I'm still Packing

but meanwhile in Shanghai, the war between the Hostess and the Ayi rumbles on. The Chicken Soup that the Ayi had prepared for tea - the Hostess actually took it away from S while he was eating it and chucked it in the bin. Very odd really, considering it was the Hostess that suggested this particular Ayi in the first place. Perhaps she should have checked out the MSG levels in the Chicken Soup before making rash recommendations.

At 9.00pm, much to S's alarm, the Hostess disappeared upstairs. Upon further investigation, S discovered her running his bath. He stood uncertainly for a moment, wondering if she would leave the room while he undressed, or whether scrubbing your new tenant's back was par for the course in China. It subsequently became apparent (and fortunately before he actually removed any clothes) that she was only demonstrating the intricacies of the Whirlpool Bath. After drawing all the curtains for him to indicate it was his bedtime, she went home.

S is desperately trying to manage without cutlery and other basic English items, preferring to wait till we all arrive so we can go shopping for these things together. He manages to stir his tea with a chopstick, but apparently buttering his toast with one is not so easy.

Late update - the Host popped round this morning to collect a book he'd left, and washed the dishes while he was there.