I received a phone call about 2:30pm from Hong Yan saying "welcome my home" and I said "now??" and she said "yes". The little girl is called Liu Le Xuan and when I got to the apartment, I met her other grandmother.They explained one was her mother's mother and one was her father's mother.The grandmother on her fathers' side lives in their apartment, the other grandmother lives somewhere else.We all sat around the coffee table in the lounge and they taught me to hand make Chinese dumplings.One grandmother was rolling out the dumpling casings and then throwing them onto straw mats, and the rest of us had to fill them with a leek and egg mixture, and then squeeze the sides together to create a dumpling.It was quite fun and we seemed to make so many dumplings between us; we filled two of the straw mats.

They told me we wouldn't be eating until 6pm, so while we were waiting Liu Le Xuan showed me her bedroom.It was a typical 9-year-old girl bedroom.Everything was pink.There were lots of photos of her and she told me she does dance.She got her English text book and I helped her to practice her pronunciation of some words.She even tried to get me to practice some dance steps but she soon discovered I am no dancer!

Hong Yan asked me to go into the room where the computer was and we communicated using the online translator.She said she is an accountant at the bus manufacturer and she earns less than £150 a month.Even so, she explained that they own the apartment.I guess her husband must earn more but I didn't get to meet him.She asked me lots of questions about England and she said she admires me for coming to China by myself.She told me 'my mother praise you pretty' and she said I had great skin and asked what products I use to be so white.She told me 'we are the yellow' and I told her my white skin is natural.I've noticed when I'm shopping that most of the beauty products for women advertise their 'whitening' properties.It's funny how in China women are using products with bleach to try and make their skin whiter, and in England women are using products with fake tan to try and make their skin darker.

When it was time for dinner we all sat around the dining table and had a big bowl of dumplings each.They filled small dishes with vinegar to dip the dumplings in and it was really tasty.They were very impressed that I could use chopsticks.Before I left they gave me lots of gifts, a tiny little Buddha statue, a photo of Liu Le Xuan, some apples and a few bags of Chinese tea leaves.When I went to leave, Hong Yan and Liu Le Xuan also put on their coats and walked me home.They came into my apartment and started rummaging through my things.Hong Yan touched the floor and told me I don't actually have heating.No wonder I've been getting so cold at night!