Adventures in Hong Kong, Part IV

I can't believe I haven't finished this yet. Wait, yes I can. On our fourth day in Asia, we got up to "leave early" aka 8:30 am to hop on our bus. Since when did 8:30 am start being the definition of early? Anyway, my FIL had rented a 15 passenger bus for all of us and three extra couples from the mission offices to go to mainland China. We arrived in China and got our stamps in our passports. I was amazed at the difference between Hong Kong (very modernized--just like a big American city, but clean) and China (just like the pictures you see in books). Not many cars, lots of fields, rice paddies, fish hatcheries, old buildings that look like they are about to fall apart, clothes hanging out people's windows...It felt like we were in a whole new world. The reason for going onto the Mainland was to go to my FIL's ancestor's village. He is half Chinese and owns (because he is the oldest living son) the home that his father lived in. The village is called Fung Lok Lai. The couple that came with us to translate for us said that it translated to mean something along the lines of "All who leave will have prosperity and luck." We rode on the bus for about 4 1/2 hours to get to the city of Hoi Ping and checked into our hotel. We "freshened up" and got back on the bus to drive to the village. The Chinese people have lots of traditions/superstitions that are very interesting to me. I don't know that I'll go into much detail right now, but maybe another time. This picture is of all of us at the entry gat to Fung Lok Lai. This is the back entrance to the village. We went in and got to see the house where my FIL's family lived. When they left the village, the did so under false pretenses; they had to leave everything behind like they would be returning. My FIL/MIL will have to go through trunks and all the other things that have been in the house. I almost wish I could be there while they uncover all the history of the Yee family. Amazing the way the Lord works. While we were in the village, the people that still live there kept trickling out of their homes too. They were very kind people. They invited us into their homes and let us walk around, snoop, look at all their stuff, whatever you want to call it. It was incredible to me how little the people had, but they seemed so content. Before we left Fung Lok Lai, we went to the Community Center. On one of the walls is a list of all the villagers that donated their money to build the Center. This picture is of my FIL pointing to his relatives and the amounts they donated to build the building.

We got back on the bus and went about 10 minutes to the village where his father lived as a boy. When we got to that village, (I don't know the name of it) there were a few people in the courtyard. We went in and started talking with the people that were standing there. Then a few more people came out, then more. It was a little bit strange because the people had no real idea of personal space. They would go up the the girls and touch their cheeks and say something (we had no idea what, they were speaking pidgin Chinese) then touch them some more. It was a little scary to the girls because they weren't/aren't used to people being that close to them. Especially people that were as loud as the ones touching them and yelling (not intending to) in their faces. That's one thing that was wierd for me. The people spoke really fast, and they were virtually yelling everything they were saying because they all talk at the same time. It's almost like they are trying to see who can talk the loudest to be heard. Anyway, I found it a little bit amusing because when we were standing there, the women (who each had a child in a sling) would poing at each of my girls (all 3) then at me. I would nod to say, "Yes, she is mine" and they would get wide eyed and say something. I think because not only did I have 3 children (they are only legally allowed to have 1 child a piece. If they have more, they are required to pay fines to the government that equal something like 3 months' salary), but they were all girls. In China, I'm sure you all know this, they want to have a boy to carry on their name since they are only supposed to have one child a piece. Anyway, they were very impressed with our 3 girls. They, too, invited us into their homes and tried to give us food and drink (which we politely declined). We went to the house (that is now a barn) where my FIL's father lived as a boy. This picture is in front of the house. You can sort of see the door in the left hand side of the picture, next to the broom. The Burr descendents were invited to be in this picture. Apparently, I'm not one of those. But we walked around this village, went into a few people's homes, and I had to go back to the bus to change M3's diaper. My FIL still has people he is related to in this village. Kinda cool.

When we got there, there were a bunch of dogs running around and The Father said the next time he came, he'd do a spay/neuter clinic to decrease the population. It was pretty funny at the time.

