Skip to main content

For all the tea in China

 Mum’s Youth Hostel is open again

Never a dull moment!

This week we've had two teachers from China 
move in for a couple of weeks.
They arrive bearing a wonderful gift of Chinese tea.
I can already tell we’re going to have a great time…


For a start they are fluent English speakers 
which always makes things easier for a good natter.
I love exchanging information about our lives.
With our previous students I often have to resort to 
my not-so-fine acting skills...

Secondly these ladies are here with 
sixteen of their hospitality students,
not staying in our house, in case you were wondering.
There is a limit to my hospitality!

But before we know it 
they are offering to help left, right and centre.
This is a massive bingo moment, 
I do not expect our Home Stay guests to help in any way,
but I sure appreciate the offer.


They tell me they teach hotel management 
Holy Moly
Do you think they will notice 
that I didn’t iron the bottom sheet on the beds?

Answer: If they did, they won't say anything.
They are waaaay too polite.

They are an absolute delight to have in the house...
Could they have a mop 
as they have a little water from the shower on the bathroom floor?
Can they do the washing up?
I love them already!


They are impressed with my husband who before dinner
emerges with a humungous pile of shirts from the laundry
to do his weekly ironing.
'He’s just showing off' I say. 
I'm wondering why we need to have the entire
contents of the laundry scattered all over the family room.
The very same room 
that I have spent the entire week tidying up?!
Men!

We have a good laugh as I ask them 
whether they iron for their husbands?
Apparently the answer is Yes!
I have never ironed for any man’
I say proudly 
That’s a man’s job’!

In Australia all men do their own ironing?’ 
they ask incredulously.
I can tell they are already impressed with Aussie life...

Now how to answer this one? 
DH replies he would like me to do his ironing 
but I am really bad at ironing shirts!
Talk about having our dirty washing out in public…

I tell them years ago 
I perfected the technique of being really bad at ironing, 
it’s a great skill to have!
They smile politely...


On the first day they return home with profiteroles 
their students have made at school that day.
I’m impressed and worried. 
Do you remember the Japanese Food blogger 
I had staying with me last year? 
The pressure to serve up every meal 
ready to be showcased to the world 
on a food blog nearly killed me! 
We lived off baked beans for weeks after they left…

'Do you teach cooking?' I ask
Thankfully the answer is No!
Although anyone who has Chinese Facebook friends 
will know 98% of their Facebook posts are food photos. 
I can’t entirely relax!



I’m rather pleased that I have chosen to serve up 
a three bird roast in honour of their arrival.
After the first course our delightful guests offer to do the washing up!
'No need' I say 'we have a machine'
At the same time DH
 reaches forward to collect their plates...

They smile, incredibly impressed. 
First ironing, now washing up... 
He has gone from ironing hero, 
to mega dishwashing machine hero.

'In Australia all men are washing up machines?' they ask
If you're lucky I reply!

Tea anyone?

Linking with Alphabe Thursday
Thanks to Jenny Matlock!


Linking with Our World Tuesday
Thanks to all the hosts!









Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Updates for Little Wandering Wren

 Hello everyone ✨ Big news from the nest! ✨ How are you doing? We are excited to be heading off again to explore the world. If you love travelling to lesser-known places without the crowds. Stick follow along. After years of sharing my adventures over on Little Wandering Wren at Blogspot, it’s time to spread my wings… You’ll now find me at www.littlewanderingwren.com   Here you’ll discover: 🌍 Inspiring stays in the world’s best hotels, resorts & B&Bs 🌿 Hidden-gem destinations perfect for curious travellers 💫 Travel tips & stories for over-50/60s (and young at heart!) 📸 Gorgeous photography to fuel your wanderlust It’s the same Little Wandering Wren you know and love, just in a fresh new home! 👉 Tap the link in bio or head to  www.littlewanderingwren.com  to explore — and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an adventure. These days we hang out in Thailand and SE Asia, Australia, the UK, France and the United States. Here are some of t...

Our balcony Sunbirds!

Something beautiful is happening at our place, I can hear the little birds sing! This is no mean feat as we live way up high, above the 30th floor. I love my new apartment it is just perfect, except that I missed the birds. Then guess what? Two of the cutest little Thai Sunbirds decided to join us and build a nest. Talk about the happiest bird watch ever! Our sunbird on our orchids Let's go back a bit and remind you about my Bangkok life. I've arrived in this great city from Melbourne Australia. Where I have a garden that I love and although the birds are a little cautious about visiting us, on account of the Crazy Poodle, we enjoyed all manner of what I think of as exotic birds - bright parrots, laughing kookaburras etc Rainbow lorikeets checking to see what the Crazy Poodle is up to! Our first Bangkok apartment at Embassy Place was chosen for it's amazing position overlooking one of the US Embassy compounds. The American Ambassador in Bangkok, has a ni...

It's a funny old world!

Welcome to Racha Island Hello everyone and greetings from Phuket, Thailand THAILAND THOUGHTS Thailand where we have now reopened the country and are ready to welcome international fully vaccinated arrivals without quarantine to our beautiful island.  For all the details check out  Phuket Sandbox: Would you, should you, could you?   This month another southern island Koh Samui followed along. There are slightly different arrangements with guests to stay within their arrival hotel for three days before supplying a negative Covid test. This gives freedom to roam the island, after 7 days, visitors can also visit the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. For all the details check out: Welcome back to Thailand via Koh Samui plus All this as Thailand records the highest Covid numbers and death rates ever recorded and stricter measures have been released across the worst affected Provinces.  There is a plan for more of the country to open and the idea was for Thailand to fully...