My Scunthorpe United door mat is in pride of place just inside the front door. The Iron bedding is waiting to be used when the bed is changed. However big problem - haven't worked out how where to put my Iron curtains. The windows are all too big and attaching them over the top of the other curtains may be a challenge, especially as standing on a chair I can't quite reach the ceiling.
Still the high ceilings mean I can practice my golf swing in the front room.
Had the same driver this week - all week, who was very calm and steady. Found all the good routes to the office, however Friday we got stuck in my first Traffic Jam. What is normally 20-25 minutes became 100, as an unfortunate couple had broken down on the entrance way to the Nanpu bridge. (There are 8 crossings of the Huangpu river, 4 tunnels and 4 bridges, with plenty of signs showing how busy each one is allowing diversions, which is fine until you go past them and get stuck).
Not sure how much English the driver understands, as we have our twice daily negotiation over the time to pick me up either from the office or home the following day. Sometimes I think he is having fun with my slow Chinese. This thought has hardened after Tuesday night. We had a very late call with London (I know they wouldn't have been there at the equivalent time if we had asked!) - so said good night to the boss and driving home, when I get a call. The boss's car had a flat battery. Taps my driver on the shoulder and tells him in (my almost perfect northern English) "we need to go back to the office". He immediately reacts and turns the car round and heads back. Only when we get there do i realise I have not had to negotiate in Chinese. Still makes for good practice.
Wednesday in preparation for a meeting I ran on Thursday, went to a kids market near the office to get some toys. Had fun haggling the prices, especially watching the torrent of Chinese when saying "tai guile". Even though I got a couple of bargains I left feeling I had overpaid...the vendors were smiling.
Thursday we had a meeting in the Shangri-la hotel where the buffet lunch had Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding, roast potatoes, onion gravy. And it was really good. I had much fun explaining what Yorkshire pudding was. Well worth it. That night had a dinner invitation across the road from The Shangri-la at the Park Hyatt hotel. Dinner was on the 91st floor. (See picture) - the lighted building is the Jin Mao (previously highest building in shanghai) and you can see the Pearl Tower landmark as well.
Saturday golf clubs at the ready went for my first round. Strolled up pushing my trolley with clubs and shoes on. Saves carrying them. This amused the security guards and the doorman at the clubhouse. The bemused reaction of the golf club reception staff resulted in more excited Chinese statements - which brought many laughs when I took the bag off the trolley and pushed it to the side.
Went through to the starter and there were my clubs ready to go. They had found me a two ball to play with and a caddie who spoke some English. So played the venue of the BMW masters from 2003-2008. The caddies are all female in bright pink uniforms, with big brimmed hats tied on with pink scarves. Wandered round, and my partners, Mr Jang and Mr Siayang (I think that is how it is said) had virtually no English. My Caddie was great (Ming I think she was called) she could tell me how far to the hole it was, and slice, lefter bunker, but anything else we had no way of making conversation. Still the sun was out and played in Golf shirt only. One of the caddies was much smaller than the others (4ft 8?), and had plenty to say - in Chinese - including grinning broadly when the ball went in the water or the trees. We walking down one of the fairways, my two partners in front, me with two caddies on my left and this bundle of fun on my right. All of sudden the two caddies broke out in laughter, and looked across - pointing finger at the other one, looking at me and saying "Baby". Little things amuse...
Played again Sunday, they knew what to do with my trolley this time, and no doubt have a nickname for me. I was still down as Geraldine though on the sheet (we have joint membership!) Nobody bats an eye at the name - as they probably think it was one I chose. This time I was matched up with a Dutch member, and a Taiwanese with good English and a local Chinese. So more pleasurable to have conversation, even though it was bit cooler - had to play in a jumper. Though my caddie had less English - she was a better golf caddie, advising on line and suggesting different clubs. They were all delighted when I holed in 1 on the 8th. This is China so there were many many forms to fill in as a consequence. So a Houldridge first. Hybrid off the tee, pitched middle of green, disappeared over the ridge in the green. Thought it had rolled off the back initially until one of the caddies found it in the hole. By the time I got back to the club house they all new, and the starter and others came out to congratulate me.
Life just gets better and better - now have music and DVDs so instead of 88 channels of Chinese TV, and Star sports showing re-runs of Port Vale vs Accrington Stanley - FA cup, I can watch something more of interest. I did notice yesterday as it was the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Guangzhou, it was shown on about 60 of the 88 channels. I thought the remote had broken. This is China
Off to cook dumplings...
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