In Zhuji we checked into the hotel which was not equipped to take credit cards. (I understand that China is a cash society but I assumed that hotels could handle credit cards). And even though they couldn’t take credit cards the town had a McDonalds and a KFC. Go figure. We took a walk around town wandering thru the local indoor market which was like a giant permanent covered flea market selling items such as pearls, toilets, snacks (dried fruit, fish and meat) shoes, clothes, tools and toys. We stopped at her Aunt Zhou and Uncles Yang Nut stall in the local market. Photo is above! I got yummy free samples and a chance to sample all the weird nuts that I had seen in other stores but were too chicken to buy. We visited and then were invited to the Aunt & Uncles for dinner. Little did I know that this was the first round of a friendly cook-off competition between Maggie’s Aunt and Maggie’s Mom.
Her aunt and uncles house was a multistoried building. Generally the buildings will house one extended family, with different generations taking different floors or apartments. The nut business must be a good one because they had a very nicely furnished 2 story apartment/home. Pictures of their living room are in the “Summer in China” photo folder. Their small reading room gratefully had air conditioning, so everybody huddled in there to eat. I have only seen the inside of a couple of homes but none of them have ceiling fans and usually only 1 room has an air conditioning unit. The kitchen was upstairs and living room and reading room were downstairs. Of course they wouldn’t let me help so they left the uncle in the reading room with me. Neither of us were able to communicate with the other so we amused ourselves by me pointing at objects I knew and saying the Chinese word for it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have many things I could point at. Uncle Yang taught me 2 new words Chinese words: Chopsticks and chair.
It was a great meal with lots of different items to try. My beer glass was constantly being refilled so now I guess they will remember me as the American lush that visited them. Strangely I can drink Chinese beer without sneezing or my face itching. I seem to be allergic to something in any American Beer that makes me react, but when I am in foreign countries I can drink their beer. Preservatives? My favorite beer is Xi Hu (West Lake) Pi Jiu (beer). You would pronounce it “She-who Pee-Joe”. We got a ride back into town and walked around the city park with Maggie’s mom, and Nan Nan. Maggie took Nan Nan for one of those round boat rides. Maggie doesn’t have a drivers license and after seeing her try to steer the boat I sincerely hope that the Chinese government will NEVER give her one. Nan Nan was petrified and will probably have an irrational fear of boats for the rest of his life. Her steering was so bad she needed the owner to help her get to the side of the small lake.
