Tunnels, Music, & Great Company

It is the day Pengfei has been extremely excited for, our road trip to Wenzhou! We gather snacks for the ride and start to assemble our travel team. We are taking two cars. Pengfei will be driving and so will his one friend, Li Miao. First we go to town to pick up little pork dumplings. These little pouches of deliciousness are hands down my favorite breakfast go to.

Li Miao is a friendly, larger, Chinese man. He is always smiling and joking with me. Although, I never fully understand the context of his comedic humor, I still join in a smile and chuckle. He is to blame for the chain smoking I find myself doing while in this country. Before embarking on the long drive ahead, Li Miao gives me a coffee drink in a bottle and Orion Pies.

Then we go to pick up Tian Ji and Terry. Both are incredibly excited for the journey to Wenzhou and their first trip with an American. Terry gives us all apples and Tian Ji, notoriously, brings along maps. He soon becomes the human gps when the electronic one fails to prove itself. The other person accompanying us is Pengfei’s cousin, whom I will refer to as Didi, which means little brother.

Didi treats me like a lab experiment. He gets as close to my face as possible and stares at my eyes, light blue in color. He is fascinated with my differences. He touches and pinches my skin, as well as feeling my hair. I laugh in amusement knowing that he means no harm. I realize that I am the first person that isn’t Asian he has come in contact with. Didi is an ornery young man and will continue to torment me.

While traveling in the car I get to observe the landscape of China and the hills and mountains of majestic greens. We pass many hills that a lot of farming takes place. I can see many of tea bushes and people picking the tea. I’m in awe of this. The highways are so smooth and well funded; there isn’t a pump to cross.

I point out to Pengfei the many of tunnels that we pass through, carved into the many hills of China. We begin a game of counting the tunnels we pass through. This helps pass time, as does the music we keep playing through the car’s speakers.

This is my first International road trip, and I am living, living in the moment of pure happiness.