Wuhu Noodles Amazing

This Islamic restaurant is amazing for noodles and the price is awesome under 10 rmb for a meal the surroundings are basic but the food is superb.
If this place was in Europe behind a glass screen for the kitchen they could charge a fortune!!
Maybe a franchise idea for some enterprising person here its just normal nothing unexpected or even considered amazing at all.
The quality of the food here is absolutely FIRST CLASS and this is perfect example of what is available in numerous places in Wuhu and no doubt the rest of China we have eaten there and some times at the tables they have on the pavement area thats how basic the surrondings are but worth it for the food.

Trip to Nanjing more shopping Valentines day

After all this time just realised my blog is still on UK time hence the posting been on the 15Th February not 14Th as I had thought also not sure now how to adjust it believe me took me weeks to load the pictures link which should only take 5 minutes talk about technophobia.
Any way had a choice of 2 places to go to on Valentines day Hefei the capital city of Anhui or Nanjing pick Nanjing for no other reason than I have been there twice and I don't get lost as easily and the DVD shop is there. DVD and Cd's for 10 rmb approx £1 also have never yet had any problems with the music DVDs great quality and fairly good choice.
Travel to Nanjing by bus from Wuhu which takes under one and a half hours not recommended to watch the road as the driver swerves all over trying to get ahead listen to my ipod and the time passes quickly.
As it is now lunchtime we head off from station towards castle wall and find a restaurant have my usual Beef potatoes and green vegetable with rice so now I'm a happy bunny.
Have spotted a sign for park which looks nice so head off towards there and wander round lots to see in the park including various fountains and monuments and the twin spring of the Yangtze river as the translation is never great not sure if that's what it is the park is huge and is complete with temple please see pictures on Picasso not sure i can do it justice verbally.
After a pleasant wander around the various parts we head off by taxi into centre of Nanjing and as usual end up in Starbucks for a coffee at European prices allegedly one is going to open in Wuhu but no sign of it yet.
Wander round the shops then head off to the DVD shop I spend the grand sum of 120 rmb and get 12 albums some which are double albums for a total of £12 amazing would pay that for 2 in the UK.
By now its heading towards 5.30 and the bus is at 6.30 so near to the bus station we go looking for food its not easy to describe the basic cafe type places which in the UK with regulations and council interference would be closed down as unhygienic and not suitable,here they flourish the food is cheap tasty and varied.Have never in all my time been ill or suffered at all as these places need regular customers to survive the food is fresh and delicious and at prices which by western standards are unbelievable.So we have noodles and beef for less than 10 rmb cooked and served within 5 minutes of sitting down delicious.
So Valentines day is nearly over not Romantic by western standards but I enjoyed my day out in Nanjing again still have not found the Indian Restaurant maybe next time need to go and stay overnight.

