Got up at 9.30 in good time for the trip to Bangxu, then heard Tan swearing and having a go at Er Jie because her and Lao He were waiting for us in the car downstairs even though yesterday they said they’d wait for Tan to call her. Ha! I’ve had this all my time in Pingguo and I’m surprised she’s surprised. Of course she wanted us all to rush but I needed a shower, even if I didn’t grab a shave. I sorted out my laptop and everything I might need for work as the kids called the lift, but as soon as I got in the car I found I’d forgotten my charging cable and I doubted Bangxu would have a USB-C one. So to Tan’s undelight I said I'd have to go and get it and she said not to go to Bangxu at all then. I disagreed so ran off in the burning 10.15am sun to get my cable and when I rushed back I found Lao He in the shop calmly getting some food for the one hour journey - so much for my rush. And is that the only word in English ending “lmly”?
At least he’s a pretty safe driver, and the drive was a lush view of the Guangxi countryside over the next 70 minutes. Upon arrival it was a matter of walking round various houses over the next 90 minutes or so. I ended up in one house where the occupents were putting stickers on alcohol bottles, then boxing them. I sat down to join in and to my surprise they positively welcomed me to do so. What I thought would be five minutes work was over 45 in the end until we finished labelling and boxing every single bottle, but I was really happy to have helped out.
Arriving in Bangxu
Goats keeping an eye on the cooking
Labelling bottles of alcohol
Leilei helping to set up the remembrance stuff
And Xixi pouring alcohol for dead relatives
For some reason we went for a walk in some water before we ate
Leilei insisted on driving us to the cave
Eventually the time to eat arrived. It was another of those times where I thought we were going for lunch but it ended up being more linner. The food was good and far too copious, as was the drink. I stuck to beer, unlike many of the locals who still hold the local tradition of drinking white alcohol from a bowl, though now sharing from the same bowl is apparently frowned upon due to hygiene reasons. But my teeth were not good. Somehow during the first week or so here the meat has pushed them around a fair bit and it’s quite uncomfortable to eat stuff that’s not that soft. But beer doesn’t cause an issue and a good deal of cai ma ensued, during which I did particularly well and enjoyed talking to the locals including an ex-pilot with whom for some reason I had a conversation about turbulence.
My table for the meal - ex-pilot is in the red opposite
Was a bit more than just a family meal
Cai ma at the family meal
Work was basically out of the equation, and I would have to take a holiday but no regrets as this was quite an important day in terms of the family, and to some extent Waipo’s memory. We left before 5pm and got back to Pingguo at 6, dozing a fair amount of the journey. I could have done with going to bed but the kids really wanted to go to the guangchang to skate and I wasn’t going to impede them so at 8.19pm I took them out. Leilei went back himself for a shower after skateboarding, so I took Xixi to go shopping until most of the shops closed at 10.30, at which time we went for an MMT and then to Huang’s Beihai place for a lovely bite to eat and chat as he wasn’t that pissed or racist. Home finally was a not too late 11.47 where I got Xixi to shower and a few moments later collapsed in bed exhausted.
Tan took the kids to Jiuma’s at 10:30 and with the quiet I got back to sleep and awake at gone midday to see a text saying that the kids were doing the burning of the money for Waipo’s memorial. I was sad and annoyed to have missed it but came over straight after a shower just in time for a meal. I sat at a blokes table and as much as didn’t want it I had to drink beer. I stomached it for an hour before taking the kids back and nearly dozing off for an hour while I lay it off. We were told there was to be a family reunion meal in Bangxu tomorrow and at first I said I couldn’t go due to work but I thought better of it as this could be the last time for a long while and family first etc.
Kids eating at the kids and ladies table
RIP Waipo - now back with your husband
Luwen rang me to say he’d be in his shop with some duck made by his mate that we drank with last night and sure enough 10 minutes later I popped round and there it was. Fortuitously it was teatime so it was fitting for the kids too and we all sat down to eat it before going to the guangchang at 7.30 as promised and Xixi went roller-skating again. We met Er Jie and the bloke Lao He from earlier who I’m guessing is her bloke but not keen on asking, and she confirmed about going to Bangxu tomorrow. Later I checked with Tan what time and she says we’ll be leaving between 10-11am. That sounds rather exact but could mean anything.
