And the latest addition was a date - well many, from Lilly this am.
I'm all packed up and ready to go after a series of lasts, clinic, dumplings for breakfast - I was treated by Mrs Liu a Malaysian student's wife and source of 2nd batch of curry pastes.
Clinic was a little slow and I nipped out to get some chocs and biscuits to thank my classmates and doctor. I also left my last London postcard for the Dr on his return from Anhui.
I had the final flat lung mien fried with egg, vinegar, special sauce and coriander before braving the bags.
My 4pm date was the bicycle hand-over to Guo Qiang. I jokingly said I'd give it to him for 10 kuai (RMB) a week ago when I asked if he wanted my bike but said I didn't want any money. Then in his deep very earnest way said 'we agreed on a price' and handed over the money which is equivalent to £1 :-)
My final eve I had four bookings and luckily the first was the one I really wanted and stuck to with Xiao Qing and Hai Jun - masters students Nd friends of Guye's. The last deep fried aubergines chips and pork and tofu and cucumber sesame salad with fat tranparent potato noodles. The Guo bao rou's sister (sweet n sour pork) was an sweet potato padded out disappointment.
After the photos we went back to my room and they went home armed with my (anal-retentatively organized boxes and buckets of unwanted belongings; lamp, kettle, shampoo, bucket and mop, stationery....
On the way to the restaurant I popped the cat that my very Thelma and Louise girlfriend shot (and popped 10 balloons in a row) for and as hoped ex-Mimi's mother was at her fruit stall and was so touched by my offering that on my return she had prepared a bag of fruit for me. Unfortunately most of then were not to my fussy taste and I had to pass on the stinky melon before going to the park for evening taiji before it intoxicated my room.
So armed with that and the lovely twisted bamboo that Alex gave me I knocked on Ayi's (=aunty, in this case chambermaid) door and tried to palm off my wares. Can you believe it she refused the fruit and gladly accepted he plant for her window sill along with the cactii that Alex left behind.
I ran up to the 7th floor and gave it to Sinyong, managing to avoid the weirdo tall Mslaysian boyfriend who I redirected to a different hostel in Beijing (I was so NOT going to spend my last night in a mixed dorm with him!) but hada last chance in Asia to speak Thai to the new pharmacist arrival.
On the subject of weirdo boyfriends, i bumped into the lurking Chinese student who I hadn't seen since the first months. He would stand awkwardly at our dinner table and say nothing yet wanting to practice his English. He told me proudly he was a monitor for his english class.
The last eve taiji was a lesson in four parts. The park became more obscure in the approaching autumnal nights but I found the old man teacher at the original spot by the bike rack turned bone, muscle and tendon stretching apparatus. I joined my two favorite veterans, the old grey haired rambler and the dinner lady for primordial chaos chansigong and three rounds of 24 Hunyuan taiji form).
Then I returned to my favourite spot under the trees where thankfully the cooler air had driven away the wenzi (mosquitos). Here the breakaway group were part way through the same taiji form so i joined in for a few making it up to 10 rounds that am and pm.
Next came dao jia (tango, bang bang) pounding and half way through Juan from Yunnan appeared as a moving form in the distant obscurity.
Next came the pushing hands with a surprise new character in the play - Sinyong. A zhanzhuang (standing qigong) commercial break ensued whereby I slipped into teacher mode in preparation for Morley College, correcting their postures.
Once Sinyong and the Dao Jia couple disappeared the magic spell of Tui shou (push hands) resumed for the last time. Then i admitted exhaustion and we walked back, pausing at the crossroads for farewell chat punctuated by passing dust-reeking lorries.
This eve she explained that her name Zhong Xian Juan means centre universe/matter pretty. In her childhood she didn't like the name and called herself Mai Hua = winter purple/pink/red flower that grows in the snow - any ideas?). She failed to deliver a speech in English which she tried to remember or translate the gave me a hug and left. I didn't realize she was quite si small.
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