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Daytime Off

Wednesday is normally a full day off for me, but I have been doing some evening classes on this day, lately, for the extra money and to cover classes for a teacher who has had visa trouble.  Wednesday yesterday, the K family went to downtown Wuxi.

We went there by bus, the #610 which takes one to Wu Ai Road and Xi Hui Park.  The bus ride was very unremarkable, but I did have one of those moments where the Universe made all sorts of sense and everything seemed as perfect as it could be.  I was sitting looking at Jenny and Tony, and it seemed inexplicably wonderful.  I do think of it now with a tinge of regret as I wish these moments happened more often and sooner in my life than they did.

A Great Chinese Meal

We got off the #610 at Wu Ai Road not far from Minhua Xiang where the K family one resided.  The wife took us to this restaurant in the area and we had a great meal.  I can't remember the name of it -- Xixin or something.  We had peanuts, spicy fried potatoes, lamb cooked in peppers, sweet and sour fish, among other things.  I enjoyed myself tremendously because it will be the last time we go out to eat this month -- the trip to Canada looms.  Tony amused himself by spinning the round pedestal on which the dishes are placed in a Chinese restaurant.  It was a challenge to pick up moving food using chopsticks, but I was up to it.

Double-Decker Bus

Rare regular readers of this blog may recall a video I made of Tony on a double-decker bus.  We took this bus, the #81, to Nanchang Market.

Nanchang Market

The K family split up at the market area.  My wife went shopping for clothes and bags and such, while Tony and I went to the book market.  Tony didn't want to go to the book market so I had to quickly do what I wanted to do.  I bought Tony a DVD compressed with 16 classic cartoons including Disney's Snow White, Cinderalla, Dumbo, The Lady and the Tramp, and Felix the Cat.  I bought myself a DVD of a Jazz movie featuring Louis Armstrong and Billie Holliday, another of Gilda starring Rita Hayworth, and also His Girl Friday starring Cary Grant.  Tony became very impatient as I made these purchases, having a fit during which he threw himself on the ground.  I took him out of the place and we walked to a nearby bridge where he got to climb up and down stairs -- an activity he enjoys.  This bridge is near the boarding area for the canal cruise.  Tony got sight of this and wanted to board the boat.  He couldn't and I had quite the time carrying him away from the area.  He did a full-on fit in my arms for about five minutes -- I spanked him in hopes of getting him to stop, but it wasn't till his mother returned that he finally calmed down.

Nanchang Market is being renovated for the umpteenth time, and so walking the area isn't at all pleasant.  One has to dodge mud, puddles, and holes where piping is being put in.  The only good thing about the work being done is the fact that Tony is interested in watching Earth Movers.  At one point during our jaunt together, he stood transfixed for ten minutes watching one of the machines in action.

It's A Wonderful Life

I was hoping to find a DVD copy of the Christmas time classic before Christmas.  It turned out that I found a copy yesterday when I was under orders from Jenny to find a copy of Daddy Daycare.  I bought the Jimmy Stewart movie and didn't find a copy of Daddy Daycare.  Which is just as well.

Radio Procedure

I do an English Corner on Radio Procedure -- the "Over, Out, and Roger Wilco" stuff.  Sometimes, you will try anything.  And I had a good time doing the topic.  It was funny it get one student to ask to another to marry him, using radio procedure:

"November Four, this is Sierra Victor Two, over."

"November Four, go ahead, over."

"Sierra Victor Two, will you marry me? over."

"November Four, do you have a lot of money? over."

"Sierra Victor Two, I have a......"