For Fiona

2nd April.

Randy and Olya

Randy's wife Olya and ourselves, Shanghai

We have just had a wonderful evening with Randy, Olya and their friends. First we met the Eastmans and had a drink in a very classy place and then were taken to a Manchurian restaurant where we met up with 6 friends of theirs (all of whom speak Chinese fluently and most of them Russian as well!) and had a beautiful, tasty meal in a private room with a large round table in it. Manchurian decoration is red and green so it was all very picturesque. We both (G and me) found it fascinating to hear them speaking Chinese. Olya had to leave after supper because of baby sitting problems; her youngest daughter is only 4 months old and the oldest son is 14 with a middle daughter of about 9 I think.

Randy and a Tartar friend of his fortunately decided to take the taxi back to the ship with us because the driver refused to understand where he was to go! Randy's friend speaks several Chinese dialects and was finally able to get the taxi company on the phone to give the driver instructions...which he still didn't seem to understand. In the end someone was found who spoke to him on the phone and then the driver said that he had known the way all the time! Randy says the level of frustration here is sometimes high but they do love the people the know. Olya feels they should move some time in the future for higher education for their son who is at a very goodChinese school at the moment but will have to go 'international' soon. The taxi dropped us literally at the foot of the gangway!