I arrived shortly after 12 and we had a drink. I showed Peter the ropes viz-a-viz the scooter and he shot home on it and then taxied back to the coffee bar. We were later joined by Jeff, Morgan and Greg. Following a few more beers and their departure, Jim, Lily and 'Brave' rocked-up.
Two of my Chinese colleagues called and we all decided to go and eat at 'Golden Hans'. Apparently so did half the population of Qinhuangdao! The place was bursting. When I spoke to David and the fú wù yuán and established we were around fortieth in the queue I decided to take us elsewhere.
The restaurant of choice was closed and so we went to the next one down the road whcih turned out to be an excellent Sichuan restaurant.
Things got a tad silly (in a good way) and we were singing our way through supper. "Let's go to a KTV?" One of the Chinese at the table said he knew the perfect place, and he wasn't wrong!
A small bar in the middle of the city with 'open' KTV. It's the only one like it in Qinhuangdao. Suihua, Heilongjiang where I used to live was full of 'open' KTV bars. By 'open' I mean that everyone sings in front of everyone else. KTV bars are usually single rooms where only your party are privvy to your howlings!
It was awesome. I knocked out a couple of Chinese songs and then some of the more popular English tunes. Jim took up the mic and wooed the crowd with some rap. You had to have been there, but let me just say one thing; it's a night I'll never forget.
Tesco looks like it is finally going to open. The general (joke) concensus is that it'll open the day I leave. If I find out they sell Salt & Vinegar crisps I'll be cancelling my flight and staying!
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I'll go there tomorrow (Saturday) for what I believe will be the grand opening. I've warned the foreigners here not to get their hopes up. If this Tesco is anything like the one in Beijing then it'll be rubbish. The little 'export' shops will still be the place to go for western products.
Four days to go!
