Look Out, Bob’s Been Declared Sane!

June 10^th For a nice change we both slept all night and woke up this morning feeling a lot better. Thank God for pharmacists who know what they are doing! I had a countryside plan, which was however trumped by Huan’s bank plan. She had to visit one of her banks to register her new ID card. Despite the number not changing the expiry date did, so they needed informing. Right outside our house Huan was very happy, the first find of the day and of the week!

The bank in question is on the north bank of the river so we decided to use the stepping stones this morning. Huan decided to do her usual. However, as I had already made a video of the good lady I got my revenge with another gif. Included is an extra action shot!

In no time at all Huan found another lizard. I am not keen on these; they are so small that they never seem to turn out quite right after photographing them. They look as though the growth of their feet / claws in as yet undecided, and their eyes always appear to be covered too. This one is probably about the same size as my middle finger.

Today marked the last day of this year’s Gaokao examinations, the test that high school students take before they can move on to university. The road is always blocked off for this. Today the students had shade to walk up the steps, and a handful of parents waited patiently.

Before we got to the bank a convoy passed us bringing more coaches complete with a police escort. I wonder just how nervous the students get before these exams. It does appear though that parents in the south give their children less pressure than those in the north. Huan also found yet another lizard, she was doing well today.

At the side of the bank we walked up to a housing complex that we haven’t visited for a few years. It doesn’t look too steep looking back down the hill but I found going up very hard going! Staying away from hills for a while could be a good idea.

We explored a new route, behind the buildings, no critters were found though.

At the top of the complex, when we had previously looked out, we used to look out over fields and the distant village. Now it is all built up with a new school and a new public housing complex. It looks good, especially with the school sports field. Remember those days?

I don’t know about you but I do not like to see rubbish in the wild. However, I do like to see it being taken over by nature.

Back down the hill we went, too late for the countryside so we took another little detour up one of the roads we haven’t visited for a while. Huan did it again!

It was then my turn to find some subjects, little birdies, either side of a view!

My friend of ten years has not lost his senses yet and still remembers me. Today he even managed to get up and come to say hello.

Our last critter of the day is a butterfly. I wish we had more colourful one to share with you but I guess we can’t have everything.

I went upstairs; Huan went back to the gate to collect a delivery. She had bought Donald a sleep mask to stop the sun disturbing him when we are not there. Isn’t she thoughtful?

We both enjoyed a good old fashioned British lunch, cheese sandwich with salad. It felt good to be able to eat food again. After our nap it was my turn to make dinner, beef stew today.

June 11^th Even more admin today, both of us went to update our driving licences. For Huan to add her ID and for me to get another one, the present one has reached its ten year limit. Here I am in the police station showing off one of their counter signs. We don’t really know what it is for but the Chinese is the same as the English.

As I had expected, and Huan had disagreed with me, we then had to go off to the hospital. The trip was not for her, it was for me. Being over the age of 70 I have to be checked every year. Don’t they just take wonderful photos on these occasions?

Back at the police station we found a car with two different pieces of advice, one of the fuel side and the other on the electricity side.

And then everything came to a halt. It seems that I will need to take some kind of theory test before I can obtain a new licence. All oldies are obliged to do the same. That was not possible today so we will have to return tomorrow.

Back home we went, via Baijiahui, Huan wanted rice pudding again today so prunes were needed. I wonder if they actually came all the way from California?

Huan had asked for another rice pudding with coconut milk added. I agreed and began the process only to find that the milk inside the can had solidified. We had to slum it and add whipping cream as we had done last time.

I couldn’t finish mine today so Huan added some of hers to my bowl and saved it for breakfast. We both ate all our prunes though, I am a tailor and Huan is a rich man!

Words were exchanged in the evening; Huan had talked to her driving school because the police had said they should have an English version of the test. That turned out to be wrong but somehow they, the commander and the driving school, agreed that someone would stand behind me and feed me the answers. It would cost of course! I have had a look at the app and if the police can provide translation I think I should be fine, hence the words. We will now just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings.

June 12^th What did ‘tomorrow’ bring? Well, it brought not very good weather so it’s a good job that we were on yet another admin day.

Coffee and breakfast over, we went back to the traffic police station.

To my relief I did not have to sit the theory test again, more than likely, like every other normal human being, I would have failed that. I Googled what test I had been asked to do when we came home. “In China, older drivers aged 70 and above who wish to retain their driving license must pass an additional cognitive test alongside a regular physical examination. This test assesses mental acuity and is intended to ensure their continued fitness to drive.” This is what I had expected, my worries were would anyone translate the Chinese into English for me. It turned out that the police station were able to provide an English language test. You get a ‘practice run’ first so that you know how it goes and you have some idea of what they are testing for. Once that is done, they then log you in with your driving licence number and off you go for the ‘real run’. In each case you are allowed twenty minutes. I have to say that the translation was excellent, and I used less than five minutes for both runs. I also scored 100% for both practice and real! It’s good to know that my little grey cells are still in working order.

