The Tanbo owner recently asked me if I wanted to go to Chagan lake with the Tanbo staff... so of course I accepted the invitation, and cleared my Sunday classes so that I could go.
I was a little nervous about this at first..... because most of the waitresses I know and talk to a lot quit. I also haven't been to Tanbo that often in the past few months... maybe like once every two weeks.... some weeks I go a few times though. Luckily everyone still knows who I am :)
Most of the kitchen staff actually hasn't changed... they seem to stay a lot longer.
I got there at 7:15 in the morning... and we started loading stuff in the bus (they rented a bus) and then sat down in the bus. I was great I got a seat and all the waitresses I know were around me. Then the owner came and had me move to her car... which was nice (has air conditioning and such)... and gave me the front seat and got in the back with her niece and the manager. She also moved the guy that plays the piano and sings to another car.
Conversation was minimal on the way there... but ok.. we went to an area that I had never been to before... and i think i can find again... it was really pretty and there was pretty much no one else out there.... . probably because people don't know where its at.. and its really hard to get to... the bus couldn't make it... they had to get out and walk after the bus almost got stuck. They put the crates of bear and the grill in a little stream so that the girls could cross (all in some sort of heals of course, except the kitchen staff)
We went out to this little place with a few tent type things set up (I think one of their friends lives there or something). Set up the stuff and headed for the water... I wasn't sure people were actually going to get in.. because most people in songyuan don't know how to swim.....but the lake is really shallow so it didn't matter to much.
We got to the edge of the lake (boys first of course) and all the guys just start stripping down and throwing their clothes on the side of the lake... chinese guys were tighty whities (except other colors) or boxer briefs...... so they look very similar to the swimsuites guys wear here... so they just wore those...... I wear real boxers ... so that was not going to fly..... i just unloaded my pockets into my backpack and put it in the car..... at first i was just walking around pretty much fully clothed in the water but i saw the guys a lot farther out playing around and having fun.. and i was over by the shore just kind standing there with the girls (who were also fully dressed in their normal clothes) ..... so i said screw it and put the shit on shore and swam out the the guys (who were in waist deep water)..... if me swimming around all over the place didn't give enough shocked faces.... me taking off my shirt definitely did (OMG its a fur beast!).
We played out in the water collecting muscles (or whatever they are called in lakes) and putting them in this little boat they were dragging around. We had lots of splash fights... usually girls vs guys... even the Tanbo owner was out there playing. We were out there for about 4 hours playing.....ya.. i'm burnt... but only on my shoulders.. ..
When we got back on shore we started up the fires and had a nice BBQ...... only had to watch a guy rip the heads off of a few small birds before throwing them on the fire.... its so weird watching the girls play with the birds earlier in the day and talk about how cute they are.. and then watch their heads get ripped off... . I was happy to see that most of those same girls were still bothered by the heads getting ripped off... but not by eating them.. hehe
Then it was just hanging out and then heading back. They were supposed to get back at 4:30.. but it ended up being 5:30.... and then opened Tanbo and started working.... .everyone was exhausted .... I can't imagine that being a very good night. (they close at midnight)
I sadly did not take any pictures (I always seem to forget my camera, it's batteries have been dead for like 3 months).. and most pictures that were taken were on people cell phones... The Tanbo owner took some pictures with her uber camera.. so I will hopefully get some of those and post them soon.
Next post...... Back to Chagan lake..............what? ya... totally went back the next day... by bike! ( I have pictures of this one!)
Random shack behind the hotel... right next to the pig pens.
This set of like bird cages and stuff were on the second floor of the hotel, right across from my room.
I can totally wear snows bathing suit!
This is the shower/changing room by the like.... yay for batteries!
I'm REALLY hungry!
Had to have a quick bath after finishing the bike trip to the lake... it was hot.
