laughing traveler

So the day after I moved into my apartment my school said we would have an important meeting with the Shenzhen Education Bureau the next morning and be ready by 8am. They had mentioned something about some important people from the government coming to evaluate our school and they would want to meet us, so I assumed this is what that was about. The night before I had come home late to find my AC was broken. It was too late to call anyone so I suffered through the night, but it was BAD! There is no kind of heat like Shenzhen heat. Everyone says its Florida weather because it’s about the same distance from the equator, it’s not true. Shenzhen heat is like walking beside a fire breathing dragon. The second you step out from under a shady tree it is literally DOUBLE the heat. I can feel the sun cooking my skin. In DC they say it feels as hot as Florida because the humidity is so high, well I kind you know there are days in Shenzhen with 100% humidity. I always thought 100% humidity wou...

Living in a city of 14 million people I forget the joy of open space. If there is one thing Daniels hometown offers its space. You could stand on his roof top and there it’s nothing but mountains as far as you can see. We went off to explore the forest and walked for hours without seeing or hearing another soul. Sounds so romantic, until he sees a grasshopper and goes into hunting mode. Or he rushes out in front of me and I slide off the path and into a sticker bush. One day I will be a nature girl but it’s gonna take some time. Another simple pleasure was the mountain springs. In China I am so used to boiling everything and then burning my tongue BC I'm too impatient to wait for the water to cool off before you drink it. Or buying so much bottled water I have a tower of plastic bottles taking over my apartment. Daniels house has well water that isn't polluted BC it’s such a rural area, so we drank specked to hand. Simple joys! When ever we left the house I always asked i...

Wasps wars Our first night with Daniel’s family we are greeted by his dad, proudly holding a plastic bag. I peer inside to see it’s a wasp nest! I immediately yelp and jump back, or course. He in turn laughed and handed the bag to his grandchildren, age 5 and 7. They fearlessly squat down in the kitchen picking the eggs and wasps out of the nest. I can see some of them still flapping their wings and I couldn’t bear to watch the rest! Apparently fried wasps are a delicacy in Guilin and you can sell the wasps for 100 kuai per kg ($15). It is actually delicious! I got pictures! The kids loved it too, like the dad had to keep moving the bowl out of the way. I asked Daniel how his dad caught them without getting stung and his answer was, “he has the raincoat.” It took me a minute to realize what he meant. I knew his dad has bees too, so he must have meant the bee keeper suit, same thing right? I wouldn’t be surprised if he wore and actual rain coat though, they seem to not need a lo...