctory gan bei before being led around another corner and up some stairs to some outside place by some football and basketball courts that were in the process of being built.

Ah, then I saw about four or five tables set out with copious food and drinks, and Zhang Hua was at the head and I was to sit with him. I found out after a gan bei that it was his birthday and he'd not told me that! So another gan bei ensued, and another, and another, and it descended into an enjoyable evening I wouldn't be able to leave from until the cake turned up at midnight. One person I sat next to for a while turned out to be the doctor (or surgeon) who had stitched up my leg back in 2017, and I thought he may berate me for being out drinking but to be fair so was he.

When the cake arrived I did the usual putting my finger in the cream and spreading it on Zhang's face, though this time only about two of us did that and I wondered if it was not the done thing anymore. Still, I forced myself to eat a slice and it's about the only thing you can eat when you're full as it's sooo light. Finally at around 12.45 I was able to leave with copious hugs from Zhang as he walked me to the bike.

Happy Birthday Zhang Hua!

A Wu was still about and sent me a weizhi and 10 minutes later I was in some shop upstairs with a huge table with the remnants of a meal and only three other blokes. It was a total change of atmosphere and I wished I could be back with Zhang, so limited myself to a few games of cai ma before giving A Wu a lift back. Except the dian dong che was really suffering and stopped at the slightest incline, so A Wu got off and on to his mate's one which was in fine fettle. And that was it for another night in Pingguo, only two to go now. Leilei had sent a picture of the QR code he'd plugged the black dian dong che into so he must have really gone a great distance in order to have used up the charge so soon. So when I got back at 1.45 I set it on charge then home to get to sleep pre 3am just.

Finally a lake swim

A lazy morning risked turning into a lazy afternoon so I went to the supermarket to top up on washing liquid, yoghurt, hair spray, and beer. I checked the red envelope I was given last night when I paid 200 kuai at the funeral and found it contained 30 kuai. I could have been logical about it and asked why not just pay 170 kuai and not bother with the change but I've been here long enough not to. So I used most of it to come back with four portions of jiaozi, which were eventually polished off by the kids as Tan said she didn't want any due to her mouth (well she did have two wisdom teeth removed). However she managed to share some of Xixi's portion so it can't have been that bad.

At about 3pm Nezha reminded me that I'd said I'd arranged going swimming today. Oh damn I'd totally forgotten about that, and couldn't really get out of it so I said I'd check it out. I called A Wu who told me the name of the place. I thought it was the reservoir but he said it was Luxian Hu and when I looked it up it pretty much was the same reservoir, and only a few minutes away by car. So I said I'd get some more stuff from the supermarket and we could have a bite to eat there as you do. But Tan was saying it was dangerous and we shouldn't swim there. Well I've been there a couple of times before and there are plenty of people swimming with suitable rings and life jackets, even if there is no guard.

So I went out to pick up more beer and various snacks from Guanmart, but not before I saw a lorry trundling past shooting out sprays of water into the air behind it. I've seen these before from a distance and always thought it was some sort of disgusting exhaust, but this year someone had explained that it was just to put more moisture in the atmosphere (apparently not for the trees but it can't harm them). So I followed it for a few seconds and indeed got a bit wet in its wake, and refreshed a little I continued to Guanmart to get the stuff.

Watering Pingguo

Back home we packed towels and a change of underwear and Tan scolded us again saying you weren't allowed to swim there and sent a message from a friend who's said it was dangerous and every year someone drowns there. We said we'd get life jackets but she still kept insisting we mustn't go in the water, and Leilei was getting really embarrassed in front of Nezha. I got a bit annoyed and said I'd been there before with A Wu and the kids, and that if she wouldn't order a didi che we'd just find one ourselves. This would be the only chance this holiday for going for a swim in the lake, so she reluctantly ordered one which turned up not a minute later.

10 minutes later we were there, but there were very few people swimming and nowhere to get a life jacket, so Leilei led us along a path for a couple of hundred metres until we happened upon a second car park with far more cars and people, and yes this was the place we'd been to before. We saw some people getting into a dinghy and I asked a shopkeeper if we could hire one but she answered in the negative. I asked why and she gave some answer I didn't really get, so asked how the other people were getting on the boat. Ah, apparently they'd brought their own one. So unfortunately we couldn't get a boat ride unlike 10 years ago with A Wu, but at least she sold life jackets for 25 kuai each which I thought was pretty cheap considering they could indeed save one. I got one each for the boys and they got changed and ventured down to the side of the lake, but try as he might, Leilei wasn't having any of it as he really unfortunately never mastered the art of swimming despite my best efforts taking them when younger. In fact he could swim a bit but stopped going and just lost confidence. He was really upset about it and I was too - it made me think of that Topsy and Tim book where Tim was too scared to go in the pool.