They then sent us off to take photographs; we had to return with digital and printed. We got them taken at the home of two large canine friends, they were still sleeping. Here I am trying to look stern and unsmiling, all official like.

This is what we ended up with although it looks much worse on my new licence.

After our exchange of words last night and me refusing to fork out well over ¥1,000.00 I left the police station with my new licence, feeling very good, and my wallet was only ¥10.00 lighter. On the way home Huan asked me to snap this dragonfly. It played along very well, didn’t move an inch, unfortunately it was also very well camouflaged!

Lunch was French ham, ‘Le Jambon’ sandwiches. Dinner was German sausages as hot dogs with onions again, (still finishing stuff that has been in the freezer a while). The hot dogs were accompanied by some kind of American mustard, some very hot English mustard and even some Italian mozzarella for me. Both meals were very much enjoyed by the Prime Minister and the Catering Officer. This is what life should be like, international.

June 13th Do you suffer from Friggatriskaidekaphobia, (or triskaidekaphobia) the fear of Friday 13th? Well today is such a day. Many people refuse to go out on this day, ‘just in case’. We didn’t go out but not because of the day, instead because of the weather.

Staying in gave me the impetus to get on with replying to Aviva. It took me half the morning to compose the letter but it’s done. All I can do now is wait, again…

Friday 13^th? - https://www.euronews.com/culture/2024/12/13/why-do-we-fear-friday-13th

June 14^th As expected the weather was still terrible. The depression even had a name, Typhoon Wutip, and had made landfall last night in Dongfang on Hainan’s west coast. All it meant for us though was rain all night and almost all day too.

Saturday would normally be market day; we assumed that the stalls would be hiding from the rain. We headed off to Baijiahui for the salad makings but popped into the burger place first to order two chickens, (they are small). On our way back to the supermarket we spotted this which from a distance looked incredible real.

Shopping over, I sent Huan off to get the chicken while I went for the car. If you look very carefully you can spot her in the far distance.

Later in the day the rain finally gave up the ghost. The river levels even went down.

And from out of the woodwork hordes of people appeared, combing the mudflats. What were they looking for? Huan thinks they were looking for stranded fish, I think they were looking for crabs. What do you think? Maybe it was buried treasure…

We could have taken the opportunity for an after dinner stroll, I chose laziness instead!

June 15^th We woke up feeling like happy teddies this morning, the rain had not come back, we could go out for some fresh air. We’re not sure what kind of air was being offered here!

It appeared that God’s creatures were happy that the rain had gone too. We found two lizards on the same tree and then another one in the next tree.

Three bugs followed in quick succession although I feel that I must apologise for not getting the dragonfly’s head in focus.

The village people had been quick to replenish the offerings in the shrine.

Soon we were where we belong, in the countryside.

And then we were back to bugs again. The second one had some problems; it was on its back waving its legs in the air. Huan gave it a helping hand.

One of our favourite little farm houses was next but it no longer looked the same. We don’t think the weather is the only cause of this because the house has been here for years. We suspect that the occupants have now moved away. We will miss the floral roof.

How about another Facebook cover photo? It probably will be one sometime in the future.

For a change we found a butterfly with different colours.

Just to make sure that Huan is still searching and able to find, here are two more lizards.

This one is down to me, how many spiders can you see?

Huan was definitely in her element today!

I was just happy to find a friend.

And to stop for a water break!

All too soon we were through the village and back into town.

The nurses’ school retaining wall bloomed a lot while we were away in Haikou. It is looking quite pretty now. Even if there are no blooming flowers it will still look lovely to me.

I thought that I was finished with the camera for the day but, I thought wrong. Not far from our humble abode the director found two more subjects.

Naps were definitely needed today, both of us felt a little over exerted. We had walked quite a long way although there had been no hills, 7.7km. After naps it was time for me to Jif the bath before putting some bubbles in there and having a nice soak and a read. That is something I have been looking forward to ever since we came back from the hospital. It was lovely!

June 16^th No excuses today, we just decided that it would be shopping only, no walks and no photos either. It wasn’t too lazy a day, Huan did some ironing and I cooked dinner. We had stir fried chicken hearts with a small chopped Chinese sweet sausage, garlic, onion, red bell pepper, carrot, snow peas, mushrooms and bean sprouts. There are no photos of that because we both thought that the plates did not look good enough!

So, life is getting back to normal. What will we find to distract us in the coming week? I guess you will have to check in next week as well to see. That’s all for now folks!