Bellows and Burros

---

So where were we? oh yes the tailor experience appears to have been a success with ann returning unscathed by her foray into the wonderful world of cycling in Beijing.Bob was particularly pleased as it was his expensive and prized bike she was riding.The finished garments will be ready tomorrow or saturday,not sure which. We decided to take our hosts out for supper last night and went to a large restaurant near their home. The place had a line up but that meant sitting on small stools outside with bowls of sunflower seeds and glasses of green tea to pass the time.I was given a card with a number when we approached and that was our place in the line.A good sysyem for those who speak Mandarin but a challenge for those of us who do not. A small woman with the voice of my dear old dad's sergent major stood on the stairs and bellowed out a string of words and people fell into place and were allowed entrance.I meekly waved my number card as a constant reminder of the linguistically challenged amongst us.They were of course very aware of my disability but never the less yammered at me when they wanted and with hand signals told us all to be cool and wait. As predicted number 26 came up and we were ushered into the inner sanctum a large room filled with smells,conversations and people.A menu with pictures was brought to us then another with pictures and english descriptions as well. The choices were varied with everything from chicken things to hedgehog and donkey.We flirted with the idea of donkey but could not get over the hurdle of differentiating to our waiter the choice of braised donkey as opposed to the donkey innards so we stayed clear of the dilemma.We settled for a lamb shank which came as a Fred Flintstone treat on a plate with plastic gloves to use to rip the meat off the bone,chopsticks being somewhat lacking for such a task.We had bean and chicken bits, and mushroom and glassnoodles a very strange slimy transparent noodle not unlike a gummy worm.Quarts of beer and soft drinks,vegetable rice and something called flaming fish which was a marvel of culinary art with the meat of the fish turned inside out and sliced into diagonal cubes which when cooked blossomed out into a beautiful flowering display .Covered with red sweet sauce and for some unknown reason the waiter had to deliver it with a song.I think we might have been the ones who were to sing but as the silence made it clear this was not going to happen he burst into a lively rendition of something that might have been a workers anthem from the cultural revolution. The singing happened at other tables as well with dramatic props of fans and swirling cloth as well as choreography.The evening cost about 24 dollars canadian for four adults and a hungry kid,not bad at all.
Back to the Moore's and an early night. Today we are getting serious about travel arrrangements and are going to try to go to a large hotel to speak to an agent about booking some of the next legs of the trip, There is also a carpet market and a pearl market in our future for today.Peking duck for lunch perhaps and the Peking Opera to round out the day. Wish us luck.

---