Berry picking

Thursday was quite a day.  A student and his family own a berry orchard and farm on the outskirts of town.  A few of the English teachers and Mike's mom drove us there.  It was really beautiful.  The trees cover a small, steep mountainside overlooking their farm.  To get to the tree path, we had to walk a very narrow mud walk (about 18 inches wide) through the rice paddies and past the small vegetable gardens.  Many members of the family work the farm.  Next week is the Berry Festival so they are really in full swing this week.  These berries are huge and dark, dark red.  They are so juicy.  I have never seen them before.  They are in season now for about a month and EVERYONE eats them, picks them, and sells them on the street.  It was a really fun and new experience for me.  I climbed as high as the flimsy trees would allow to pick.  I was kind of a joke there as everyone else needed ladders or had to climb high up.  I could just stand on the ground in some places and pick.  It made everyone laugh.  We had a lot of good conversations and ate as much as we picked.  Afterward, we took some pictures and drove back to the city to clean up.  It is VERY dirty work!

I met Tang for dinner.  He took me to a special restaurant and helped me do my laundry at his home.  The homes are very simple.  To have a washer in the home is pretty special.  It is so helpful to have it available to me.  We walked through the city and he showed me his fitness club.  It was a gorgeous huge four story facility in which they have every sort of equipment imaginable.  The only thing that cracked me up is the number of people who SMOKE while they work out!  Unbelievable.  But we had a great visit, a nice dinner and then a beer at the hotel.  We called room service 4 times for a little bit of ice.  It took almost an hour for them to find some and they brought about a half a pound in an old coffee pot.  Not many things are on ice here - they just don't use it.  It was a big deal for them to have it available to me.  Cracked me up!  Should I have needed a cigarette or lighter, however, it would have been there lickity split!

Today I am off to Hounczho.  It is a spectacular city according to everyone.  An old family friend, Doreen, may be able to meet us there.  We plan to see the sights, do some shopping, and then head back here Saturday night for my last few hours in YongKang.  I will move on to DongYang Sunday morning for my next new adventure!