March 10th We were in luck today. Yesterday’s weather forecast had looked pretty miserable with a lot of rain. It did not arrive. Mind you, we couldn’t go too far, Chef Bob was due in the kitchen twice today! We headed off across our little island.
Huan walked on the path looking for lizards, I walked behind the bushes. Neither of us found lizards but I saw the light!
Onwards unto the breach dear friends! Or maybe we should just cross the irrigation canal.
The director tried her hardest to find invisible birds for me, as usual.
She succeeded with her favourites though, two lizards here for you.
Staying close to town we visited the abandoned hotel and villas where we saw snowbirds busy in their acquired gardens and even some tomatoes growing.
Huan decided that she needed a photo of me going over the stepping stones so I reciprocated.
Let’s have some more views and nature as we walk up to the top road.
And then we had some more views on the way back down.
At home, after lunch but before naps, it was Chef Bob’s first spell in the kitchen. I took this from Youtube, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L84ACsnwTvI) nothing was written down so forgive me if I heard wrong. The ingredients are: 550g dried fruit, 500ml flavoured milk, which are then mixed together and left in the fridge overnight. Here are all the ingredients we used plus the self raising flour and some walnuts which I smashed with a hammer!
The 200g flour was now added and it was put into the oven at 160⁰C for an hour. Despite me using extra liquid and flour it worked very well indeed. Why did I add the extras? Our dried fruit included large pieces of fruit and also large pieces of some vegetables. Next time we will change the milk and use only small fruit. Here it is, all ready to shovel down our greedy gullets come coffee time. It was well worth the nap and the associated wait!
After our naps, coffee and cake it was back in the kitchen for Chef Bob’s second spell. This evening’s dinner was to be Irish stew.
We didn’t serve it with creamy mashed potatoes or in fact any potatoes on the side. I par boiled some tatties first and then added them to the pot for the last fifteen minutes. We had no thyme, so that was skipped, and we had no bacon so I used a sweet Chinese sausage. I also added a ‘five star anise’. It’s a long one but well worth the effort, probably the best Irish stew I have ever tasted. We forgot to take photos so here is Huan’s breakfast bowl for tomorrow.
March 11th Lazybones Bob was late up this morning so took the opportunity of a walk to and beyond the bank. That would allow me to check whether or not my compensatory payment from my pension company had been received. Birds were spotted on the way.
The bank visit was successful; the miniscule amount expected had been deposited in my account. With time to spare we headed further up the main street.
To my surprise and to Huan’s, I spotted a lizard. He was facing down the tree.
As we reached the three legged dog spot the director changed my plans and we diverted to the walkway along the riverside. Cows were seen on the other bank, and then again on our side.
How about a nice panorama, it was a lovely walk.
I noticed that where before there had been possible weirs and stepping stones there are now marked gaps. Are they perhaps planning kayak races?
We were fortunate to see an egret today, unusually so because we though they had all migrated.
I found a tree hole so I planted myself there to see if I would grow. Maybe Huan should have been more generous with her watering can!
This was just a scene I liked.
It was Huan’s turn to spot lizards; this one was going up the tree.
And to finish here we both are, Huan sitting on the #5 bus and me being greeted by Dodo.
Chef Bob was on kitchen duty again, today noodle soup with the contents of a tin of braised pork. We started stocking the cupboards during Covid times and have kept up the practice since. Prior to that, the last time I had ‘stocked up’ was during the 1991 gulf war. It seems like the news is always repeating itself! Anyway, here are my ingredients.
And here are the bowls, 1) Huan’s, 2) Mine, 3) Huan’s breakfast.
After dinner, while I was updating this post, I heard strange sounds coming from the living room. Huan saw the window man today and he told her that maybe they will start work the day after tomorrow. Never one to wait, she had already prepared the living room!
I’m not sure how she will recline to watch the TV now!
March 12th There were no walks this morning or afternoon; we were continuing the preparation of our house for the start of ‘new windows’ tomorrow. Dinner was on Chef Bob again, here are the ingredients. Of course we were not going to have the whole of the ginger piece you can see there, just a thumb sized piece. Everything else was to be included.
