CHINA 2010 SUNDAY 11th

The beeping of reversing wagons disturbed my sleep. Opening the curtain I see the traffic is moving as freely as every but there is now a row of cones stretching down part of the road!

11am we have now yet received a phone call about today’s plans. Just after 11.15 the phone rang and a young sounding girl told me they had arrived. Outside the apartment building a young girl dressed in a green polo and jeans came to greet us and escort us to the car where inside another girl was sitting on the back seat. We said “hello” and climbed in to go to lunch.

A drive into another part of the city passing the ‘Railway Station’ the driver stopped and we all got out. We were to go to a ‘Magical Restaurant’. Okay, and walking along the very wide footpath at a time when everyone goes to eat wasn’t too bad. We walked up to a plain looking place with flat plate glass windows, a couple of wooden dolls to one side and to the other a large model of a pink lotus flower set on a plinth. Jenny, the girl who had greeted us, put a hand inside the flower and the doors opened. I just had to look and saw a large glass ball partly concealed by the petals. Inside were more of the ‘dolls’ stood in corners by cubicles with black seating. We were shown to a round table concealed by a curtain of purple beads with large clear glass pendants hanging from the bottom. Again black seating that included two large chairs with a flower appliquéd into the fabric on the chair back. The menus were delivered – a tall thin heavy metal cover decorated with patterns of small bright coloured beads revealed pages of different styles of food. Large black curved shaped beakers of hot water were brought whilst we perused the menu. Again we left it to Jenny and Sunny to make the decisions even though there were English translations. This was magical and the two tea pots did not contain tea but clear chicken or duck soup! So much food was ordered the table could not cope with it all and so the black beakers disappeared without my noticing. It must have happened whilst I was moving the tray of cutlery onto the curved sofa where I was sitting with Jenny. Our meal started with a glass dish of crème caramel only we poured the caramel sauce onto the white crème. A large bowl of beef and rice baked in a cheese sauce, spicy beef smothered in chopped spring onion and ginger, smoked duck, cream of mushroom soup, green leaf vegetable, baby plum tomatoes, pickled bamboo shoot and a baked fish were just some of the ordered food. It has to be said this the time of day when the Chinese enjoy their main meal but then they do get up very early.

A visit to the restroom was something else. First a decision had to be made in the communal area as to which of the two doors I should enter. Two artificial peaches were hanging on one door whilst on the other door a banana accompanied the two peaches – guess that will be the men’s room! When it came to washing my hands the taps operated once I had been able to light up a face at the end of the row of sinks. I put my hands over every part that I thought would light up but failed. I didn’t feel too bad about it as a man at the other row of sinks was having the same problem. Sunny obviously has the knack as she got it to work for me.

Time for us to return to the car and be driven on to an ‘International Cinema’ for a 2pm film show. With 7 cinemas in the complex and different prices starting at 60 yuan we were going to see ‘Toy Story’. Jenny obtained the tickets and passing through the ticket barrier leading to the cinemas we were handed a pair of dark sunglasses. Our film was in no. 6 and our seats were quite high up. The fixed chairs were very comfy with high backs including a head rest and plenty of leg room. An advert began for ‘Shrek’ and as I put on my glasses I told Keith to do the same. Amazing it was in 3D. ‘Toy Story’ in 3D began and the graphics just made the picture so much better. We had no problem with the film as it was in English with Chinese translation across the bottom that did not interfere with the picture.

Back outside into the hot sunshine and then into the car to be driven to the ‘Jimei district’ of Xiamen, passing the airport before taking the toll bridge over the sea. In Jimei we toured around the University where Jenny had studied Economics for 4 years. Then it was a stop at a snack bar where some of the students were eating large plates of ice covered in fruits, similar to the mango ice we had shared with Minder, which looked delicious with generous portions of fruit. Jenny asked did we want milk or honey – we chose honey as we were not sure what we were going to sample here. Eventually we returned to the car carrying a bag containing a large covered beaker and a small plastic spoon. Our next stop was the beautiful grounds and buildings of Xiamen University where we sat on the steps leading down to a small lake to sample a ‘Taiwenese fun drink’ containing lumps of black jelly, an assortment of small different flavoured beans and peanuts that floated in the clear brown liquid. Actually it was quite tasty. Having had no exercise we took the chance to stroll a short distance around the grounds before leaving. It was now around 5pm and Sunny and Jenny wanted to take us to dinner!

“A little too early” we said so to fill in the next hour we visited the memorial to a Mr. Tan Kah-Kee. (I had seen these Chinese style buildings as we drove over the bridge.) Set by the sea we explored the grounds which were once the residence of this businessman who left all his money to be used for education when he died in 196l. In one of the buildings we arrived in time to hear a short music recital. A group of costumed people gave a performance using a range of heavy metal bells hanging in rows from a large frame at the rear of the stage, to the right was another frame of fan shaped rows of slate, these instruments being played by three women, 2 on the bells, and in the centre of the stage sat a lady plucking a horizontal stringed instrument whilst the only gentleman blew on a wooden instrument constructed of several small upright pipes in a tight circle. The performance ended with their rendition of Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band’s ‘Midnight in Moscow’ a popular tune in the 1960s. Leaving this building we walked down an avenue of small pictures carved in stone that depicted China’s history and its legends set on a large wall. They were so beautiful and in such excellent condition. Around the sea wall were more carvings showing botanical specimens, insects and reptiles native to China and each one having its name in gold Chinese characters. This area was also the resting place of Mr. Tan Kah-Kee’s remains which had been transported here by a special train from Beijing after a state funeral in the city. Looking over the wall at the exposed sea bed we saw a few men working among long lines of square net cages secured to the sea bed. The girls did not know what would be caught in these small nets. Moving round the wall we came to the beach area which was now busy with families enjoying the late sunshine. Close to us several boats, not all in a seaworthy condition, had been pulled high up the sand. By the water’s edge a large ship had run aground, a long time ago by the look of it. Bet that Captain is no longer at sea! The traditional style of colourful roofs continued around the waterfront. Such a lovely place and so much quieter than Xiamen but the girls did say that was only because most of the students have returned to their home town. I had asked Jenny how many students had been in her Economics class – 100.

By now it was after 6pm and Jenny wanted us to visit a park with ‘Dancing Fountains’ that played at 7.30 but only for a short time. We drove to Jimei’s best known restaurant with 5 floors and had yet more food! A quick getaway but unfortunately we could not reach the gardens in time as the route she wanted to take was closed to all vehicles apart from the bicycle and motorbike. Our driver was unfamiliar with this area and despite slowing down to read the various road signs he was unable to discover an alternative route. Another time perhaps but we said not to worry as we had really had a lovely day in their company and had done something out of the ordinary for us – like going to the cinema.