游戏之夜 - Games Night

The last week has been unseasonably cold and this, coupled with the incessant rain, has meant we've had to come up with new ideas for things to do indoors. This isn't the first games night I've been to in Liuzhou but it was the most fun...

First, we had to come up with a suitable games list for the 11 attendees so, in order of simplest to most complex: Jenga, Heads Up and The Werewolves of Millers Hollow were on the menu. I'd never played The Werewolves of Millers Hollow before but it was a bit of a revelation, especially when I found out that you can play in a group of up to 47 people. I think the game is probably better as the number of players increases so hopefully we'll have more people in attendance next time to join in.

We met at 窑埠古镇 Yaobu Old Town, a (somewhat counterintuitively) brand new development of bars, restaurants, shops and cafes along the riverfront. Our venue of choice was unexpectedly closed for the evening but, this being Liuzhou, there was a friendly boss of another nearby bar on hand to help out. Hearing what we had planned, he gave us a private room to use, complete with leather couches, KTV, and a river view. Result!

The venue was comfortable, the games were good, and the drinks cheap. On a cold, sodden night, there's not a lot more you can ask for. If you're in Liuzhou, whether it's for a visit or a longer stay, contact us via email to get involved in future events. Also, if you fancy a change of scenery, there are plenty of jobs available in the city now at competitive salaries - get in touch!

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烧烤 - BBQ

Whilst Brits tend towards pubs and bars for their evening socialising, the locals in Liuzhou go to the 烧烤 BBQ to chat and drink late into the night. These restaurants are on roadsides throughout the city and, given the great weather in summer here, provide the best opportunity for some al fresco dining with Chinese characteristics. By all means go to the BBQ for your main meal but many locals, after having dinner at home or elsewhere, descend on these restaurants for 宵夜, which roughly translates as a "midnight snack". Sitting outside on benches or yellow plastic chairs, you'll see dozens of tables packed with people eating 烤鱼 BBQ fish, 串 skewers of meat and veg, 炒米粉 fried rice noodles and other specialities. As well as the regular BBQ stalls, there are also some speciality places, including our favourite Mongolian style restaurant which serves up the most amazing lamb legs and ribs. Sitting in 30 degree heat at 11pm, eating amazing food, drinking cold, cheap, wate...

啤酒在中国－ Beer in China

Summers in Guangxi are long and hot so you're going to need to keep your fluids up; beer is scientifically proven to be the best way to do this. Besides, spirits and wine are best avoided in Chinese bars and I highly recommend staying away from the local poison of choice, 白酒 white alcohol, the taste of which could generously be described as somewhere between vodka and paint stripper. So here's a quick guide about what to drink when you're in Liuzhou... As well as better known Chinese mass produced beers such as 青岛 Qingdao and 雪花 Snow, the most popular brand in Liuzhou is 漓泉啤酒 LiQ Beer from nearby Guilin. They have a few types available, including 漓泉1998 and 漓泉新1代纯生, which are their premier offerings. The 1998 variety appears to celebrate a visit to the province 20 years ago by ex US president Bill Clinton and includes a patently false quote from the man himself (I'm fairly sure Clinton didn't speak Chinglish). Whilst the taste is definitely not on a par wit...

帆船 - Sailing

One of the great things about Liuzhou Meet & Learn is the variety of people that get involved; not just in terms of nationality (though we have members from nearly 20 different countries) but in terms of people's backgrounds, employment and interests. One of our members is a sailing fanatic and president of the local sailing club, allowing us the opportunity to go sailing on the 柳江 Liujiang river as it winds it's way through Liuzhou. Following a late decision to get out on the water, due to an earlier thunderstorm, we made our way to the riverside at 3:30pm. Though the rain had moved on, the high winds remained and, coupled with decent cloud cover, made for perfect sailing conditions. This being China, where they aren't huge on health and safety, we got just two pieces of advice before setting off: 1) the boat can't capsize, so don't worry; 2) keep your head lower than the bottom of the sail. Right, off we go! All in all, it was a fantastic afternoon...

Liuzhou Meet & Learn

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