Random English words and gobbledegook on Xixi's tee-shirt
One way to get the kids to eat up
I don't know why they can't just write "non-recyclable"
Leilei managed to hop up a curb for the first time
I should have gone to bed early but for some reason I ended up at a KTV place around 11pm for a while and after that couldn't sleep so bought one ETH at 3.30am as if that was some sort of excuse.
A day of work but managed lunch at Luwen’s where he’s still refusing to take any payment, and he told me to come back at 8pm for a drink. That was a little early in terms of work but sod it at 8.30 I took the kids over but they were as bored as one might expect so I let them stay at home at 9.30 as Tan was out. How Luwen can afford the amount of bbq he brought is a question I should have given up trying to ask but I can’t help myself even though I know the answer will not be forthcoming in the near future.
By midnight I was back and tucking in the kids, after which I went for a short ride to see if Huang was about but his restaurant was closed. It’s a far cry from 2008 when I used to go out at 1am and he’d always be there to greet me. Fair enough though he now has a proper restaurant that opens I guess at 5.30pm plus a wife who is now pregnant thanks to the new laws about being able to have two kids. Almost every mother I know here has a second child now or one in the oven.
I thought Tan and the kids might be home by now so after little siesta, at 6pm I looked up some bloke who claimed to be a mate and had pinged me on WeChat a few days before we left London. I had told him I’d contact him when in Pingguo so thought I should be true to my word, so asked him if he had eaten yet as you do. Within a few seconds he’d answered to say he was eating but before I’d finished reading this I saw I was receiving a video call. I was naked but didn’t want to offend him by not answering (or “picking up” as the kids now say - although interestingly picking up is what we used to do with those bakelite phones that these kids have probably never seen the likes of). I managed to tip the phone so only my head was exposed, and he showed me he was with some mates eating and drinking and would show me where so I could come around. I was actually quite grateful as hadn’t eaten more than a portion of jiao zi for lunch, so hopped on the bike to this new area I hadn’t been to before and within minutes was in the mayhem of a bloke meal, with cold red wine thrust upon me (even though on meeting me he recalled I drink beer rather than wine), and then minutes later two women arrived.
To be honest I didn’t recognise anyone, but didn’t tell them. I concluded we’d last met two years ago, and that turned out to be correct, phew. Then the ladies left, and I asked the bloke opposite me why his red wine was a different colour to mine. It turned out it was bilberry alcohol, and he bade me taste it. Well it wasn’t as bad as normal bai jiu is, and I let him know, which turned out in his eyes to mean I wanted a whole glassful, and so he duly poured one full glass.
Then he got a video call from a mate who was in a car - now this one I did somewhat recognise. He was on his way to Pingguo apparently and we had a quick video chat until I told him I couldn’t hear. Then Chen texted to say he was eating and that I should come around, so I said I would in a “while”, which was ok apparently. A short while later I explained I needed to go somewhere, and although this was apparently understood, as I’d finished explaining, the bloke I’d just videocalled from his car turned up with two boxes of beer. Ah...I’d not understood he was turning up in person, and the beers were no doubt for me, so of course I sat down and helped him share them. But of course beer meant cai ma, which for once I did really well at, and of course was video’d so anyone in Pingguo (or Li Jiang) who cares will know.
It wasn’t too hard to make my excuses 20 minutes later, but I had to do a photoshoot with the guys first of all. Back on the bike to the restaurant where Chen was I wondered for the umpteenth time why they don’t ask a little earlier if you want to eat. But I know I shouldn’t - just go with the flow as it’s not like it’s negatively affecting me. The previous meal did not have a great deal I liked, so I was still a little peckish, and this new place had plenty of stuff. I didn’t know anyone other than Chen, but that soon changed after some beers were poured and cai ma started. It was another fun meal, but I had to make my excuses by 9.30pm as the Community Shield was starting at 10, and they seemed to understand.
Lovely meal with Chen
I had a great stream for the first hour, where we played well, but missed most of the rest of the game, including the penalties, but I’ll take that result. Hoping against much hope that Sane will stay as I think he’s become our best player but there’s no space for someone who doesn’t want to be there 100%. Due to the previous meals I only had one beer with the first half and put the other in the freezer to cool down for later. After the match I took the laptop to bed to read the news but for some reason fell asleep soon after 1am.
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.