We left this village and got back on the bus to go back to the hotel when my FIL asked if we wanted to go see the graves of his ancestors. Of course we all thought that would be a great idea. So we stopped the bus at the side of the road and most of us got off. We started walking down a path next to a banana field and the cement path got more and more narrow. Before too long, it ended and I thought we must almost be there. But we kept walking. Little did I know we would be hiking around in weeds and grasses to our chests. YIKES! Who knows what was hiding in there, but I tried not to think about it. We got around the side of this hill and had to go up the hill. M1 was walking behind Granddad and he was carrying M3. While he was climbing up the side of the hill, his foot slipped and he kind of fell. Next thing I knew, M1 was screaming hysterically. I had no idea what had happened, but when I saw her, she was bleeding like crazy from her mouth. Apparently, when Granddad fell his heel hit M1 in the face and knocked out her tooth. No worries. It was already loose, but that didn't make it feel any better. So The Father took her back down and around the hill and the rest of us did the same. We never got to see the cemetary/graves. We went back down and M1 was waiting toward the bottom. I looked in her mouth, and her other front tooth (which wasn't really loose before the "accident") was dangling by a thread, literally. So M1 ended up pulling out the other tooth...All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...

We got back on the bus and decided after a long humid day without real food (just snacks on the bus) we would go back to the hotel for dinner. We had Chinese Buffet, er, salad. We were all pretty much sick of rice and noodles by this point since that was all we'd eaten. I wasn't feeling well at all and ended up getting sick that evening. I think I had a bit of heat exhaustion. Due to lack of food and lack of water, I wasn't a happy camper. The Father got a hamburger for dinner (who'd-a-thunk you could mess up a hamburger) that apparently was not very good. I stayed in the room to try and calm my troubled stomach while The Father and N (my SIL) took the 3 "big" girls to the pool at the hotel. They had a good time even though the lifeguards thought M2 was drowning once or twice.

The next morning, be got up to be on the road by 7:30. You know in America how no matter what time of day you go to the lobby of a hotel, all the lights are on, there are helpers ready to help you, there are people...not in Hoi Ping. We got downstairs at 7:30 and there were no lights on anywhere. The front desk was empty and no one was walking around. Crazy. They are late sleepers or something. Though I didn't realize that 7:30 am was early.

My in-laws informed The Father and I that they were going to keep the kids so we could go to a place called Kaiping Daolou. It is a Cultural Heritage Center in Guangdong (the Chinese province where we were staying). I couldn't figure out why I would want to see it, but once we got there and got in (it didn't open for 1/2 hour after we got there. We debated about whether we would stay and go in or just head back to the hotel to go to Shenzhen. Plus, it cost quite a bit to get in and none of us knew that and had to scrape together enough money to get in) I'm glad we went. It was neat to see the things there. It was almost like going to Gettysburg and visiting the cities where people dress up, use the utensils of the times, etc. Anyway, it was beautiful and had amazing gardens.

After spending about 1 1/2 hours there,we got on the bus, picked everyone up from the hotel, and headed back to Shenzhen. That is a city just across from Hong Kong, but is in Mainland China. We planned on going to a place called Splendid China. It is like the Polynesian Cultural Center of China. In fact, the man that developed the PCC helped with Splendid China too. Anyway, we got there by early afternoon to see the Mongolian Horse Races. Not quite what I expected. Instead of horse races like we think of with a track and about 10-12 horses, it was a mock battle between two groups of people. The people did ride horses, but instead of racing them, they did crazy tricks on them. Some jumped from one side of the horse to the other, some rode bare backed, some rode upside down, some did pummel horse (gymnastics apparatus) tricks where they held themselves like a board parallel to the horses back, man, it was crazy. (Picture is the girls waiting for the Mongolian Horse Races to start). This little girl came and sat near us while we waited. For some reason, the people here too encouraged this little girl to invade the girls' private space and kiss, yes, kiss, M3. Perfect stranger. Foreigner. Kiss. Needless to say, I steered them all in different directions. She was very cute though. I felt a little bit bad for her because what her parents did to her porr hair. She was old enough to have more hair (I thought), but looked like her parents had shaved her head. Nevertheless, she was very cute, especially when she spoke Chinese. The weather on Friday (this day) was horrible. As soon as we got to Splendid China it started to rain. So we got souvenir umbrellas that say Splendid China. Awesome. After the Horse Race, we went out of the arena and these people started lining up to take pictures with my children. They pretty much just crowded around us until I really didn't know where the girls were (talk about a panic attack) but realized that these ladies just wanted pictures with them. Wierd. Notice the girl holding the hand of M2. She looks excited about it, doesn't she?

I've been doing this for way too long...I'll finish later. :-)