It’s been a weekend of parks.

Idly flipping through the guidebook yesterday morning, Cameron having taken Jenny for her swimming lesson, I mustered the big girls to action and we went and had a look in Fuxing Park. Not far from where we are staying but further than we had managed to walk before. Everything is easier when the temperature is less than 30 degrees.

Such a fun park! Stuffed to the gunnels with old people. Many, many saxophones (a couple of clarinets), some just sitting on benches and playing in small groups and some performing to large crowds and backing tracks. People dancing (to the saxophones, to recorded music, to the music in their heads. In big groups with coordinated costumes, in pairs, alone). Tai chi, obvs, in groups and solo. Kites, bubbles, diabolos. Choirs. Badminton. Cards, mah jong. So loud! We were particularly taken by the group that had commandeered the bandstand to do some sort of latin American dancing: one chap with an orange shirt had all the facial expressions and was quite brilliant to watch, as he danced to a cacophony of loud recorded music, a full drum kit, a chap with maracas and, randomly, an old boy playing something similar but not quite the same on a trumpet.

We loved it so much we went back this morning so Cameron and Jenny could see it. The orange-shirt man was there again (red shirt this time) but today he was giving lessons.

Yesterday afternoon Cameron, Jenny and I went on a bunny hunt. Lots of the girls at school have these very fluffy bunny toys and Jenny has coveted them since day one. Even more so since one of Tamsin’s  new friends gave her one. Apparently she had seen them on our first visit to the Yu Garden so we went back there – and yes, there they were, so we have a happy daughter for about £2 (it is not a high quality toy). It was much less busy there than it had been the first time – and we, of course, are less dazed and confused – so we had a good look around the shops and stalls, and even popped in to one for watermelon (Jenny) and random Asian pudding (Cameron and me).

Last night we walked through another park, crossed the road, into another park where, right in the middle, there was a sort of sunken pit containing restaurants. And lots of people doing an aerobic workout. And bars. We had a fabulous meal of fish and chips (!) followed by deep-fried Mars bars – Maggie was not at all sure initially but came around to the idea.

This afternoon, I am working (honest) in the sports centre while Maggie does 3 hours of fencing. Cameron has taken the little ones to Century Park because we think there might be playground stuff there.