I woke up at 6 AM the next morning and took a particularly disappointing cold shower… Lance stayed with me (separate beds, don’t get too excited!) and we went to meet his uncle at 7. Before going to the school that morning, he wanted to take me to see some things in the city. Wugang has a giant and beautiful reservoir flanked and backed by picturesque mountains. Unfortunately, there was a great amount of fog on the lake that morning and we were unable to see across. The air was cool and clean, however, and I did not mind that we couldn’t see across. Actually it was strange to see the body of water like this. Because of the fog, the water seemed endless and appeared as if it could be the banks of an ocean. After standing at the shore for a few moments, we proceeded to the dam, several kilometers down the road. Lance and his uncle were pleased because the damn was open and was letting water out! They said that this rarely happened (maybe 2 days per year) and that we were privileged to be able to see it. I have to admit it was pretty cool!
By this time, it was about 7:30 and we were all getting hungry… Lance wanted to go to his parent’s house for breakfast! So we began to drive out of the city and into the country side and into the small village. I was really happy about this because I had wanted to check out a farm-style house since I arrived in China and this was my first chance. In China, the countryside is not like that in America. Instead of being spread out like our farmers who tend their own vast fields with modern machinery, those in China live together in clustered villages and the farmers go out to tend the fields mostly by hand. The houses are all made of brick and are all relatively small…
Going through this village, it occurred to me that in all likelihood, I was probably the only foreigner to ever set foot on these stone and dirt paths. I feeling of pride and privilege welled up inside of me and I happily waved the many smiling faces that stared at me with such curiosity. After walking through some back streets and small paths, lined with drying corn stalks and dodging chickens the whole way, we arrived at Lance’s home at the edge of the village.
His parents were happy to see me and they escorted me into the “living room,” where I was encouraged to sit down while they prepared the remainder of breakfast. Lance’s father, who speaks no English and an incomprehensible Chinese dialect, pealed an apple for me and proudly pointed out the wall behind me which was plastered with the awards and accomplishments of their son, my student. I checked them out for a bit then was beckoned back to my seat as the father handed me the apple. At this time, the grandfather limped into the room. He might have been the happiest man that I have ever seen; he grinned as he extended his hand to me and smiled even brighter as I shook it.
Not long after, breakfast was brought into the room: homemade dumplings and steamed bread. The dumplings were delicious and I heartily enjoyed them. My hosts, in traditional Chinese fashion, continued to fill my bowl with more and more dumplings. I, in traditional mid-western American fashion, politely smiled as I attempted to clean my plate. Although the breakfast was delicious, I ate entirely too much and had to eventually refuse their attempts to keep feeding me. I do think that they were pleased that I enjoyed so much.
Before I left, they presented me with a gift: a bag full of raw peanuts. The gift in and of itself was stranfe, but what was even more peculiar was the bag in which they presented it to me: a Summit Racing bag from Tallmadge, Ohio. I have absolutely no idea how this humble family of peasant farmers would have happened upon this bag, but it was certainly surprising. I unsuccessfully tried to explain that the company was near my hometown and then inquire as to how they got it, but I think the message was lost. It was about this time, that grandma made her first appearance. Like her aging husband (they are both approaching 90), she was also pleased to see me. She wasn’t impressed by the fact that I was foreign as much as the fact that I had a beard! We all gathered together for a picture and then we went on our way. (I am in the process of obtaining these pictures)
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