China Day 13

So I am still cleaning the flat - I gather that from what Steve says, tomorrow (NYE) will be the mother of all firecracker fiestas. What chance seeing it from my kitchen window?

China Day 12 - Friday 5th February 2016

Day 12 - made a late start and did some newbie Mandarin lessons using the Chinese Newpod program that Steve had uploaded for me on the computer and went off to Mr Lee for brunch (vid). Have been suffering with a virus over the last couple of days so have not sought out opportunities for drinking and staying out. Just staying in in fact. Later watched some Chinese TV and tried to make sense of some of the simpler characters. Most programs are spoken Mandarin with Mandarin subtitles

China Day 11 - Thursday 4th February

Day 11 - made a slow start. Mid morning Tim messaged me to say sorry he had the mother of all hangovers yesterday and was totally out of action. Had a shave and shower and went to GuTa Park just across the river. Took my flask of tea and sat in the sunshine and tried to engage a group of local men in conversation using Baidu Translate. They might of been humouring me but I THOUGHT they understood. Then moved to the park entrance to watch some ballroom dancing (vid)

China Day 10

 Winston took me to the police station where I surrendered my passport accompanied by a shed load of paperwork (vid). Later I waited in for Tim, thinking he was going to meet me at 3pm ish and we would go to the University and play badminton but he didn't show and I got no response to a couple of texts. I paid Winston to go for a card for the TV (one year subscription cost about 500RMB). He came round later and managed to get things working for me so I am set up with Chinese television now which will help with the learning

China Day 9

Spent pretty much the whole day on Blog related activity and catching up with Emails and Facebook since I was (rarely) in a position to do so. Later Tim invited me over to watch MOTD and have a few beers and then we took a taxi and went out to the Beatles Bar (vid) - Tim played a set there including 'Ring of Fire' then home to bed and Tim went to the XO bar just outside the West Gate of the compound.

China - Day 9

Blog day

Stephen has left for another city so half the people I know here are gone. I will see Tim later on this afternoon but for now, joy of joys, the VPN has opened up, I have a fast connection and I am able to catch up with my Blog. I have been saving snippets of information and uploading the 30second shots to youtube so Yes, I have been able to get all the information into this blog. Am well made up with that

China Day 8 - Monday 1st February 2016

Hilarious! Last night Steve and Tim took me to the KTV. They have been teaching and tomorrow is the first day of the Chinese New Year holiday and they have fifteen days off. The first karaoke we went to we got set up in the room with snacks and beers and karaoke and then the chief came in and told us there were no hostesses available (because of the pending Spring Festival aka Chinese New Year), so we got into a taxi and went to another one - they are in clusters all over the city. We paid 200RMB for the room and then 100RMB each for two hours company. Lots of singing, drinking and playing dice (no vid). Never played this game before but it is about two cups of six dice, the dice with the one spot counts as a joker. After you shake you can see your dice but not the dice of the other person and you have to brag about how many of a particular number you can make (including using the dice from the other persons). You brag in turns until you are called. Got home about 4am.

This morning was what you might call a slow start. I had a WeChat message from Steve to come over to his market - I needed to buy some warm clothes - so we went to the market and I bought boots, thermal longjohns and top as well as some fresh dates and berries. Steve lives on the East of the city South of the river and the DanDong market is North East. Later he took me to a restaurant close by his flat where we had donkey dumplings. yes a bit of a taboo buster for me but I found it easier to achieve than with the sheeps testicles. Later we went up to his flat on the 18th Floor and he made some cupcakes for the New Year vacation while I watched Kingsman on his media system. Then a very strange thing happened. The doorbell rang and the water man arrived with his wares and I had a sudden realisation that I was in China (I had forgotten?!)