Coy & the Countryside

Betty, her husband, the nanny, Dow, and I headed to the countryside for an adventure. What I love about Yongkang is that it is a city (having 400,000 residents), but has a lot of classic Chinese architecture. Best of both worlds. 

This little country town was a five minute drive from our house into the countryside. It's a sort of village. Small, quaint, adorable...

UNTIL YOU MEET THE FISH. Dow and I were like--wait, whaaaa-?!

What. The. Coy Fish.

You buy (for like a quarter) these bags. And then you think--awww, this will be fun! I used to feed the fishes when I was little! Like a couple of the cute fish will swim up, the classic little fishies which remind you of Asian countries... But as soon as the "cute" "little" fishes see your outline and they start heading toward you...

BANANAS. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

They will literally fly out of the water trying to get the pellets. 

They are GARGANTUAN. 

Like, if baby girl fell in... She would be fish food. So, we kept a tight hold on Dow.

But, when not being stalked by the mothers of all fish, we got to walk around the walkways over the lagoon.

The village installed a big screen tv, and they host movies during the summer and people get little boats and watch from the walkways and bridges and waterside.

Now THIS is what I thought China looked like. And it was more beautiful in person than I thought it could be.

"Baba" (which is what Dow calls her dad), the nanny, and Dow playing.

See on the hill? Because we are in Southern China, they built a baby Great Wall of China for people to explore. It's my goal to get up there and see the view of Yongkang and the countryside.

Now, if you have the world to play with  or a $100 toy, baby girl wants to play with grass. So again, we have found something universal for babies all across the world. They love the little things we take for granted--how amazing the miracle of grass is. And how easily concealed grass is in a diaper... Saving some for later. 

Peaceful.

Ahh this is a classic. It's called "An Old Tree."

Dow is a) a gangster b) super cool c) a fan of the Brave unit.

Inside, the restaurant was built to make you feel like you were in far Southern China. The climate reflects what Southern China feels like, and the plants are those you would find. And all the furniture is made out of bamboo, which made me a liiiiiittle worried about structural stability.

For example, when I someday have children, I'll really have to look into a bamboo high chair. 

Now, you have probably noticed the amount of times which I have eaten at a table where the middle thing spins with all the food. Have you ever thought, as I did, what if you put a baby on it? Well, Betty's husband and I decided to investigate. Spin, spin, spin--WEEEE!--slightly look like sick! Run zone defense! Prevent projectile vomiting! Big smiles! Happy, happy baby!

Me, Dow, and Betty. (Remember when I said she was gorgeous? I wasn't kidding.)

Now, for the food. Remember--always taste first, then ask. That soup is like a spicier, healthier version of minestrone soup, loved it. Then the red is spicy cold cabbage. Seriously delicious, but as I look at it now, looks... Not so yummy.

Ahhhh, my old friends the gritty snails. I can now pick them up and eat them with chopsticks and slurp, slurp, slurp. The Chinese eat very loudly. Betty studied abroad in Britain for six months in 2008 or 09 and she said her host family thought she ate loudly--poor thing. I actually kind of love that I can eat like I am in college again and make as much noise as I want without offending anyone. SLURP. (What a lovely visual for you ;)

She ordered wings just for me. :) They weren't quite done right--but I loved the gesture and a little taste of home. 

Remember the old Chinese adage: it takes two people to feed one Chinese baby.

Spiciest cod ever. Betty's nephew, who is studying to be a police officer, likes to take the fins and suck all the meat off and spit out the bones. To which I said 1) HOW?! 2) WHY?!

Yum, pumpkin and egg sticks. (Errrg, not my thing.)

These don't look like much, but they are my very favorite Chinese dessert. They are filled with like a sticky cinnamon-y inside and are lovely. 

Dow baby! It's pronounced TH-D-OUW. Dow, dow, dow baby!

Then, one of the coolest things I've done in China--I drove their family's BMW because Betty had to hold Dow, and the nanny wasn't feeling well. I am a really good Chinese driver. The traffic is nerve-wracking. I promise I'll video it and then you'll realize how super impressive this feat is. 

Now, I am so excited for the Dragon Boat Festival this week! And I finally get to see Jitka and Beth and what fun it will be.