There was a mixed bag of rice in the freezer so Huan had multicoloured, I had white and she also had white for her breakfast bowl.
We had stuff in the delivery boxes at the gate so we had to go out after dinner. Do I look as though I was enjoying myself?
Look carefully and you may see that my shirt is also torn and there’s a hole in my shorts. What happened? Well I went to say hello to Zhāo cái and he took umbrage. Perhaps he thought I was going to try and steal whatever it was he was chewing. We had to take a detour into town and go and visit the hospital for a tetanus shot. A&E in our little town is never too busy so soon the doctor was sorting out my wounds, starting with my wrist.
He then moved on to the back of my right leg.
From there it was a short jump to the reason for my torn shirt!
While we were waiting for the next step I managed to find a couple more scratches.
Before I could have a tetanus shot I had to have a test shot. God do I hate needles.
Do you know, I don’t even like to see the photos! Anyway, after waiting twenty minutes I was deemed safe to have the second needle. Aren’t I the lucky one?
That was it for the day. The doctor came out and recommended I have rabies shots, I brushed that off. In the pharmacy buying a bottle of that orange stuff that hospitals use so that we could treat me at home after I had a shower, the sales lady also recommended rabies shots. A bunch of old ladies were also in there and they all joined the chorus. I went home, showered and then did some research before watching movies.
March 13th It took Huan a while to drop off last night, I’m sure you can guess what was on her mind. Adding to that somebody was intermittently setting fireworks off on our little island from around three in the morning until five. Anyway, my research had shown me that I didn’t have to fear an enormous needle being pushed into my belly so we set off to the hospital. If the window man turned up he would call Huan.
The vaccination section of Huan’s normal clinic was closed, so people and no stuff, so we had to go to another one. It was in the opposite direction so still not far from our house.
First we saw a doctor downstairs where Huan for some reason failed to take photographs. She may have been too busy trying to understand the problems they were having with entering my details using only my passport, driving licence and Chinese name. For Chinese people it is very easy, their Hukou number is all that is needed. I wish I had a green card! Anyway, he sorted out the necessary requirements and paperwork and sent me to the cashier. From there we went up to the second floor where the nitty gritty would be done.
A short break was then taken while we waited for the IT man to come and make sure my details stayed in the computer. We had fun.
We also chatted to two other people there for the same reason as me. One was a teenaged girl who had been nipped by her little puppy. The other was a young, man who was trying to remove stray cats from his garden and had been scratched. Both of their injuries were almost invisible!
Back to the desk we went where the IT man had sorted things out, the admin boss was there too. In fact they found records of my injections during Covid times. I would consider that to be very efficient record keeping.
Another hurdle still had to be crossed though; the nurse who would be sticking the needles in me said that I should have something to eat first. The nearest fast food place was not my favourite.
It did the job and quick enough for us to get back before lunchtime.
Back at the hospital puppy girl was finished and sitting though her waiting time. Pussy cat man and I were there together, being a gentleman, (and a scaredy cat), I let him go first. Too soon for me it was my turn, and this time there were two needles, one in each arm!
Huan finished off her day of snapping with me blankly looking at the paper that tells me I have to go back in a week and then again in a fortnight.
At home no lunch was needed because we had already eaten at KFC. Naps were still needed though and then it was coffee time. I usually look forward to afternoon coffee, maybe with a slice of cake or something bought. Today’s was different.
The cake was lovely. You may notice that there is no coffee. The hospital said that until the rabies treatment is finished I must not eat anything spicy or vinegary, I must not drink alcohol and I must not drink coffee or tea! I have some kind of coconut milk there.
March 14th Our window man has still not turned up or contacted us so we didn’t stay home waiting today. Instead we went to the market. First I was accosted by three teenaged boys at the gate and then again at the bus stop. Huan chatted to them quite a lot. It seems that they have already left school and are now at college learning car repair and maintenance.
At the terminus we did our usual looking for lizards. Huan went round one way with two of our neighbours, she failed. I went round the other way alone, I succeeded.
In the bap market I was accosted with the word “American”. The gent in question was not being insulting at all, he just wanted to say hello.
