From Shanghai, we flew back to Beijing, repacked, and caravaned with two other cars for several hours to Nandaihe, a resort district of Qinhuangdao, an extensive modern city of 3 million in Hebei Province. Qinhuangdao is big, I said to Kanyan (Kevin). Not so big, he said.
Nandaihe and its beaches, a popular getaway for people in Beijing, is on the Bohai Sea, a bay. We stayed in the View 45 (degree) Plaza, 3 20-story towers, but most of the resort places are only a couple of stories. On Saturday morning at 8, the street below was packed with honking cars eager to turn left and get to the sea.
A big feast Friday night! At right is our host, Big Mr. Han Bing, the head of the Tangshan office of MCC Engineering Company (as distinguished from the other Mr. Han, deputy managing senior engineer). To his left is Zhou Kanyan (Kevin), who translated for everyone else, his son Zhou Yihoo (known as Beng Beng, pronounced "Bung Bung"), and Kevin's wife Liu Qi (pronouned "Chee").
Beng Beng, 2 1/2, Bob, and Jola.
From left, one of our drivers, next Mr. Han Zhan Peng's daughter Han Xiao ("Cho"), 16, and his wife Sun Ning, with Liu Qi and Beng Beng.
From left, one of our drivers, next Mr. Han Zhan Peng's daughter Han Xiao ("Cho"), 16, and his wife Sun Ning, with Liu Qi and Beng Beng.
From left, Mr. Han Zhan Peng, Mr. Xia ("Shay"), project manager, and another young driver. / The lovely young waitresses are bringing a feast of seafood, beef, peking duck, noodles, dumplings, all kinds of vegetables -- and polish sausage.
Beng Beng, his dad Kevin, Big Mr. Han, Bob, and Jola. / I told a friend who's been to China my concern about the food we coulnd't finish, the waste. You only take onto your small plate what you can eat. About the uneaten food on the lazy susan, my friend said, "Don't worry, it doesn't go to waste. The staff and families take care of the leftovers."
Bob, Jolanta, and me.
Beng Beng sings a song.
Beng Beng, his dad Kevin, Big Mr. Han, Bob, and Jola. / I told a friend who's been to China my concern about the food we coulnd't finish, the waste. You only take onto your small plate what you can eat. About the uneaten food on the lazy susan, my friend said, "Don't worry, it doesn't go to waste. The staff and families take care of the leftovers."
Bob, Jolanta, and me.
Beng Beng sings a song.
And when he sang the Thomas the Tank Engine theme ("They're two, they're four, they're six, they're eight, shunting trucks and hauling freight...Thomas and his friends") -- I could sing softly along.
The Zhou family. They lived in San Francisco for three months with Kevin's sister.
Do you ever think about what it feels like to smile? At this dinner, in part because we couldn't speak to each other so easily but needd to wait for Kevin to translate, we sat and smiled at each other. Smiling feels REALLY GOOD!
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