We have had many different guests come to our Airbnb, but every so often one or two will stand out. A doctor arrived last night; mind you I wouldn’t feel very comfortable if he was treating me for any affliction. He was as you would say “a little bit creepy” He had come from Nantong, a city about 90 mins away from Suzhou. He was 36 years old and he told me that he had recently found a girlfriend but he wasn’t really sure if it was the right thing to do. I asked him why he thought that and he told me that is was an expensive exercise which I can totally understand. I mean it can get very expensive when you get into a relationship and of course it depends on who you get to join you in this venture. In China of course there are certain expectations shall we say. The guy must have his own house and if possible a car also. Two very expensive purchases in anyone’s language, but in China they are extremely expensive. Compared to the UK a car will cost you at least twice as much. A two bedroom flat in Suzhou around 100 m2 will cost about £775,000 and so it ain’t cheap. I mean that is a lot of dumplings.

He asked me many questions and I tried to answer the best I could without being totally biased which can be very difficult if the subject matter is America. I’m sure by now you will have realised I don’t have a lot of time for this part of the world. Although I still do like some of their old cars, they were rather flamboyant and so was our doctor it must be said.

So why are you coming to Suzhou and only staying for one night? Why did you arrive so late and what are your plans?

I’m coming to Suzhou to meet one of my former students and we will go for some beer and dinner and then he will come back here and stay the night. Well that does sound nice…………..

I have just started to form a new opinion about our doctor friend. I change the subject but it’s not long before we are back on the subject of tonight’s adventures. We have another guest here with her two young daughters and so I said to him that when you come back this evening we would appreciate it if you could be quiet as you are intending to go out on the randan as one would say with your young student friend. He replies that he doesn’t think that is very good to have two guys in the room when there is a young family here also. I couldn’t agree more.

Anyway before you know it he is off to meet his beau………

Shortly afterwards I go to bed and tune into the trusty BBC Radio 4, it always sends me to sleep and I have also managed to become extremely hateful of the Archers theme song. But I couldn’t believe it, I was no sooner in me bed and heading off to the land of nod that I hear the front door being opened and our lovers have returned.

In the morning I’m having a cuppa and the doctor appears in the kitchen and asks if we have any milk and I get him some from the fridge. He fills two small bowls and as he is doing this I ask him what his plans are for today. Well we will go shopping to “Guanqianjie” the main shopping street in Suzhou and then go to the best fish restaurant. Now this sounds more like a dirty weekend more and more.

Eventually the young boy shows his face and comes to drink one of the bowls of milk. He looks very young indeed, maybe 20 if he is a day. The doctor turns to me and says “see, he is just a very young boy” Again he had this very creepy looking look on his face. Now I know that this might not be what I’m beginning to think it is but it’s kinda hard not to. The young boy does not make any eye contact; he just drinks his milk and then buries his head in his phone. A few minutes later they both head for the front door and they are away and I’m very glad about that.

I went and checked the room and everything seems ok, only one towel was used and the room was left tidy. The key was on the table and all looks ok. Maybe this is just looking at life through the jaded and cynical eyes of an old guy that’s seen many things in his time and knows what a dirty old man looks like and I don’t mean when I look in the mirror. Maybe it’s also that things get lost in translation. Chinese is a very direct language and when someone uses English and it’s not the best then some things come out a bit misconstrued and maybe that’s all this was and I hope that’s all it was. I also have to remember that many Chinese, like our Doctor friend, are really very naive and not very worldy and maybe it would never cross his mind to go down the path of my thinking. Maybe it was just two friends catching up for a night and then going shopping and having lunch. If of course it was two girls there would be nothing strange about it at all, but when it comes to two guys doing this there still seems to be an air of suspicion.