When I woke up my apartment was absolutely freezing so I wrapped up warm in my new winter coat, hat, gloves and scarf. When I got outside it was really warm and I had to take it all back off and put it in my bag.So inside my apartment is colder than outside, that's going to be just great when winter really arrives! I met Ruth on the corner and we went to the bus station to take a bus to Jinan.This time we paid the extra 10 Yuan (about £1) for a better ticket.The coach was nicer and we were given a complimentary packet of peanuts for travelling on the most expensive ticket, however it also meant the heating was on full blast which made me feel a bit queasy.

When we arrived we got a taxi to Quancheng Square.It was a large square with a big sculpture in the middle and people flying little kites, but apart from that it wasn't hugely interesting.We walked through and out the other side, where we spotted some places that looked like they might do food.The first place we went to was horrifyingly expensive and didn't have anything vegetarian, so we walked back out.Then we came across a tea shop so Ruth was able to get some tea she had been looking for.The shop also had a 'tea food' section, with such delights as tea-flavour-cranberries and tea-flavour-biscuits but I didn't buy anything because I didn't want to be carrying it around.We went into another restaurant but I looked at the time and saw it was nearly time to meet Louise.We got a taxi to the hotel (the first taxi we hailed didn't know where it was but the second taxi took us there) and we went to the supermarket to get some lunch.I love how easy it is to get hot food in China.We sat on the steps outside the hotel waiting, Ruth with a meat dumpling and me a corn-on-the-cob.

Louise arrived and we checked into the hotel.Then we went back outside to get a taxi to 1000 Buddha Mountain.I had heard good things about this place so I was really excited.However, when we got there the cable car (once we eventually found it) wasn't running, and although the guide book had said it would be open until 9pm, all the other sites were closing and it wasn't even 6pm yet. We did see a giant black Buddha and a giant gold Buddha and take some funny photographs, but it was a little bit disappointing.I expect it is probably better in the summer or earlier in the daytime.

We went back to the hotel to get ready for my birthday night out.Ruth had done a Blue-Peter style job on a banner she had brought with her to China and put the number 25 on it which was cool. Louise came into our room while we finished getting ready, and then when it was time to go she couldn't find her key.We figured she must have left it in the electric point just inside the door, so called reception and managed to explain.We stood in the hall outside her room for a while and then two security staff turned up and opened the door.They checked the electric point but the card was not in there.During this time I had been going through my bag to make sure I had the address to get to Pizza Hut, and suddenly realised I had two keys in my bag.I'd gone into auto-pilot when I was packing my handbag and taken Louise's room key as well as my own.She was not impressed!

We went to Pizza Hut and indulged in fruit smoothies, two bottles of wine (not each) starters and pizzas.It was as good as last time, if not better!Shaun arrived with some friends who we also gave English names.The couple we named May and Jay, and the other guy Leo.They gave me birthday gifts which I thought was just lovely of them considering we had only just met.Shaun got me a face painted mask from Beijing-Opera (May commented this is a romantic gift but I chose to ignore this!) and the others got me a bracelet which has a good luck charm for Wealth.Bearing in mind I've only met Shaun the once he did a great job of getting his friends together and making sure I had a good evening.As we were leaving I spotted a cardboard cut-out for Halloween where you could put your face in.I was a little tipsy by now so I ran over to it and got photos with some of the others.

We took taxis to 'English Corner' where they even had White-Russian on the menu.Shaun did good!The waitress was wearing a panda on her head, so of course I asked her for a photo!We stayed there for a while and some more of Shaun's friends joined us, two girls from Korea who are on exchange in China.We spent a few hours in the bar until it closed then we took taxis to 1+1 Club.The club charged the guys to get in but us girls got in for free.It all got a bit stressful because we went to sit down but were told we would have to pay to sit!The club was practically empty anyway so a few people suggested going somewhere else.I said we should at least have one drink as the guys had paid to get in.I can't remember what the music was but I must have liked it as I ended up dancing on the platform with a strange Chinese woman, who told me she will love me forever.At some point a Halloween hat appeared so I was wearing that for a while.A guy started talking to me, he said he was in a band etc etc.Well I've heard that before so I took a bottle of beer from him and went to dance on my own.Shaun came over and said he was unhappy there were people here who were not very nice.I wasn't really sure what he meant but everyone was OK to leave so we went.

We were walking down the street and Shaun had given me one of his coats to wear (for some reason he had a red one and a black one) I was walking beside Shaun when suddenly I gasped out loud.He looked really worried and asked what was wrong.I told him I had left my gift from him on the table.He ran with his friend back to the club and it looked really funny as they were both wearing red and running in the dark they looked like superheroes (yes this is how my drunk self sees the world).We were waiting for them ages and they reappeared with the box, hooray!But Shaun came over to me shaking his head.He opened the box to show me it was empty.Someone had stolen my gift.He said he felt sad to the bottom of his heart.

To cheer ourselves back up again, we got more taxis to the KTV Karaoke.Shaun had told his friends that last time we were in Jinan he thought I was a beautiful singer.No pressure!Luckily I was too drunk to care.We stayed there for an hour and everyone had a few goes at singing.It was Louise's first time in a KTV but unfortunately she wasn't feeling very well so did not partake in the singing.We got back to the hotel about 5am and I text Shaun to say thank you and he replied saying he was glad.