Seeing Youxian

Originally I was to begin teaching on Monday (the 31st). As with most things Chinese, the schedule was completely unorganized so I did not begin until Wednesday (not that I am complaining about the extra days off). I got to see much of Youxian during that free time. On Monday, two friends took me to lunch and showed me the Buddhist temple in our town. It’s simply breathtaking. Only a handful of Westerners (most with WT) have seen this place, which makes it all the more majestic. Time you walk through the large wooden doors a sense of peace and easiness falls upon you. The temple is located directly above the river, which adds to its serenity.

After the temple, I was invited to lunch with one of the girls and her family. The family spoke no English but they were extremely kind and generous. Lunch was amazing and they communicated through translation how excited they were to have me in their home. I was still very tired from traveling so after lunch I returned home for a little afternoon nap. At 6:00 I met up with Joan and the same girls and we went to dinner with the other girl’s family. They too were filled with kindness. After dinner we joined the girls’ friends for KTV (karaoke). Apparently, my liaison is good friends with this family because he showed up and we sang a duet together – Edelweiss from the Sound of Music. I sang an English song with German words with my Chinese liaison.