Yong Chao, Poster Boy

The host father, Mr Xu, known by everyone as Yong Chao, is a good fella. He is a mixture of many things but the image of him that predominates in my mind is that of a revolutionary poster boy. I noticed in my first few weeks that in almost any photo he would show head up with his gaze off into the future, rarely looking into the camera directly. He is a happy man, likes to sing from time to time, a bit impulsive, knows his history of China very well, curious about many things. Above all he has taken a big leap, I hesitate to say chance, hosting a foreigner in his family. At one and the same time he is a bit conservative but also expansive and open minded. He does not drink or smoke and always wears (even on days off) his uniform which his particular tax office does not require, but which most tax offices do. Few of his colleagues wear uniforms. It is refreshing to see him in his undershirt around the house if only because it is a new look. We have been close to thirty five celsius this week (and I came to the north to avoid the heat!!) and he suffers in the heat. He is hardy, rides his bike like a real trooper and eats like a horse. He puts real effort into learning English. I do not know if it will change job prospects for him since he is already well placed in his office. He used to be a teacher and this shows in his attention to detail and liking of information. His impulsive nature has shown on a couple of occasions. The only time I have gone on the bus on my own we had a chance meeting on the street corner as I headed off. He had not thought it out and was stopping the right numbered bus (just the wrong direction) before I pulled him back. Another time (coming home at night on our bikes going at record pace he told me (we are a little competitive in that regard) he continued into an intersection with oncoming traffic and had to jump off his bike to avoid a collision with a taxi. I, the wise foreigner, had thought discretion was the best part of valour and held back. He seems to love his daughter very much, perhaps because of an illness when she was younger.