Ready but not really able yet

Not as busy as usual due to the weather apparently

But it just wasn't going to happen and he angrily snorted "I fucking hate swimming", which really meant "I can't stand the fact that I can't swim" even though he would have floated fine in the warm water. Nezha was pretty confident out in the lake so I had a beer and some cucumber crisps before he came back half an hour later. I sort of wanted to go, and in the end logicked myself into doing it as I knew I wouldn't regret it. Annoyingly my swimming shorts had lost any elasticity they may have had, so once in the water as soon as I started my front crawl they were half way down my bum. Whatever, what would anyone do if they saw? I swam to the middle easily as I wasn't slowed down by a life jacket, then thought sod it I'd go all the way to the other side. There I got chatting to a bloke and some kids for a bit which seemed to entertain them, then made my excuses and headed back, but I met Nezha halfway back and he said he wanted to go to the other side too and could I join him as he couldn't speak Chinese. Fair enough, it was a bit more exercise and it wasn't sunny so there was little chance of sunburn. We went, we didn't talk much, then we turned and headed the 200 metres or so back. I've hardly done any exercise at all in the last six weeks but it felt pretty easy and a couple of people commented on how well I could swim. I was one of the few who was not in a life jacket, or attached to some buoyancy aid of one type or another so I guess looked a bit more professional.

Use your imagination for a buoyancy aid

I noticed that actually there was a sign saying the lake was deep and swimming was not allowed, but in this case there were plenty of families with young kids all in the water. I mean with a buoyancy aid there's not much to worry about right? A father who was there with his kids asked Nezha if they could borrow the life jackets we bought, and I said of course they could. And then later as they were leaving they asked if they could keep them which I thought was a bit cheeky but we wouldn't need them again and I wasn't planning on taking them home.

A sign on the right saying swimming is forbidden and a shop in the background selling life jackets and inflatable rings

After getting changed I walked down to the shaded eating area to find five blokes eating and drinking. Of course they invited me over and I sat with them for a quick chat. I didn't want to drink the baijiu they were drinking so went and fetched four cans of beer and Nezha joined for a few minutes while we cai ma'd. They'd evidently been there most of the afternoon and were fairly well-oiled, so after a few photographs I left them to get on and called Tan to get us a didi che back, and after a couple of phone calls the driver managed to find us. 10.5 kuai for the whole journey was ridiculously cheap!

As we'd only really had a few snacks by the time we got back after 7pm, I was quite ok to receive an IM from A Wu telling me to come to the bosses office to drink beer. I said I'd grab a quick shower and be over soon, and got the usual "kuai yi dian" in response. Leilei decided to go to Li Kun's studio by himself and I had no problem with him being independent, but he'd taken the black dian dong che, leaving only the crappy big red one with knackered batteries. But it was better than walking and soon after 8pm I was there, but it was the house next door for some reason.

A Wu saw me through the half-opened door and pulled me in to great cheers. Apparently it was his boss Li Laoban's birthday, and I was made to sit next to him and before I knew it I was gan bei'ing left, right, and centre. I was even forced by A Wu to do a little speech. I had nothing planned so on the spot said Li Laoban didn't know me but was so welcoming to me that he must be a great boss to all of you (yes apparently he was the other bosses' boss too), and A Wu beamed a great smile to let me know I'd done well.

Li Laoban thrust a tiny glass of baijiu and begrudgingly I gan bei'd it with him as if to acknowledge his superiority over the others, but quickly followed up with a beer to attempt to remove the taste. He also told me to come back tomorrow to continue, but somehow I doubted he'd remember that. I had chicken breast thrust in my bowl and did my best to eat it before more stuff was put there. After half an hour or so I noticed Li Laoban was no longer there, but I'm learning this is pretty normal, he'd probably gone next door for a snooze. Then the fairly pretty lady who walked in the other day walked in again in her white dress looking relatively angelic. She proceeded to smile and sit down and eat a full meal without engaging in conversation. Maybe she was one of their wives? I sort of wanted to find out but I felt a rumbling down below that didn't feel at all good. I might have had the time to go home on the black dian dong che but the red one was far too slow so I realised I'd have to eject on a squatter again. In fact I realised even the black bike wouldn't have got me home in time...I wonder what it was...had I imbibed some water from the lake?

A few bosses left at table after Li Laoban when for a snooze

Advertising friend had texted me to ask what I was doing and I told her I was in a boss meal, and apparently she was too, and that we were to go a bar about an hour later. This worked for me and gave me an excuse to leave half an hour later, and go home to heat up the last leftover jiaozi for Xixi and chill for a bit before the next stint of the evening.

Luckily Leilei was back so I could take the black bike, and met Advertising friend and her mates in the open area of the "Club" I'd been to a couple of weeks earlier with bbq friend. Oh dear, it was Belgian beer, but whatever, I knew I wouldn't be under too much pressure here, and the food was a lot more edible than that at the bosses' place I'd just been to. It ended up being a cool evening and yeah a little cai ma of course. At around half past midnight I used the genuine excuse of getting some bbq sweetcorn for Xixi and Advertising friend sorted it out on Weixin including paying for it (only 10 kuai), and I was glad to see it was on the way back home just next to Huang's seafood place. So I had a happy daughter who devoured all 10 sticks of the stuff, then had a beer or two catching up with Mat and Awl before bed at 3am.

Happy sweetcorn lady

And shortly after Xixi asked me for the PureVPN password. Xixi? She already had it...ah it was for mama.... I had told Tan to download the client and set it up before going to China but she said she'd have no time to use it but suddenly after a few days she wanted to access YouTube...luckily my account allows for up to 10 devices concurrently.