Amongst all the
frustration and difficulty I have faced throughout the year in China, I have
made some otleechna friends! Surviving winter with copious amounts of whiskey,
and getting through each crappy day at work by having fun with the little
brats, eating out with friends, these are the things I will remember about the
last year. My last week was spent hoping my passport would be returned to me,
feeling so nervous and dejected after a really rude ending at my work. I tried
to organise some food based mini events which friends could come to. Staying at
Tibos place in Xinghai square, Meghan present for the majority as she was on
holiday still, we prepared Boeuf Bourguignon on Tuesday night. Under careful
supervision, and taking notes, the most delicious rich and red wine soaked pot of stew was
produced. The dish is best done overnight, so it was reheated and added to the
next night when a few friends came around for a potluck. Plenty of wine,
vegetarian curry, Russian salad and steamed pork accompanied my creation, with
cheesecake, fruit salad and brownies to top it off. Everyone was full of
laughter and food so we played some silly games until the early hours.
Thursday I went to
dinner with more of the same good friends at an all you can eat Japanese
restaurant. There are a few in Dalian, and for around 40nzd it is open menu
until about 10. Fancy as, we filled up on all the deliciousness and sake
imaginable, and tottered off to Pandora for a last few drinks with Leon, the owner,
and others who had come out for a goodbye beverage. Aaron and a few others were
dominating the mic and playing some pretty rocking songs, and of course I wont
forget the innumerable eves wasted away dancing and full of whiskey with so
many good fellow expats cramped into the small dingy bar that is Transformers
slash Pandora.
My final eve was spent
at a very fancy buffet dinner for ICD, a Dalian club for business people. I
drank lots of wine and afterwards at another bar, Hertz, where Aarons band played
and we danced, I even got slightly emotional saying goodbye to some pretty
awesome guys. The night was out of control when we went to a club called Suzy
Wong’s. I have never been a fan, the music will melt your ears off, and there
are an abundance of beautiful Russian girls flirting non-stop with all the
sleazy Brazilian guys. Funny but a bit depressing I think.
I was
lucky to hang with my closest friends for the Saturday, watching movies and
chatting tiredly about dumb things till it was time to find a cab to the
airport. Of course it was a long wait. I began a list of waiting times, which I
know will grow very large, as I waited another hour and a half for my plane.
