This is a picture of me staring out of the moving car like a little kid taken by one of my hosts/guides. It was because the scenery was so damn impressive. Had any of you been there, I'm sure you would have done the same. However, I maintain that none would be as adorable as I look just there.
At one point, the dad opened the sunroof and my friend, the music teacher, stood up, much like you would in a limousine going down the Vegas strip. It was fantastic: the cool air, the cliffs on either side of the car. It sounds a bit dramatic, but the experience was one I'm sure I'll always have etched into my memory.
Some of the path was a bit precarious.
Here I am after the trip back, where the music teacher and I got a delicious dinner. Though I can't remember everything, I do recall some pastries with durian, some soups with duck's blood in it, and chicken of some variety. Past that, I can't remember everything, other than it was good. I'm sure after posting this picture I'll have countless emails about prospective modeling gigs. The next picture is posted with the kind permission of the music teacher.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Cai Yue. Now, as for how you pronounce it, my best approximation is "thai you-eh," but the "t" needs to be heavily aspirated. It took me a long time before I was told by my Chinese teacher that I was making the right sound, but we'll see what Yue says the next time I see her. She's been far too nice to me since we've met, as have her parents. I can't thank them enough for their kindness. There is one problem with them: they tell me not to bring them gifts anymore if I come over for dinner.
They kindly invited me over for a home-cooked meal one Sunday evening. Wanting to be the dutiful guest, I brought them a gift of 5 oranges, 8 apples, and a small watermelon (I was told they don't drink alcohol, so the bottle of wine was out of the question). Now, I am told to not bring anything more for subsequent dinners. I now have a conundrum: do I obey my seeming surrogate Chinese mother in Yue's mom, or do I obey my parents' raising of me that calls for me to always bring a gift to dinner invitations as kind as these?
Perhaps you, dear readers, can help me. Understand, however, that I don't want to offend anyone in all of this gift business. That would prove quite contradictory to the very nature of a gift.
I hope this post sates your voracious appetite for updates. The pictures don't do justice to the gorgeous scenery, but they will have to do for those of you back home. That's all for now. As I just learned from Yue, wan an! (good night)
They kindly invited me over for a home-cooked meal one Sunday evening. Wanting to be the dutiful guest, I brought them a gift of 5 oranges, 8 apples, and a small watermelon (I was told they don't drink alcohol, so the bottle of wine was out of the question). Now, I am told to not bring anything more for subsequent dinners. I now have a conundrum: do I obey my seeming surrogate Chinese mother in Yue's mom, or do I obey my parents' raising of me that calls for me to always bring a gift to dinner invitations as kind as these?
Perhaps you, dear readers, can help me. Understand, however, that I don't want to offend anyone in all of this gift business. That would prove quite contradictory to the very nature of a gift.
I hope this post sates your voracious appetite for updates. The pictures don't do justice to the gorgeous scenery, but they will have to do for those of you back home. That's all for now. As I just learned from Yue, wan an! (good night)