When the Chinese kids first come, it is always a bit awkward. They are nice. We are nice. And everyone is ‘nice‘. It is probably the way of all people and it is nice but it is also not quite so real. It takes a few days for people to let their hair down and then it seems to be better. And that little bit of magic happened today.

It is hard to describe, measure, predict or even address purposefully but you know what I mean. ‘Breaking the ice but at a deeper level’, I guess. All of a sudden a look of understanding, a sense of familiarity, a quick laugh at someone’s faux pas. Those small signs that indicate our common humanity are what I like so much. It makes it all so much more fun.

But such signs between strangers that were relatively easy to read and achieve in the city (the context was more familiar to both sides) is a bit harder to achieve in the country. SO MUCH is SO foreign to them and, in some ways still for us. But they are bug-eyed (metaphorically speaking, of course) and that sense of wonder and awe keeps them quiet and a bit reticent for awhile.

Not today.

Today we went aboard the prawn boat to watch a set come up and then be re-baited and sent down. The fishermen were great and explained a lot about how the traps worked, what their jobs were and, of course, what the catch and by-catch was all about. Today they caught and released four octopi but not before we had a chance to look and touch. Squeals erupted. Grins radiated. Eyes sparkled. An octopus in a bucket is a marvelous sight!

Afterwards the kids went kayaking. That was good. And they had fun. I asked them if we should leave the kayaks out in case they wanted to give it another try…..? “Yes! We love to kayak!”

And as I sat down to write the day up, I glanced out the window as two of the girls approached the splitting maul, the chopping block and the dozen or so small rounds I left out on purpose. Whack! Whack! Whack! Thunk!
(much giggling) Whack! Thunk! (more giggling) and then VICTORY!!! ……a piece of wood split.

You had to be there, I guess.

For a bit of relaxation,, there is nothing like whacking a chunk of wood………..well, watching the girls whacking a chunk of wood is pretty good, too. I feel great!