The Guangzhou ExperienceChapter 2
Table of Contents
Meeting at the British Consulate. 3
Pre-Course Dinner with the Consul General 7
Eventually back to the hotel – still raining – to meet a delegate for the course – why? And when? ‘10 minutes, maybe one hour’. Delegate eventually, comes direct to my room – going straight past A etc. in the lobby (how did he get my room number?)
Dinner by a Lake
nice setting – beef noodle in phlegm and spiced goose head (one each!)
delegate turns out to be a big fan of Pavarotti and insists on singing Nessun Dorma to me (come the eventual course he is still stalking me) – but – I did get a beer!
Back to the hotel – ask for an iron. ‘No problem’.
Saturday. 10th
To be collected for 11.00 – phone call 11.15, ‘there in 5 minutes’ – 45 minutes later they turn up. Madame H – lift to University – where we, apparently, have bookings for residential accomodation and a training room (which I have never seen, of course). They are now sitting me in the front, so I see more.
Check in (usual debate for 40 minutes) – time to unpack.
Find out A and wife now checked in next door to me. Bit more progress in afternoon on the arrangements for the course – still expecting twenty delegates.
Can’t check out the training room until §monday!
Dinner in University restaurant – bean curd in sewage outlet soup and pig’s intestine (I was given the longest bit, as the honoured guest.)
Asked if I wanted a beer – said yes (impolite to refuse) – never saw it.
Ask for an iron.
Sunday 11th
Walk arranged for 10.00 a.m. – knock on their door 10.00 as agreed – walking shoes, shoulder bag, hat, camera, suntan cream etc. – Mrs A. says he has gone to the office and will ring. At 11.30 – she knocks and says ‘A comes soon’ – he arrives 12.00.
Now stopped raining – nice walk in park and tour of six storey museum – 4 hours – no drink. Become aware that westerners are still relatively rare in Guangzhou – and getting used to being stared at (assume it’s because I am so tall – but could be the white hair)
Boat trip on the River
Evening – boat trip on the river Pearl. – very nice. We are moved from a cramped table in the back corner to a prime spot at the front, apparently just because I am obviously a foreign visitor.
Late – ish meal at a place with an alligator’s head and caged live foxes in front, which I passed on – had bird’s nest soup and quail’s eggs in kapok.
Ask for an iron.
I have, of course, realised that their sole purpose was to find things for me to do. I did think that I would prefer to be left to my own devices – but then realised that wandering about Guangzhou with very few English speakers – would perhaps be ill advised.
Passed on breakfast (had a bad night – can’t be the beer!)
A, making sure that I am not late for the important meeting at the British Consulate, had arranged for lunch near their impressive building. Something moving in the soup, so I left that.
Went alone to the meeting, just the one invitation
Meeting at the British Consulate
Very successful meeting, with the Consul General himself, I was suitably honoured, he had even done some homework – knew about my position with the IoE (as well as being Lead Trainer I was also Director of Education and he says that he is aware that the course is attracting some local media interest i.e. there will be local press at the launch and he agrees to attend a in the official car and speak at the opening along with the new British Council Director – and to host a dinner for our team, the previous evening. Couldn’t have asked for more.
I did have a chat with the student doing IoE exams, he seemed to be very glad of the advice (his study is all distance learning, on paper then, not online as now, and he got a number of important questions answered and, I think, more importantly , I got his direct number .
A is extremely happy with the news, when I get back.
Evening – pleaded upset stomach – slight exaggeration – they didn’t seem surprised! Had evening in my room with the shortbread biscuits and marmalade, which I had brought as gifts, and the duty-free brandy I had left.
Given up on the iron.
Tuesday. 13th
10 a.m. walk to Dong Fang Hotel with Mrs A – no idea why. 45 mins. walk – sunny, 34C – 85% humidity – my yellow shirt turns orange with sweat in 5 mins. Decide DongFang doesn’t have whatever it was we went for – walk to China Hotel – meet A for lunch (they must plan it!). Lunch OK apart from chicken feet with forest fungus.
p.m. shopping with Mrs. A – A now departed somewhere else.
I guessed she had orders to keep me busy until at least 17.00 – at least shopping malls are air conditioned. One optician’s (and there are a lot in China) cleaned my glasses while I looked in their window.
Back to A’s office – Guangzhou underground a pleasant surprise. Couldn’t collect my e-mails – internet running at one page every other day.
Posed for photographs (could be centre spread for ‘Visiting Sweating Trainers Monthly’ for all I know).
Then, A and I, off to Mr H’s rooftop bar – looks like, a boy’s night out. H, another partner of A’s, has rented – well – a rooftop – and built a sort of bar – Carlsberg sign and a disco ball).
Had a takeaway meal – spring rolls great – but roadkill pigeon came complete with wings, legs, head, beak, eyes – the lot!
I ate the pigeon’s head – said it would see me through the week.
Highlight – a draught beer.
Course starts Friday 16th – even I was losing track by then.
Lunch in a revolving restaurant – great view of the river and got a ham sandwich (well I think it was ham).
Afternoon – rang my new contact at the Consulate (got the student’s direct number, remember –method in my madness.).
I did have questions about visas for Chinese students coming to the UK – but really just wanted an update on social activities for a Brit in Guangzhou. I struck lucky – got an invite for that night, to the inauguration of the new dart board in the Elephant and Castle (the bar the Consulate staff used) A RESULT!
Had a great and normal, Wednesday evening with Consulate and British Council staff, including their new Director – a very nice, down to earth, lady, who seemed at home in a pub.
Pints of Carlsberg lager, cheeseburgers and a game of darts –
Heaven.
Thursday 15th
a.m. left alone – need to prep for course. – Lunch – pig’s belly and egg yolk with chrysanthemum.
Afternoon – got a haircut nearby (had been asking since last Thursday) – 15 minutes – wash, 5 minutes cut – and 20 mins. Head massage.
Back in room – Tele-tubbies on TV – no subtitles or translation?
Finally – Late p.m. get access to the training room to set up for tomorrow.
Seating layout useless – looked like it was for a theatrical production.
We stand around for a while, no sign of A – just Mrs A and the hangers on. they seem to imply that somebody else would do it–somebody else never appeared. I just start moving tables and chairs myself – as they watcged!
(Done it many times before, when working alone – as I appear to be now!
Eventually arrange whole room in a horse-shoe layout.
A arrives 10 mins after I have finished – par for the course. I think he must wait outside the room, listening.
Pre-Course Dinner with the Consul General
Off to pre-course official dinner with the Consul General and some of his staff. Quite pleasant evening – the new British Council Director, refreshingly good company from Yorkshire, a reminder of home. –she agrees to speak at the launch. Food – exploded sweet and sour fish (looked like somebody had put a banger in it) but otherwise OK – and, of course in the British Consulate, – had a nice drop of French wine.