Family Photo Album

When Dad first sent me his 2009 itinerary, my eyes immediately focused on the word “China.”  I knew that he and Mom were coming in April.  What to do about it?  What to do?  As the date of their arrival drew closer and closer, I continued to scheme to myself how to create the perfect Chinese experience for them during this, their 3rd visit.  Thoughts of wild adventures in far-off places flew through my mind.  We could go to the windy and sandy No Man’s Land in the west of China, visiting Gansu^W, a place of mystery and ancient history.  We could visit Yellow Mountain^W in Anhui^W Province, said to be one of the most scenic peaks in all of China.  Sichuan sounded nice, too.  What about Hainan^W, the “Hawaii” of Southern China?  Too many choices, too little time.  When they finally did arrive in China on the day after April Fool’s, the only plans we had to leave Beijing were when we took a two day trip to Wutai Mountain^W in Shanxi Province.  Other than that short trip, the remaining 80 percent was spent in Beijing.  I don’t regret one second of it.

Introductions

Both my parents had heard me talk of all of my friends that I have met during my time spent in Beijing.  They knew about Lao Zhang and how he had hiked Wutai Mountain in 1966 at the peak of the Cultural Revolution.  They knew about the cast of characters at the diabolo grounds:  the Smooth Scholar, the Entertainer, Old Beijing, etc.  They knew about the English corners that we often host at our headquarters.  They wanted to meet my boss, Zhao Jing.  They wanted to meet my good friend and co-founder of Chinareflection, Zheng Lin.  They would catch up with my Swiss friend, Simon, someone who I have known ever since I taught English in Jiangxi.  The more I thought about it, the less I had to plan.  The “perfect Chinese experience” was sitting under my nose, sizzling in front of me like a juicy steak all along–my life, my little Beijing life.  I would introduce all of these chapters to them one by one, flipping through the pages of my experience with my parents together.