Email April 6, 2014
Hi All!
I had a good day today. Yesterday when I arrived I was tired, but determined not to sleep until night. After a lovely lunch prepared by Fan Hui's husband we two "girls" went for a facial which was especially nice after the dry air in the plane. I did a little unpacking/organizing and then later we had noodles at a restaurant right across the street from our dorm. By 8:30 I went to bed. In spite of waking several times I slept well, and woke up to the sound of Yanli calling me at 6:45 to see how soon I could be ready...
She and Li came to get me and we drove back to their home. Then we met Bian Yali and her husband for a drive to a small town called San Yuan. There we visited the home of a famous calligrapher/teacher who was involved with Sun Yat Sen in the Guomindang Party. When Chiang Kai Shek and the other Nationalists left for Taiwan he went too. It was an old house with lots of calligraphy (of course) but also some photos and poetry.
By the way Margaret Bian Yali sent you some...tea! One for us, too. :)
Our next stop was a big 300 year old City God Temple. It was in excellent condition and people still go there to pray for things. This place had signs in "English" although some of it was difficult to understand. In one room were many paintings of what would happen to a person who did bath things. The "instruments of punishment" included boiling small boys in hot oil, grinding people under a mill stone etc. The paintings did a good job of encouraging anyone to be good. :)
The plan was to eat lunch in a restaurant of local food, but when we got there it was crowded and people lined up outside. We were told there were 200 people in front of us. So we went to another place, where there were few people (not a surprise after our experience). When we tried to order they didn't have most of the things on the menu. So they ordered a couple of dishes, then the men went to a nearby stand and bought some food which they brought back to the restaurant. They had no hot water (!) so we drank tea that Bian Yali had brought. It took the waitress nearly an hour to bring even the basic dishes.
After lunch we drove through a rural area to visit the incredibly fancy home of a lady who had helped the last empress when she fled the western invasion of Beijing. When the empress got back to power she gave the lady lots of money, and she built a spectacular home with fine carvings, paintings, etc.
There was lots of traffic on the way home since the "freeways" are actually free today for the holiday. I jumped out of Li's car and went next door to Wendy's home. There I met her family and we went out to eat...hot pot! (Sorry Jenk!) And we even drank a different tasting "white wine" - but here I don't need to apologize because I am bringing you a bottle as well.
Now Fan Hui and her husband have gone to bed, and I need to do the same. I will spend at least part of tomorrow with Yanli, because all the teachers and students have school, but not our group, and Yanli's international division is also off.
I love you all!
Me