Christmas Is Still Coming

December 12^th Our day today was a last minute Chinese planned day. In other words Yú phoned Huan last night and invited us to lunch today. It was to be a celebration of the ladies passing their driving tests and a little thank you for me driving Yú’s car to Sanya. For some reason we forgot to take photos of the people so we only have the table with the food. It was scrumptious!

Smack in front of me you can see the top of a beer bottle and above it a bottle of Baijiu. Needless to say I had too much of both. Usually I can drink at least as well as our neighbours; often much better but today I didn’t find it easy at all. Could it be my medication or is it the fact that I haven’t been allowed out for a long time!

Nearly everyone else had a drive home, we took a walk. Going over the bridge we spotted some birds, you may find it very difficult to see them. We only had phones today.

Huan did find more birds though and ‘ordered me’ to try and pick one up. Who am I to disagree?

Success with one, it willingly hopped onto my finger.

The rest of our stroll home is bit of a haze for me. I remember Huan waking me up around six in the evening but I don’t actually remember going to bed. This is serious; I definitely need a lot more practice on the jungle juice!

December 13th If SWMBO had suggested this morning that we stayed in I would not have argued at all, not even a little bit. Unfortunately, or maybe it was fortunately, she insisted we go out. I managed to talk her into going round the river looking for lizards. My legs felt as if I had done a half marathon yesterday, no idea why, but the walk was a necessary evil. At least the scenery was good enough to cheer me up a little.

We had the camera with us today so our photos were at least a little better than yesterday. I didn’t find any lounging, or leaping lizards, Huan found them all.

I did find this though; it was very small, very difficult to see in the EVF as well. Getting home and enlarging it, not very well, we think it is a baby, with no legs as yet. If you know better please feel free to comment under this post.

‘Eagle Eyes’ was very good and found these two as well.

Being very remiss today and not finding much at all I decided that a Hainan tourism poster would do instead. It does have a lizard, a monkey, a snake, birds and a coconut. We can’t see a frog anywhere though, can you?

Trying to get a few extra metres here and there I went up, to backtrack on myself, Huan went down. Neither of our photos are very good but you get the idea.

I also had a prowl around under the bridge; I could here Huan plaintively somewhere above me, “Where are you? What are you doing?” I answered taking some different photos, very quietly!

The last one of the day is one of my favourites.

After another nap I was on kitchen duty again, plain and simple food for a change. Fried fillet of pork with boiled potatoes and baked beans with onions, garlic and mushrooms inside. I suspect that the boss enjoyed it much more than I did. After dinner I brought the Blog up to date, made a cup of tea with honey and whisky and then had a very early night.

December 14^th I spent most of the night leaking from what seemed to be every pore in my body. In fact I went back to bed again this morning for some more rest. No sooner had I begun to feel a little better Huan started on her downward spiral. After lunch Huan went off to bed and I went off to Baijiahui, she needed sleep and I needed salt and cola. I know; I’m weird. When I feel down and start on the way back up crisps always seem to help and so does coca-cola. I did manage just a few photos with my trusty little phone. It would appear that three in the afternoon is a good time to go shopping, no crowds at all.

In the supermarket everything was so easy, even at the cash desk there was no one in front of me. I wonder if we should change our shopping time on Mondays. On the way out I spotted something just a little strange, if you Google the car model you will not find it. Did someone put the extra ‘T’ in there on purpose and if so, why?

Here’s my medicine all ready for me when I got home. And here’s my teddy bear having a nice little snooze.

Today’s walk was a short one. When I first went out the sun felt good on my body, but as time went by and the sun slowly cooled so did I. Four kilometres was more than enough. As soon as I had taken my third dose of cough medicine I was in bed with the teddy.

December 15^th Two rather worn out teddy bears in the house today, neither in the mood for going out. Huan started eating today, I didn’t. My body still said more sleep, more water and more salt and perhaps a little cola. I think we both slept a little better last night.

December 16^th We’re on the up again, not at the peak yet but both feeling much better than yesterday. Walking today was very important; the weekend lottery tickets were needed. Also Huan wanted to buy some pork on the bone to make a stew for this evening’s dinner. Did I enjoy the walk? The fresh air was nice, the crowds in the market not so. Photos were rare, work has begun on the river again, I guess until the rainy season restarts in Spring.

Of course, even in her below par state of health Huan still managed to find lizards. Even more surprising two of the photos turned out well enough to share.

Our usual nap was mandatory today, we both feel very weak, batteries running low! I had a bath when we woke up, doing something I haven’t done for years, using washing up liquid as the bubble bath. It works but it’s still time to buy some more of the real stuff.

Huan’s stew went down very well indeed, we just had a small bowl each for today, nice and hot, a little salty, a little gingery, really just what we needed. Almost immediately we could feel the beneficial effects, roll on tomorrow for the second course.

December 17^th Whatever bug struck us down it is not being very nice to us. Both of us are still feeling much less than 100%, probably way down in the 20s somewhere. We did get some sun on our backs in the afternoon with a short(ish) walk and Huan was happy she did find a lizard or two. She ordered me to snap and then snapped herself.

No cooking needed, more stew and an early night again.

December 18^th Is there light at the end of the tunnel? Perhaps there is, I seem to be marginally better today, Huan has started with the sniffles. Learning form earlier in the week we delayed our shopping until the afternoon, it worked well. On the way into Baijiahui we spotted these adverts, for an international film festival. I do know that such a festival is happening in Sanya this month but here? We don’t even have a cinema.

That was it really; I did get my finger pecked by this little bird, maybe I was too keen for him to perch on it. He didn’t draw blood but it did hurt!

So home we went, stew again for me, fish for Huan, and yes, you guessed it, another early night. Despite feeling quite knocked out by whatever bug attacked us I still never cease to marvel at how the human body is able to fight back even without additional medication. Good night all, wish us luck for the coming week.