I still can’t use chopsticks....

By the time this is posted, we shall be nearly back home in the UK ready to enjoy some familiar food, and where Tudd can have his Gregg’s sausage roll with tomato ketchup – something he has been dreaming about for the last few days!

It has been lovely to spend time with Ellis over the past two weeks, but I don’t think we were quite prepared for the culture shock. The Chinese people have three past times; eating, shopping and using mobile phones – usually all at the same time. The majority of people seem to have a pull-along suitcase with them, which is fine, but when you are crammed onto the metro, it can be a bit of a squeeze. One young man offered me his seat on there the other day – I wasn’t sure whether to be offended or grateful (I’m not 50 yet!).

I still can’t understand how a country that has produced high-tech gadgets use two little sticks to eat with and rice and noodles are tricky at the best of times! However, I have found that ordering something large, like a dumpling and then stabbing it with my chopstick has worked quite well, usually to the amusement of the locals.

Poor Tudd has been ill with a bad chest infection and so has spent a couple of days ill in bed. Luckily, you are able to buy antibiotics over the counter so they certainly helped. To give him some peace and quiet, Ellis and I decided to visit the zoo...I wasn’t coming all the way to China without seeing a panda. It was certainly an experience sitting and watching the circus. There were five rather large tigers doing tricks and the only thing separating them from us was some flimsy looking netting. Once the tigers started pressing up against it, we decided to make a hasty exit. Walking around the zoo, we appeared to be more interesting than the animals with everyone trying to take photos of us. At one point, we were tempted to stand in an empty enclosure and hold a sign saying ‘lesser spotted laowi’ (foreigner)! I hope that when they show off their photos, we rank next to the panda and golden monkey.

Meeting Wei Wei

All the children wear trousers with a hole in the bottom, so that when they need to go to the toilet, they can just squat and it’s less hassle for the parents, (who are usually on their phones) as they don’t need to undress them. I saw first-hand how convenient this is when standing and waiting for the subway. A mother dashed off the train and held her young child over a bin to have a wee. No-one batted an eyelid and it was the recycling bin, so I suppose it gives a whole new meaning to recycling – not filling landfills with nappies!

Another interesting experience was visiting one of the local night markets, where you can purchase anything from handbags to padded toilet seat covers – not really sure who would use these as most toilets in China are squat ones. I have got the hang of them but I don’t think it would be quite as easy or pleasant in the summer wearing sandals and linen trousers (leggings and boots have been great). Anyway, I think you get the picture. At the market, there are many food stalls, which Tudd walks past holding his nose but I am not sure whether the food on offer is to eat or buy as a pet. There was one stall selling little, fluffy rabbits and mice and right next to it, flattened frog skewers. I don’t think China has a food hygiene system but saying that I haven’t been ill so it can’t be that bad.

The past two weeks have certainly been an experience – our next holiday is definitely going to involve a beach and sunbeds, unless Ellis decides to go and work in another distant location. I want a location where the only turtles I see are swimming about in the ocean, and not deep-fried in a shop window! We are both looking forward to going home and seeing Laura and getting back to normality. We will also enjoy reading Ellis’ blog for the next few months until she is home.

Bye xx