So, I was supposed to go to KTV today to do some Karaoke, but the student who knew where it is, didn't show up. I should back that up by saying, she did show up, at 8am, and I said come back at 6pm, cause this is too early for Karaoke. The other student and her friend showed up at 5:50 pm. We waited for Ann. She is this very little and smart girl. She comes from central China. I suspect that her family has experienced some of the earthquake related despair lately, because her cell phone no longer is in service. I agreed to pay for KTV, but I had no idea about the 8am time choice. We waited, and she never came. I tried her cell phone, but it was out of service. I am sure I will catch up with her next week. She always comes to my international law class, even though she is not on the class roster. I really appreciate it.
So, Dora and her friend and I went to the seaside instead. I took my guitar, because Dora was excited and finds it funny that I play guitar. On our way to the street from my apartment, her friend suddenly told me Dora is Christian, which I found a bit of an odd thing to say about her, randomly. I do however, appreciate the implications. She subscribes to a most western philosophy, but one of prudence. To boot, she likely has family ties to the Jesuit and Christian traditions of China. I snagged my fishing rod and reel on the way out the door. I figured seaside, might find a place to throw a line out, bring fishing rod. Simple arithmetic.
I was hungry, but the girls had eaten. They offered to find me some food. They found a little restaurant, typical in Yantai, with a picture menu in a refrigerated shelf. The pictures are of the ingredients of the meal in a bowl, and you order it, and the chefs cook it for you. It is an easy way to get good food. I ordered dumplings, and they initially thought I should have forty of them, but Dora, asked me and we reduced my order to 20. Little did we know, we would have another guest at dinner. Instead of waiting in the restaurant, we went out onto the promenade by the shore to wait. There are plenty of stone balls, and benches to sit on, and people are everywhere: women fighting with their boyfriends, lovers strolling, children flying kites, and all manner of humanity out for a wonderful Saturday night at the beach. I was answering questions from the two girls, when I saw a foreigner walking alone. I thought, well, I have ignored foreigners twice now, and I regretted it later, because there are so few here: so I waved. He, at first ignored it, and then he seemed to think twice, and he started our direction.
He approached and I loudly said hello. He responded, that means he speaks English. He explained that he is from the Philippines, and this is his first day in Yantai. He is working for a ship company, on the docks, and he will be here for a year. Wow, exciting. He asked me for advice about Yantai, so I gave him the rundown: Darunfa, Jackies, Alibaba, SanZhang Market, KFC, McDs, (forgot to mention Pizza Hut), but I emphasized Jackie's: it is a great place for a foreigner to go, when in need of some English language. He, however, spoke some Chinese, and began conversing lightly with Dora and her friend. So, when it came time for us to go get our food, I asked him along, at a spur of the moment. He came with us to eat, and he ordered a second 20 dumplings.
After dinner, we parted ways with the other foreigner, and we made our way to the Opera/Pop fountain. This is a lighted water fountain, about 100 yards by 100 yards with a water spurt show, choreographed to the music being pumped out over loud speakers. It is quite nice at night. Dora and I sat down and waited for her friend, whom had gone to find us Coca Colas, and ice cream. I whipped out my guitar, and before long there is a crowd of about twenty people, admiring my skills and listening. A Shanghai pair of brothers ask to try their hand at guitar, and one of them upstages me subtly with a very lovely classical guitar solo. I quickly regroup and play some blues: back at ya. Blues is my Forte. Two pretty girls approach and they ask my friends all sorts of questions, which I would find out later to be: does he have a girlfriend, what does he do: his singing is very good, etc... The crowd dissipates after I show a clear attitude of "no show here, just relaxing with friends, but I am willing to play if you just want to listen." People come and go, and many stay and look at me admiringly. It feels great, and Dora explains that they were very impressed by my skills. I am no dummy, and I know my skill level, and I also know, they rarely hear the blues in China.
So, that was it...well, we did go to the night market, where there is about two square miles of products on tables, and I got some very high responses to "Duo Chau Chen?" : Wu Bai, Arr Bai. I know that if I hear Bai (One Hundred) I am getting the Westerner price. I buy nothing. It makes me mad: I don't make that kind of money. I start to think about swiping some things I want, but I know better, way better. So, we have to go, because the dorm staff close up at 10pm, and I don't want to face the uncomfortable dilemma of where will Dora sleep. We didn't catch fish, we didn't fish, but I caught some attention with my blues guitar skillz, and I feel good that some pretty Chinese girls found me interesting enough to ask about me. What will tomorrow bring? As Steve says, Tomorrow is another day.
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