September 1st I guess the Prime Minister and I must still be happy and comfortable together; we drove for over three hours with only our own conversation to keep us going. Today we set off in daylight instead of the middle of the night; my appointment is not until tomorrow. The weather certainly wasn’t doing anything to help; we still had UK Bank Holiday skies.
By the time we reached our predestined lunch stop the weather had improved considerably. No umbrellas were needed to get into the rest stop.
Huan chose better than I did!
Of course, having driven all that way I deserved a coffee and a fag too!
We booked into our usual hotel, just across the road from the hospital.
After naps, we went to the river looking
for
As we wandered around, Huan chose this little place for our dinner. Look carefully, the kitchen is located next door. You can’t see it but the food comes through a tiny serving hatch.
We chose well, rice for a change after the last few days. Huan had pork and chili peppers and I had beef with the added pleasure of garlic legs as I call them.
How could I have a day with no doggy dialogue? I couldn’t of course!
September 2nd One of the benefits of retirement is not having to be woken by alarm clocks. Sometimes, like this morning, it is necessary though. We were at the hospital before the doctors even arrived there.
Dr. Liáng did his thing and gave me a few pieces of paper to take to the cashier. The odd look on my face is because there is a sign on the glass that says ‘those with heart pain or stroke will be given priority’. They also have a sign giving veterans priority.
And then it was off for the first of today’s needles. The nurse didn’t want Huan to take photos.
From there we went out for breakfast, I had starved myself before my blood tests. Back in the hospital it was pharmacy time. The pharmacy has moved and the system has slightly changed. All I had to do was scan my paperwork following which the staff behind the scenes filled up a little tray for me and sent it up to the desk. Here I am looking flustered because I was trying to hold a cotton bud on the gaping hole where my blood had been removed while also trying to sort everything else out. Huan was busy with her phone!
I decided that the remaining needles could
be stuck in me after lunch so after dropping the medication in the hotel we
walked up to
The weather had turned glorious today, just right for a couple of pensioner tourists. Other people were about too, someone was flying two enormous kites. They were so big that you could almost imagine floating on them.
Just to emphasise how good the weather was here’s a lovely panorama for you.
Right beside the spot where I took that photo there were a couple of big birds. Unfortunately they were not mobile and one had lost most of its wings. This is the other one.
And then there was this. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? How did they know I would be here today?
Our walk continued with me trying to find the shady areas.
Here Huan told me that something was moving underneath the right hand unopened pink leaf on the lily pads. I couldn’t see anything, even through the lens. However, back in the hotel and after uploading I saw something too. There are at least three frogs in this photo.
Our stroll continued.
We took the market route back to the hotel to buy something for our lunch.
Almost back at the hotel we found a couple of cars. I rather liked the first one which took me a while to identify. It is a Hyundai Genesis that has been given the Vossen treatment. The second one seems to have a spelling mistake, what do you think?
In the hotel and after our small lunch, Huan had a nap while I got busy with the uploading, sorting and editing of all the photos. There were over one hundred to do.
Later it was time for needle number two. The nurses, God bless their cotton socks, are very caring and very good at what they do. I am still terrified every time.
Needle number three followed in very short order. This nurse said I was very brave. I bravely told her that I was really just a big baby!
All needles done it was time to get my blood test results. This is also quick and automatic. I had to scan my paperwork again, and then wait for the two pages to print.
And here I am studying the print-out. My PSA levels are well within what the doctors call acceptable limits. As for my testosterone, well I think Huan probably has more than me now.
For those guys out there who are dithering about having PSA tests done my advice is do it. Even if you have to pay privately it could save you a lot of future problems. When I had mine done seven and a half years ago I already had cancer in my prostate which then had to be removed. For six years I was fine but then last year we discovered that the cancer had metastasized into my bones, my left hip to be precise. That is why I get stuffed with bone filler every month, female hormones daily and a female hormone boost every three months. Once a year I have to have all the scans done again too. Now if that doesn’t make you get off your bums to go and see your GP maybe this will. Because I left it too late I had to have the prostatectomy. At that time, seven and a half years ago, the doctors warned me that my ‘little man’ may leak. He has just recently started doing that. They also said that the ‘little man’ would shrink. They were not wrong! That’s enough preaching from me for today. If you want further details or advice, just ask.
Back to normal, we headed out for a walk and some dinner somewhere. Just look at this view. Here we are, in a city, right next to a big hospital, and we have this lovely walk.
At the old Carrefour place we found a man selling Old Hainan Yoghurt. It wasn’t something we could take home because it has to be eaten within a day. We tried it there. It’s not bad at all, I think there be something a little sweet in it but at ¥10.00 I would buy it again.
