A Dog called Baby and Response to a Request
Yesterday one of my ex-students called offering to take me out. I had a day of work lined up, but there’s always tomorrow so off I went.
We headed across the road and through an entrance which previously I had considered private. 
When will I ever learn that nothing or little in China is considered private? More on that another time.
Just before and through the entrance were rows of street vendors, but not my “is it really chicken?” kebab vendor. But then it was the wrong time of day for her to be out. After the stalls were small shops and restaurants and we headed into one of them after stopping for some shots of two small kittens playing under the tree to which they were tied.
They were not keen on the attention. Real scaredy cats, but they did settle before I left.
The restaurant served food from my student’s home province which was many thousands of miles away. We had chicken complete with bones, braised beans with pork accompanied by rice. It was OK and I would return. After we finished eating the student asked the owners if they would show me their dog.
It was quickly produced from an opening in a wall. It was clean from its weekly bath the previous day, but not pretty due to its protruding under jaw. It’s the most docile dog I’ve ever met. It’s 9 months old and was happy just to nestle in people’s arms. It’s fed on restaurant left-overs, a good form of recycling I guess. It beats the need to forage which is the life of many dogs. I have no idea what some of the pampered pooches I meet eat.
Every good meal should finish with desert so we headed to the large shopping centre nearby for dishes of ice cream. I didn’t actually think about ice cream quality when I was eating it because there was much to see and talk about. However, on reflection it was pretty good. Last year I’d been unable to find any decent ice creams so my son kept me well supplied when I visited him in September/October. My ice cream foraging abilities have improved no doubt, but I also think China is changing so fast that I’m seeing and tasting the changes.
The ice creams came complete with small fans made from something edible. The tables were designed as fish tanks with rocks, shells and a few small goldfish. The shop also had a hole in the wall for dispensing soft serve ice cream in cones. I’d seen it before and been tempted a few times but never indulged after considering bacterial count. I forgot that thought after a long, hot walk in Tianjin and when faced with an ice cream dispenser in a shopping centre I indulged. The result was not disastrous but it did cause a bit of rumbling in the innards.
A young couple at another table had something known as fruit salad ice. I asked to photograph it and we were informed that they came from the nearby medical college. My student immediately asked if I wanted to visit so we had the “isn’t it private” conversation again.
We headed off via a couple of detours each offering more insights and meetings.
The other college came complete with a lake
having several sculptures and the capacity for students to sit around and socialize or study. Some had taken the opportunity to do that. It was there that we collected a guide and entourage. The college also had gardens and a pleasant loggia arrangement covered with vines suitable for sitting underneath. While there is a lake here it is fenced off and has no seating arrangements. A loggia and outdoor seats scattered around the campus wouldn’t go astray either.
After a bit more wandering around we fare-welled our guide, had a quick sit down and interlude at the gates with the guards.
So Sandra, I forgot to photograph lunch but you do get the ice cream and fruit salad ice. I’ve a couple more lined up from today’s outings. Not sure when those stories will reach you. Tomorrow has come and almost gone and I still haven’t finished that which earns my daily bread.
