Yesterday was Wednesday.  I had a light teaching day so I attempted to walk to school alone for the first time.  I got lost, but managed to use familiar landmarks to get me here in one piece and in time for teaching!  After school, I was invited by the Principal and two assistant principals to eat dinner.  It was in the home of Mrs. Wang who stayed at my house last year.  We enjoyed a fantastic spread (more pig, and a couple other crazy things) of really interesting food.  Two new things I have not tried before were delicious.  One was similar to a Chinese taco and the other was  a baked bread filled with meat and vegetables.  Once again, better to not inquire as to what the meat was.   I was offered the white wine but declined using previous experience as my guide!  After dinner we had a great trip to a lake about 20 minutes from the city.  In the village there is a lake Taipeng.  The road to get to the lake is a grape arbor.  You literally drive through a tunnel of grapes for about 10 miles to get to the village.  It was breathtaking.  The lotus flower farms were like nothing I have ever seen. The flowers were as tall as I am.  After we enjoyed an evening walk around the lake and taking pictures, we headed back to YongKang where we visited the oldest wooden bridge in the area.  It is 460 years old and still in use.  It is gorgeous, beautifully crafted by hand, and a meeting place in the middle of the city for many.  It was very nice and I enjoyed walking around and looking in the shops along the way.

Today, is Thursday.  My morning started by being picked up by Mr. Wu who is one of the PE teachers here.  His son has visited the US and just finished high school here.  His son has chosen the name "Edison" after Thomas Edison.  He wants to be as brilliant as he.  The boy was extremely interesting and knows much about American culture.  His father took us to the village where he was raised.  It is a remote village that is about 1,000 years old.  I was in awe of the craftsmanship of the homes.  They were in great shape for their age.  All through the city are temple like meeting places where people gather for programs or visiting.  Today was election day.  We were given special passes to wear around our necks to welcome me as a guest.  They selected a local guide to give us the grand tour.  We saw a museum, I saw how rice was made hundreds of years ago from seed to table, and I was treated so some incredible history lessons.  I am amazed that these people hold this heritage so well and can speak these stories at a moment's notice.  Edison did a phenomenal job of translating the stories.  He explained the different dynasties in China and some of the finer points of each one.  It was a gorgeous day for walking and I learned so very much from this group of men.  It impressed me greatly that they know so much of their own history and it was great to see how excited they all were to share it with me.  I was so warmly welcomed and enjoyed the trip very much.  We were late getting back to school, so several times during the drive I had my face covered because the drive was treacherous at best.  Mr. Wu's elderly mother had ridden back to YongKang with us.  At one point, in the middle of a very busy highway, he stopped, unlocked the doors and she got out right in the middle of traffic.  WOW!  Things are so different here - but I love every minute of it.  Great way to start my day!

This afternoon, I am invited to go berry picking with "Mike" and his family.  He is a 6th grade student here and he has made a great effort to make arrangements for me to meet his family and take me to get berries.  I am sure it will be wonderful, as well.  It's just another sign of how welcome I feel and how eager all of the Chinese are to learn more about my country and me!