We had no idea where we were going to eat
and then we stumbled across this
We finished off with a little more scenery on the way home.
All of the above, for September 2nd, was actually written after we got home on the 3rd. On my laptop, which I use for travelling, I use Libre Office and I had done everything up to the yoghurt story. Somehow, everything then got deleted and I could find no way to get it back. The previous day, September 1st was still as it had been. For me to have deleted it I would have had to select all, select delete and then confirm deletion. Also, there was no undo option. By then it was too late at night to do it all again. Any IT nerds have any ideas?
September 3rd Today’s plan was to go shopping and then go home. First though, breakfast.
The Grocery was our first port of call for shopping; we ended up with pizza cheese, butter, jam and marmalade only. Corner’s Deli is a better bet these days, we bought a lot of cheese there, sandwich meats, sausages, more marmalade, chocolate, too much for my failing memory I’m afraid. We did take a photo of the shopping basket before we finished though.
On the way home we stopped for lunch. After yesterday’s bad choices I did the same as Huan today and had corn on the cob. We shared some honeydew melon for dessert. Before too long we could spot home in the distance.
And then we were there, stopping at the gate for Huan’s express delivery.
We were far too late for naps. I had work to do anyway, #1 son had told me that I had not uploaded photos since June. We must have been busy thinking about other things, or just plain bone idle. Anyway, I took care of that and began sorting the computer stuff out. Once everything was on the PC I had no problems.
In the evening we stayed close.
September 4th Well, wouldn’t you know it, we’re back in the hospital again. This time it is for my quarterly heart medication refill. Huan didn’t get me paying but she did get the queue and my registration in the heart building. Today my blood pressure was 140/93/78 which the nurse said was a little high. I wasn’t worried.
Why were we both wearing masks today? Huan had begun sniffling and sneezing so the masks were for everyone else’s benefit and not for ours. It wasn’t long before we were in to see the doctor, whose English is superb. Sometimes he, or I, will need Huan’s translation assistance but mostly we understand each other very well.
Another cashier was next, this time to pay for three months worth of meds. Then I went to sit and wait, Huan decided that deserved another photo.
Finally, here I am collecting my huge bag of pills.
Huan then went home via our business place and I headed for Baijiahui. I wonder if the owner of this bike relates to SWAT or to the teddy bear on his helmet.
We had dinner out at lunch time so that Huan could rest when we got home.
Before we got home we had to stop and say hello to Doudou.
When we got home Huan wilted, she started
feeling much worse and went off to bed. She did surface in the evening to have a lovely sandwich made with bread bought from Sanya some months ago, some lovely
French ham from
September 5th Today would normally be market day but to my surprise Huan decided that she was not up to it and after eating her breakfast went straight back to bed. I spent the morning doing my Chinese lessons. Lunch was a repeat of yesterday’s sandwiches.
No nap was taken in the afternoon, by either of us! Some fresh air was the medicine of choice so out we went, always stopping for a chat of course.
I let Huan choose where we should eat, I have no complaints.
September 6th After our trip away and a rest Huan decided it was time to call Window Man this morning. He said he had the workers ready to install the doors and that they would come tomorrow. That left us free to go and try to find a new windowsill for the kitchen and have a walk around lizard alley. My first two subjects, on the main road, were both car related. First something with a machine gun and second two test cars, one camouflaged and one not.
As usual I was walking in the road looking for lizards while Huan was on the pavement.
Before too long we were at the riverside.
The granny finger found me my first lizard of the day.
Of course, to get that shot I had to walk on walls!
Before long I was in the road again.
However, the director called me to join her and snap two more lizards.
And the last one before we reached home, a playful kitten.
For lunch we had some different lovely bread today, a French baguette that we had bought last night. Huan had feta cheese on hers; I used some old cheap cheese slices that we had previously bought locally. Then we napped. In the afternoon the stone man was supposed to come and measure our windowsill, he never turned up. Huan thinks that the job is too small for him!
I was rather hoping for a burger restaurant for dinner but Huan still wanted buffet style. After my initial grumble I relented, she had been sick for two days.
September 7th The morning message from Window Man was that the worker had set off from Sanya. At half past ten he called us back again to say that the man had stopped in Maoan to do a little work before heading our way.
Meanwhile Huan had somehow passed her bug on to me. Wile my nose wasn’t playing waterfalls yet I certainly didn’t feel so good. Drank lots of water!
After our naps WM said that he was sitting in his office waiting for the worker. As I write this in the early evening he may well still be sitting there. I sent Huan out to dinner and asked her to buy coke and crisps for me. All I needed was salt and sugar.
So, we did think we may have had some progress photos for you today. Instead we have nothing at all. Will we have doors by next week? I certainly hope so, Bye for now.
