Brother Galer: (I ended up changing this post, I posted it as a blog post not a journal entry for the book.)

Ramon and I arrived in China at the end of April. Ramon had never been to China, but this was my second time. A year ago I came to live with my parents between semesters. Unfortunately, we poorly chose what weekend to fly into Beijing because it was a holiday and according to my father no holiday goes uncelebrated here in China. The day after arriving we went to church and then headed to the Great Wall. When we left Beijing we drove through the Huairou countryside to a part of the Great Wall called, “Jiankou.” As we drove, we passed many fruit stands that are set up along the side of the road. I started to feel a sense of déjà vu. Even with jetlag I was becoming more and more excited to arrive at our destination. We stayed in a hostel closest to the wall. The Zhao family who has become really good friends with my father owns the hostel. Ramon and I slept in a bed that had about an inch of padding on top of a big wooden box. Our pillows were made out of straw and some kind beans. The bathroom was of course equipped with a squatter and an open showerhead. Sadly, the water was cold because I could never figure out where the hot water valve was located. After we all got situated we immediately ordered dinner, which consisted of delicious trout caught in a nearby pond. The way they kill the fish is quite funny. They throw the fish on ground and beat it with a brush until it is motionless. As this was happening I could only think, “This is China!” or “T.I.C.” for short.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning around 4am I heard a voice walking me up saying, “Let’s go take a walk around the village.” I told Ramon to go back to bed because I was not ready to get up. He continued to nudge and poke me, so I finally gave in a got up. It took about 10 minutes to walk around the whole village. It is very interesting going from the city to the countryside. Rob Gifford in China Road also talks about the differences while driving through the small cities. People in the countryside have such a different style of living and out look on life. On route 312 Gifford sees the migration of countryside people going to cities to look for work. The Zhao’s youngest daughter has also gone to the city to work, so she can provide money for her family. Their life consists of farming and waiting for the next person to spend the night at their hostel.The simplicity of life in the countryside is very different from the chaotic life in the city. Seeing the way the Zhao’s lived in the countryside helped me to reflect on what I read in China Road.