Our hostess was very hospitable and genuine. She invited to us to come back again soon.

Morning view from the house we ate breakfast in.

Baby on the back

This blind man told us a story about the history of his people. They used to live in the northern part of the country but they were oppressed and forced to move south. They finally made their way to the empty mountains that they now call home. At first they were not used to mountain life, but now they are like goats. A special man and woman (I didn't fully understand the story at this point) gave birth do eight children. The children's names became the surnames for these people.

I am not sure how length makes smoking a pipe better, but they seem to really like long ones.

I love this picture! This 80 year old mountain villager is using head phones to listen to an MP3 player. He didn't know what to do with the ear peices. He is listening to some dialect recordings to help us better understand their local language.

how many of you would put your two year old to work in the kitchen? next to an open flame?

These little kids are helping to cook their dinner.

Twilight Zone

Surreal is how I describe my village experience this week. It was so weird that I do not quite know how to explain it. It began as any other: We walked around a village and then were invited in to eat dinner and spend the night. The husband was the only one able to speak the common language so we could only smile and the woman and little children. He invited us to sit down and fairly quickly served us a meatless and riceless dinner (this is very common here because they do not have enough water to grow rice, only corn, and they are too poor to eat meat). After eating we sat on the porch and watched the children while they ate and the man and woman finished their chores before dark came. It soon began to rain (for the first time in 3 months) and then. . . it continued to be very normal. They started getting ready for bed and settled us in to the master bedroom to sleep. They had no electricity so they said that they normally go to bed as soon as it gets dark, so 8:30 and we were in bed. So, this is when the surreal happens. They did not go to bed. More people began to arrive and the house got louder and louder. A man began to sing or chant and he continued for quite some time. Falling in and out of sleep, I was not sure of how much time had passed. I looked at my watch and it was midnight. The fire was still going in the main room and it was still loud. So all through the night, in and out of sleep and dreams I fell. I was never sure whether I was sleeping or awake for the singing and chanting worked into my dreams. I dreamed or consciously thought that the man must be chanting to the spirits to make the rain stop because it was ruining the corn. But the man kept singing and then and strange noise like something being pounded or shot began and then continued. I looked at my watch again, 2:30. When were they ever going to go to sleep. So the singing and shooting noise continued, and then the sqealing noise of a pig about to be slaughtered (a common sound to my ears, but at this time of night with singing going on?) Amidst strange dreams and strange sounds, laying on a wooden board, I somehow slept until we were shaken awake at five o'clock, "Chi Fan" (eat). They had never gone to sleep. I asked them why and the girl said, oh, we don't like to sleep. So by candle light we ate pig fat, rice, and soup. I was glad that I could barely see my food, though I was able to tell that at one point I put the teeth of the pig in my mouth. That was so strange. Did they sacrifice the pig, have some kind of ritual ceremony during the night? I have no idea. Then we set off into the morning drizzle to climb the mountain back to reality. And wow! Glory it was beautiful walking through the fog on the mountain peaks.

Isn't she cute! She is twelve and quite sweet and shy. She was able to speak the common language and help us speak to the older people who could only speak their local dialect.

Ouch! That looks like it hurts. Little kids are violent when they eat. You cannot tell it in this picture, but the little one is continually butting her head into the mom's gut.

These little kids are eating a hominy-type soup and green veggies. We were served first (with the head of the house), and then the kids and grandma ate. I was very impressed by their independence in eating. Even the smallest one served herself from the bowls in the middle of the table. And notice the two children on the left, they are wearing no pants. There were two others under age 2 who were also walking around pantless. They looked really cute lined up looking over the balcony, but the lack of hygiene is certainly bad for their health. These children walk around in dirt, mud, and who knows what else, barefooted and bare-bottomed. They were so dirty (and these ones lived in a nicer house). The living conditions make me wonder how many of them will survive to adulthood.

A two-story village house. We did not stay in this house, but I don't have a picture of the one we stayed in. This village was creepy.

Maize Maze

This time of year the corn stalks are very tall, which makes navigating in the countryside a little like a labyrinth. This trail wasn't too bad, but on several occasions we had to fight leaves as they sought to overtake us! Also, take note of my new backpack. So much more shufu (comfortable).

At a rural elementary school, students received their red bandanas and are being sworn into the youngest branch of the Com. Party.

In one village house. The girl in the green shirt looks 16 but is 26 and has an eight-year old autistic daughter. The man in the foreground has a crippled a leg. These villagers are very poor and troubled, but they were very friendly and hospitable.

Misty Corn Mud

My recent trip to countryside was quite rainy, making for muddy and slippery trails. I tried very hard not to fall, and I succeeded the majority of the time, but there were a few times that I did not and my right leg lives to tell the tale (I have a deep purple bruise). On one occasion we were walking through a corn field, past droppings and other lovely things, and up a muddly slope. My shoe found no traction and I fell forward catching myself with my hand. I do not typically have a problem with mud, but I have a feeling there were other things mixed with that mud. It was fun though and well worth it. That slippery slope led up to a village where the people were very friendly and welcoming.

I thought that this was an interesting picture of Western culture meeting the old world. Here in a very poor and out-of-the-way village, sits a basketball court. They may have never seen an NBA game, but they can play!

Some houses nestled in the mountains.

Looking down into a village on a recent trip to the countryside.

24th Birthday

May 27th was my 24th birthday. For some reason my birthday is usually a downer day and this one was no exception. I am not a cryer, but there is just something about my birthday. I hadn't slept well in days and so all it took was being unable to find powdered sugar for my cake icing to push me over the edge. I had found and bought everything else need to make my strawberring birthday cake, including buying and freezing strawberries back in March when they were in season. When I couldn't find powdered sugar I resorted to using the blender to make my own, but this doesn't get every single crystal. It was working well enough, but then the blender busted with still runny icing. I had been going non-stop all day on very little sleep and so I started crying. All I wanted was my mom's strawberry cake for my birthday. With guests coming in about an hour, I was thankful that my friend had made me another cake, and quickly tried to get my act together and dry my eyes. I was beginning to wonder why I had invited people over, but I am glad that I did. We had a lot of fun at my party. 11 locals came. I taught them how to dance the Cotton Eye Joe, Electric Slide, Macarena, Chicken Dance, and play twister. It was really good to get my adrenaline going and they had fun learning these crazy American dances.

Helen busy cutting the cake.

Three of my sisters. We look a lot alike, don't we!

This is my birthday cake before decorating. I have a friend who decorates cakes at a bakery. She works every day from 10am to 10 or 11pm just decorating cakes. When she found out that my birthday was coming up she made me promise to let her decorate and give me a cake. When I arrived at the shop she immediately went to work. She didn't have to think about what she would do, apparently she had already thought it all out. It was very cute. She gave me a huge cake. The following pictures are somewhat step by step.

Making the icing nice and smooth

Drizzling the strawberry-flavored gel over whipped cream icing.

Adding the border icing

Making a flower. To add color she squirts powered dye onto the whipped cream flower.

My friend is adding the finishing touches of fruit. For some reason they like to cram as much fruit on top of the cake as possible. It honestly isn't really that attractive, but I guess they think it adds something. After the fruit is securely put in place, a clear gel is drizzled over top to keep it fresh and shiny.

The artist displays the finished cake before putting it in the box.

This is the finished product right before getting cut open. It is a shame, all the work that was put into decorating it, only to be demolished in 2 minutes.