Hotpot

February 2011

I was woken this morning by my Ayi knocking on the bedroom door and shouting something unintelligable from the other side. 

"Dang yi xia", wait a minute, I shouted back. 

Dragging myself unwillingly from the bed into the unwelcome icy air of the room I went to the door to find out what the problem was.  Xiao Huang told me my mobile had been ringing in my bag, which was hanging on the coat stand by the front door.  Missed calls; Liu Chuan, mother of Jia jia, my 5-year-old daughter's friend from kindergarten.  Quickly getting back into bed, and warmth again, I pressed the call button on my phone.

"Hello, this is Chuan Chuan.  I am very busy this days!"

"Oh, hello, yes, did you call me just now?" I wondered. 

She had, and between us, in a mixture of my little bit of Chinese, and Chuan Chuan's little bit of English we made a lunch date for 11:30 that morning at the Hotpot place.  Chuan Chuan had initially said 12, but today I had Henry, my student, coming for his English lesson at 2pm; earlier than usual because he is on holiday from school for Chinese New Year.

Another late morning getting up!  Already it was 8:30am and apart from Matthew, who had left at 8am this morning, we were all still in bed!  Again!!  Ever since it has turned cold, it is so difficult to get out of bed in the mornings!  Dawn breaks at 7am but the thought of leaving a warm bed seems unbearable!  We must first turn the air-conditioners on to heat the room a little......at least so we can't see our breathe, before we brave the cold.

with Liu Chuan Chuan.

Yummy Hotpot!

Going for hotpot would be lovely - we all love hotpot.....well, the hotpot near our house anyway, it's so edible, warming and yummy!  Looking forward to it I made for the bathroom to get ready.

"Wah!", Cold bathroom!  I usually exclaim in Chinese now.  Probably have done since Hong Kong.