Just Peachy

The blossom all over Xingtai and surrounding countryside is at its peak at the moment. In my attempts to learn Chinese inevitably I get things wrong and for a while I have been trumpeting the peach blossom to friends but in fact it is mostly pear blossom. Whatever. The street alongside where I live has a pink blossom which may be cherry or apple but the different kinds make for a pleasing blend. After my visit to Bailin Temple we went to an orchard with canola (bright yellow) flowering underneath the trees. Yesterday in a return to the same area my host mentioned that many young people go to the orchards to "get acquainted." Certainly getting privacy in such a densely populated country is not easy. We stopped at an oil "horse" as I would describe the well rigs and to get there walked through wheat fields. The local peasants were working hard, even though it was Sunday, but the constant honking of traffic on the highway meant that even this rural corner was noisy. Villages are everywhere and take up a lot of land so rural in this area does not mean away from it all. Mid-week other friends took me overnight to Yingtan, up in the hills where the sky is genuinely blue and the village quiet. The marvelous light red-pink stone and very solid construction and intricate layout of the village alleys make for a photographers delight. I have met so many people that I can't even list them all. They have invited me to all kinds of things of which I have only mentioned some in these postings. I think this homestay project is really off and running. One last thing. I love the attempts at English in all kinds of places. This caught my attention. "Famons Brand Wine. Foreign Wines Competent." Another sign mentioned "Hairtail" What the heck is that?