That one time my mother came to China

On my break from school, my mother finally came to visit me! We had a blast exploring the flower-lined streets of Guilin, riding on a boat to Yangshuo and spending a heavenly time tasting the delicacies of the Guanxi province . Traveling around Guiling and Yangshuo made me feel as if I were in a Chinese painting: the rice fields blurring past me as the mountains magically appeared out of  the thick fog, bamboo boats floating down the river, and green plants of all kinds everywhere I looked. It rained almost the entire time we were there, but what I would normally consider dreary weather, only added to the allure of these places. Thanks to the rain, the tourists stayed away and the fog would float in, making the views look almost mystical. 

Look at that fog!

One day we trekked through  rice paddies arriving at a sleepy village. Passing by chickens and roosters we walked over ancient bridges, up stone steps, and past wax gourds growing out of stone walls, finally arriving at a  restaurant where I stuffed my face with the best meal of my entire, 23-year old life. This simple meal was made up of sweet, cinnamon-tasting lohanguo tea; beef with greens; fresh eggs and, garden-grown tofu and bamboo shoots. This meal was literally a farm to table meal and boy was I a happy camper.

Although we had a tour guide, we often depended on my knowledge of Chinese. I could easily bargain with vendors, order food, and ask for directions. With only some mishaps (like not understanding that the wine was not included in our meal and thus we would have to pay an extra outrageous sum of money) I actually conversed with people in Chinese, using whole sentences! Progress!!! I had so much fun spending time with my mother and introducing her to the Chinese language and culture. 

Since then, I have moved into a host family and have been practicing my Chinese as much as possible. It is harder than you think to only speak Chinese when most of your friends speak English. I can happily say that my Chinese has improved immensely! Don't get me wrong, I probably at most, understand fifty percent of what is being said at all times, but all of that seems rather trivial when I can finally communicate and have basic conversations with people. 

                                                                    Guanxi Province is known for chiles and delicious hot sauces

A traditional tea ceremony