My Own Transport and Office Move

Well after months of searching and some what seems to me strange negotiations which seem to have no logic or rhyme or reason and not convinced anywhere else it would work at all. Our new office location which is 5 minutes from my apartment although the most direct route is through a section of demolished houses and soon to be built upon. This is OK in daylight but not recommended at night due to the potholes and uneven road.
The new office means we are no longer near to the city centre and walking street but looks and feels more like an office and space wise its a lot bigger.
The move is fairly painless from my point of view i lock my desk drawers and bundle up my computer at the old office and on Monday turn up at new office and its all in place again a testament to Chinese efficiency and organisation and from the IT department a lot of hard work on the Sunday to connect everything.
Any way over the weekend we have a look at the location from the point of view of food and where it is in relation to everywhere else I decide to invest in some transport of my own as my complex is on a road to nowhere so getting taxis is not always easy.
I have been looking at various cycles from mountain bikes to normal bikes to electric scooters and petrol motorbike.Have to say when i first arrived here i could not contemplate any type of transport as i found the roads chaotic and seemingly with no rules or observation of traffic lights or crossings.
However now after 5 months of taxis and walking around I feel i have more of an idea as to what is the expected norm.
The traffic lights here have abrilliant sysyem of counting down to the change to green so you arrive at the junction and it may say 89 secs then counts down to zero makes life so much easier the only other thing strange to me is turning right on any colour of light fairly logical when you think of it and quite easy to work with maybe in the gridlocked roads of the UK we could try the same for turning left at junctions etc.
Any way decide on healthier option of cycle which having seen Jacobs newly purchased bike we decide to go to same shop near to Auchan the French supermarket.
So Saturday afternoon meet Jacob and after some negotaion agree price of 600 rmb for 2 bikes 2 shopping baskets and 2 locks this is for a classic style bike with chain guard no suspension and not the worlds best braking system but as I dont expect to go very fast its not a problem.
Having purcahsed our bikes we cross the road to Auchan so Luca can buy some food for the next day he has promised to do a pasta dish for Lunch.
We then have to cycle home which is no mean feat as it is some distance from my apartment and I have not been on a bike for over 12 months and then it was my mountain bike with gears gel seat and suspension I soon realise that the seat is not the most comfortable and after 20 minutes arrive home in one piece having only had one minor mishap at a junction.
If the sight of two foreigners walking around Wuhu the apperance of two on cycles seems almost to stop people in their tracks as we cycle down the road.
Sunday meet Luca and Dong Dong for lunch cooked by Luca which is nice spaghetti with sauce cheese which was given to me by Elodie on her return from France after her break over the CNY.
Having now got some transport of my own its now a lot easier to get around and as a by product I get some exercise which is an additional benefit, I am still losing weight all be it at a slower pace now and the new jeans i bought a few months ago here are now also too large,I need to have a suit made and my original suit altered to fit for when I attend Exhibitions later this year in Germany and USA no doubt finding a tailor will be an experince as are most things in China.

CNY Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year don't you just love any country that has 2 celebrations for New Year talk about feel good factor its here in abundance. The opportunity to celebrate the new year twice once for the lunar year and once for Chinese calendar new year the year of the OX.
My impressions of china just keep getting stronger I love the place the people the vibrancy I feel more alive here in the last 5 months than I did in the last 3 years in the UK I get up each day looking forward to each new day with a relish and zest for life that leaves me feeling great and cherishing every minute.
Yes at times its frustrating and my inability to communicate properly is annoying for me but overall my day to day here is exciting different and full of surprises from food to people to places and i haven't seen a lot of places yet but some of the parks are awesome. Full of people enjoying the space playing exercising singing along with the kids maybe this was how parks were in the 50s in the UK places for all to enjoy together,bygone times in the UK but that's how it is now in the Parks in China delightful and enjoyable.
Chinese new year is not like our new year in that it lasts all through the week long holiday and includes a mini new year night which marks the end of the celebrations.
Fireworks here seem to be either very colourful or very loud the loud variety seeming to be the most popular.
The fireworks are also used in day to day celebrations during the rest of the year for things like Marriage Death and moving to new House this is accompanied by lots of fireworks at what ever time of day or night the person chooses or so it seems to me

January in Wuhu cooking for friends and back to work

So back to work after a short break for new year on Saturday several of my colleagues are invited to Lydia Christa and Echos flat for a meal which is always good as the 3 girls really love to cook and the dishes are always superb.
Luca offers to help and soon discovers how much slicing and cutting is required before cooking I opt for the easier option of cooking and do get to cook to dishes which are considered to be acceptable however i can take any real credit as i am handed the ready sliced vegetables and meat which i bascially stir fry and serve up.
We seem to have as usual 12 dishes and also some hot pot food as they have set up the hot plate in the living room.
After the meal we play Majong which is Lucas first time to play and with the help of Lydia he wins the first game. I manage to win the second game so 2 nil to the westerners apparently it is mostly luck the skill level required is minimum or so I am led to believe.

