2007-12-31：

My schedule was changed. Saturday was my free day; I slept a lot, made in an easy going way some reading exercises and then in the evening I was invited for dinner. A former classmate of An Yan's wife is in town what needed to be celebrated.

We went to a "hotel-restaurant". Why do I say hotel-restaurant? Well, if you go out you usually imagine some kind of restaurant where you book a table. Not here. At this place you book a room (usually). There are also a few tables, and there is a BIG hall downstairs where BIG parties are celebrated, like weddings. But the main business are rooms for dining. Different sizes. I didnt count how many rooms this hotel-restaurant has, but I guess at least 100. Our room was for 14 people. In China round tables are quite common. And usually you dont order "your" dish but many different things are ordered that are put on another rotating table. That means that everybody can taste everything.

One word about fish: Fish is served with bones and everything ("Look into my eyes, baby"). It is an adventure to poke with the chopsticks the fish, to try to get some fish-meat, but to try not to get the bones. Forks, knives? No way!

Food in China plays an important role. Three warm dishes per day are not rejected. A normal person is unable to perform that kind of daily cooking-marathon, so there is a huge food-industry. At each corner you can get some kind of noodles, rice or any other delicious dish. "Wuhan-noodles", a speciality here in Wuhan you get for roughly 0.20 - 0.30 EUR. You can eat it for breakfast, in-between, as a snack.

Yesterday and today I have played against kids in the school; and today I have had a very annoying and unpleasant experience. I played against a kid - maybe 10 or 11 - I havent played against so far. During the game he started suddenly to read in a go-magazine, to play with his drinking bottle etc. I have some hope that this has been the first and also the last time. I noticed that after the game An Yan had a serious discussion with this boy.

Breakfast:

The big hall:

The entrance to a room:

The dining table:

The dining table:

Fish served in customer oriented way:

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