Bushtucker trial

Dorothy went off to a colleague’s wedding today so the boys and I reckoned we deserved a night out too. We hit the Meihua Rd soon after 5pm looking for some action, but with the temperature still at 35degC we decided one of our local restaurants – specialising in Yunnan Rainforest cuisine – was what we needed before bedtime. We’ve been there before but hadn’t noticed the house special dish. Some friends of ours told us about it, so this time we had to have it. Deep-fried grasshoppers, baby bees, and caterpillars. Yes, really. And we demolished the lot. It’s not hard to see the attraction – how many meals have you had where you can do a life-size re-enactment of the battle of the arthropods with your food before you eat it? What do they taste like? Crunchy and salty really. And will we go there to have them again? Definitely – especially when we have visitors.

“But Englishmen detest a siesta …”

This family is now a walking and cycling advertisement for Decathlon sports stores. Three bicycles, safety helmets, plus shirts, shorts, sandals and sundries galore. We ventured out for a bike ride en famille for the first time this morning, braving the oppressive heat and humidity. There’s a river that runs through Pudong from the Huang Pu river on which Shanghai sits, to the Yangtze River estuary about 13 miles from here to the East. There’s a riverside pathway for nearly its whole length which provides an excellent cycle or running route away from the insanity of Shanghai roads. The Danish father of one of Matthew’s school friends uses it for training runs as it’s exactly a marathon distance to run to the coast and back! Hmm, perhaps next week. We went out before the day got too hot, and with a bit of air movement it wasn’t too uncomfortable. Our 12km round trip was Matthew’s longest on his new bike and was very enjoyable, although we must have looked like a commercial for a family outdoor activity holiday centre. We even spotted a Great White Egret (I think) and lots of people fishing for cockles and turtles with elaborate net constructions.

The weather broke this afternoon with a dramatic thunderstorm. Our 28th floor vantage point allowed us an amazing view of the storm moving in from across Shanghai. Thunder and lightning surrounded us accompanied by torrential, tropical rain. But unlike a British summer storm the air was still thick and humid when the storm had passed. I did manage to drag myself out later for a run though. My running career is a new venture in an attempt to get fitter and carb-offset the dumplings. I’ve only plucked up the courage to move from the treadmills at the gym to the outside world this week, but I managed to run the 5km round Century Park in a personally pleasing, but publicly embarrassing, 29m47s. As I urged myself round the circuit I tried not to think of all my friends who would be way ahead of me, but instead of those of you who might possibly have been behind me or still in the armchair. I thank you for your unconscious assistance.

Tomorrow we’ve been invited to a party “In honor (sic) of the United States of America beating up the English on July 4th some 234 years ago”. I think we’re welcome.

And for those who missed this elsewhere. Arthur is playing knights and castles. The knights have just gone into the gift shop. I ask why. “Because you can’t get out of the castle without going through the gift shop.” Of course. Silly me.