My Family (in China)

The family I am staying with is great, though I get the feeling that they are trying to fatten me up, for some big “Ben Roast” where I will be the main course.

I wouldn’t know if this were the case, I can’t understand anything they are saying. For all I know they could be talking to eachother about what I would taste like, or what kinds of herbs and spices they should use when they cook me…

There is a grandmother and grandfather who both live in the house. The grandmother never leaves, and the grandfather seldom does, although they are always doing work around the house or in the garden. The grandmother is the cook. The grandfather does most of the garden work. The father and the mother are both very nice as well, though loud and a bit overbearing. The father is constantly wearing a big silly grin. Of course I am happy I know him, he is a pretty scary looking fellow. The mother is nice, but she screams a lot… about 73% of the time that she is talking. What is said is that I’m not entirely sure how many kids they have. I know they have two sons. One is in the army, the other is 7 and is home from his boarding school for the break. I also know they have a daughter, I am sleeping in her room. But other than that I am not completely sure, there are always a lot of people walking in and out of the house, and I have no way of deciphering whether it is someone who works for the family, if they are just friends, or if they are related by blood.

It’s all very confusing. My family owns many small businesses, and they are pretty wealthy, that is compared to the rest of the village. I am pretty sure that the mother does something with clothing, she has a room full of needles, thread and plastic diamonds and other sparkling accessories. She ais also the accountant/financer. I often find her with a few of what I presume to be the managers of their stores punching away at a calculator, counting money. The father is a fisherman, I’m pretty sure. Maybe he does more than that, he does leave often for the entire day, but I have never accompanied him on any of these trips so I can only speculate. (maybe he is a hitman? A mob boss? I have an active imagination)

I wish I could understand what they say, so I coul talk to them, so we could have a relationship. I suppose it is enough with body language, but oh how I long to find out about them, to understand them, to truly meet them.

Someday I will come back to China after studying Chinese in college and will return to this house. I will show up unannounced. I cannot wait. I look forward to that day almost as much as I do the day I actually go to college. Oh yeah, which reminds me.
I have to start applying!!!