I hate company farewell parties when it comes to me moving on - anyway, I couldn't get out of this in China and when the agents heard it became an event for 300.... I had been after one of the old paraffin lamps on which th company was 'founded' in China but to no avaail in 3.5 years. Anyway, one of the more well-known agents asked if he could bring this szechuan general long - 'why not - more the merrier.'
Anyway, on the night, this dishevelled wreck of a general arrives, his fingers deep-amber from the nicotine, dirty nails and pretty rotten teeth, the complete antihesis of what one imagines a general to be - and nervously handed me this dirty pile of old newspaper and inside, one of these lamps. Honestly, he looked more like a corporal and reminded me of 'The Good Soldier Švejk' by Haslek - good book by the way...... If Russian generals look like this fine specimen of a Chinese equivalent, they probably have droves of them in storage and no wonder they are at or near the Front.
Excuse the rambling but a fun reminder!