My school had a field trip on Friday and I got to go :-)

First we went to a really pretty cool cultural center where the kids practiced some ancient customs

Then we took a long bus ride out to a farm for lunch. This is very typical traditional chinese. The farm provides lunch. There is no menu, just whatever they harvested/killed recently. Our whole lunch had faces. We ate pork face, chicken soup with the floating head, and fish with the head on. The pork had teeth and an eye ball which one father leveraged out with his chop stick to eat the tasty meat beneath.

Alicia and I were saying that one thing we enjoy about China is the honest frank-ness of it. This may be a harsh reality to adjust to when it comes to protein choices (though an important one I think) but it is easily and quickly rewarding in terms of delicious veggies and tue wonderful green tea. What I loved most about the meal was the utter lack of pretense. Even the city born wealthy parents relaxed and looked completely at home.

Lastly, we went to a grape farm (is it still a vineyard if they don't make wine?) And sat beneath trellises on tiny stools eating fresh grapes cut mere inches from our heads.

Yeah, it was a lovely day. And a firm reminder that while I love food and the theater, I am not a city girl.