Seeing in the New Year in Wuhu

So celebrating the Western new year in Wuhu not quite as I imagined the rest of the population unsurprisingly seemed to be not in the least bit bothered about the New year. The westerners and various other foreigners were determined to at least try and celebrate.
A group of us arrange to meet at a Japanese Restaurant at 8.30 for a meal which includes free drinks we have negotiated a price of 130 rmb per person which includes all the food you can eat and a selection of free drinks including Plum wine and saki.
Have to say the food was great varied and plentiful not a great fan of saki so get stuck into the plum wine which is fine.
Normally lots of restaurants etc in Wuhu all close at 9.30 ish but we have managed to get the Japanese to stay open till 10.30 which we manage to stretch to 11.00 by basically refusing to leave.
at 11.00 we all pile into 3 taxis and head off to the New club (which is not new now its been open for months but is still referred to as the new club)Any way 12.00 arrives we have a countdown and wish each other a happy new years the club then continues as any other evening and New year is a decidedly anti climax and very low key.
Maybe Chinese new year in February may be lively.
Any way Thursday morning dawns do not feel at all hungover which makes a change for new years day.
Get a phone call from Lily a Chinese girl I met a few weeks ago and we arrange to meet near to wall mart she wants to show me around Wuhu so mid afternoon we meet and wander down food street to Zhe Shan Park. I have been here previously but from the other side next to the Buddhist temple so this area of the park is new to me we wander around and in one section there are lots of Chinese exercising outside on the park equipment.
We wander further into Park and I see a sign saying Portrait of MAO which actually turns out to be a statue of Mao not sure the sign translated very well.
We have a pleasant afternoon and wander off to have some food at what I call the Spring roll restaurant which is open 24 hours handy when you leave the club and want some food or in some cases more beer.
Later we make our way to Walking Street where one of the malls has reopened and is doing a promotion of spend 150 and get 200 to spend free.
So i take advantage of this and buy a watercolour painting and 2 iron art pictures
so i am more than happy with my purchases which makes the flat seem more like a home.
So the holiday is drawing to a close have to say next year i hope to travel elsewhere and not see in the new year in Wuhu too quiet for me.

Christmas week in Wuhu

So Christmas week dawns have to say I don't feel like it Christmas at all apart from the odd sighting of Christmas trees and decorations and Santa hats.

As this is a normal working week I revert to normal hours 8.30-18.00 on Christmas day I work until 12.30 (first time I have ever worked on a Christmas day)and take a half day off to get ready for the staff Christmas meal at the evening.

So most of the staff turn up at the Rose Hotel including the part timers and peoples partners. Luca has been cooking an Italian dish from his region as one of the dishes for the meal.
This is called Fricule and proves to be very popular although Luca says it is better when it is hot.
The main meal is Chinese food which is good along side jugs of Sangria made by Kit and this seems to be well liked even by people who don't normally drink.
After the main food we two types of Italian cake provided by Kit and the hotel have allowed him to use the kitchen to make some English custard which is very popular.

Also Kit has made 2 large Trifles which every one seems to enjoy and most people seem to be enjoying the evening.
Thanks to Lydia reminding me about the lyrics to Santa Claus is coming to town which I gave her in the morning it is suggested that I sing the aforementioned song are you serious (anyone unfortunate enough to her me sing will understand why)
Any way Kit sporting agrees to sing along also and we enlist Luca to help not sure how good or bad it sounded but we get through to the end of the song and some polite applause.
At least it feels a bit more like Christmas and it was a successful evening meal and a chance to relax a little.
After the meal we head off to Bar Street which sounds grand but there are only 4 bars that i can find on there we go to a little Bar called DOORS which is fine and later we head off to the Overseas students bar as some colleagues are in there having a drink.
We finish the evening in the club and its a nice end to Christmas day.
So although it felt nothing like Christmas day it was an enjoyable evening and the meal was the highlight of the day
update unknown to me Christa took a video of us singing not a potential pop release by any stretch of the imagination.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!