Friday night Chinese John Travolta

Friday saw Asheline, Lao Xia and I visit the Summer Palace before going back for a great lunch of dumplings and other marvels prepared by Chenglan. The afternoon was dedicated to the Forbidden City and its many scaffoldings, and trying to find a taxi back to have dinner in the shopping mall behind Lao Xia’s home. A Korean BBQ fuelled us round the supermarket where we purchased a number of dried squid legs, bean curd strips and chopsticks.

By then it was 21.00 and we felt the disco urge (rather Lao Xia’s eyes were gleaming as he schemed his first trip ever to a disco – this is baby book material at the tender age of 64!), so we headed to the basement. Here we found hoards of youngsters in their party gear, filing into a dark hole with booming music that pounded our eardrums even from the dressing room where we dutifully left our purchases. An experience never to be forgotten. 1) quite a few people appear to have quite a lot of money as many were drinking bottles of spirits. 2) there were many more men than women. 3) the women at the bar were wearing Britney-style school girl mini dresses. 4) the dance floor was packed by 22.00 with most people facing the dj. 5) some audacious fellow tried to feel my backside but was not quick enough. 6) Asheline was a hit and got her fare share of stares.

In order:
Over the bridge and under Chairman Mao, to the Forbidden City.
Bridges at the Summer Palace.
We ate duck number 48'684'897 - delicious.
The Forbidden City; a strange place.