We had seen Zhāo cái this morning but I had given him a wide berth. Huan is worried that he may want to eat me now having tasted my blood! I wasn’t going to avoid all the other dogs though, here is Dòu dīng. I was looking for his partner in crime but he was absent today.
As we moved to the riverside market the crowds increased.
My last one of the day is terrible. As we left the market we had to pass a guy down on his haunches pointing his camera my way and clicking like mad. We have seen him a lot. I think he must have a whole portfolio of ‘pictures of Bob’ by now. I tried to get some of him but I think I had the lens set up wrong and I was not looking at the screen or the viewfinder!
March 15th Huan said I had to go out this morning and that we should take a #5 bus and then walk back through the countryside. I didn’t really fancy it but I agreed. It was a good decision, I really enjoyed the walk and being outdoors. This was the view off the bus.
In the village two of the cats were stuffing themselves with some kind of cat food while one, who may have eaten first, was lording it up above.
One of the birds was out of the cage so I was ordered to give it my finger. No you bad people, not the middle one! Anyway, it wouldn’t sit on my finger and eventually, when it had had enough, it went back into the cage to join its partner.
The next bird was unusual but also a failure. It was a kingfisher, not on a rock or a reed beside the river, but above a rice paddy on the wires.
As we walked I was thinking to myself ‘how can you not be happy in the countryside?’
Soon it was time to turn downhill past the kindergarten.
Lots of panoramas were called for.
Huan’s day was made with a solitary egret although I’m afraid I didn’t do such a good job. First it was stationary, then moving away and then it came back.
Us oldies sometimes need to relieve the waterworks more than we would like. Luckily, here in Wuzhishan we are well serviced with clean public conveniences.
Here’s an unusual photo for you now, Huan made dinner tonight. Well,
she actually made it on Friday and we had one yesterday and the second one
today. It may look over cheesy but that is just because Huan used a lot of what
we had available. The normal pizza toppings are still there on top of the base.
The base is not homemade this time; it is Xīnjiāng náng, definitely time saving
and not too bad either. It’s how we used to make pizzas in
A simple salad was all we needed to add.
March 16th After a terrible night’s sleep, and with my back feeling as though I had slept on a bed of nails all night, I got the news that I was on duty today. Parker and Rigsby were both required for an operation in Sanya, Parker to drive and Rigsby to work. After an uneventful drive by Parker we walked through the narrow streets to find our apartment.
Rigsby’s duties were very mild today, just clean the floor. I don’t think I would have been up to much more. I left Huan to it and wandered around for a short while.
Before too long a happy Huan reappeared, the apartment had been rented for another year, warts and all. I think the new tenant was just amazed to find such a bargain. Time for lunch, so we found a small place where we had 20 Jiǎozǐ between us and a salty egg each. I forgot to snap a picture of the lunch but did get the restaurant.
We then spent a couple of hours trying to close our internet account for the Sanya apartment, the new tenant does not need it. It’s funny how companies can accept your money in any office but when you need something from them it’s different. We had to go to the head office in Sanya, a place we had never been to and a place with no parking. We did eventually get there and I dropped Huan off. She handed over the modem and then got charged ¥10.00 for not including the ‘little yellow connector’. With two months left on the account they could have just waived it! To be fair, they did tell Huan that if she wanted a refund all she had to do was come back in seven days. Huan declined their kind offer.
And then it was back to Wuzhishan we went stopping off on the way for almost the usual. Here’s the back view of the service station, along with an interior shot.
Contrary to Doctor’s orders I needed a coffee. I did however look for something not quite so strong. This was a coconut latte, smooth and mellow. It did the job.
We came off the highway at the Nansheng turn off, heading into town on the other side of the river wondering what we would do about dinner. Huan had a brainwave, buy a whole chicken to share. I suggested a salad with it and some of the bread that she had bought in Sanya. Chips may have been better but this worked out just fine. Huan has the head and the feet and I have the parson’s nose!
So another week comes to a close, quite an eventful one this time. Let’s hope we can return to some more navel gazing in the future! Bye for now, take care all, wherever you may be.
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