Uninspired

It's amazing to me, sitting here in this grimy little internet cafe in the city at the end of two amazing days in the countryside, that I can't think of any way to begin this message. The last 4 days have been one constant tape-reel in my head, dutifully recording everything I wanted so desperately to tell. EVERYthing is story worthy - every single minute. And yet, now that I have the quiet and time to sit down and actually begin to tell I find the words have all escaped me. At least as far as words go, this evening I am totally uninspired.

Living with Timothy's family has been so far from any other trip I've ever taken (definitely in China, probably in any other country as well) . It's amazing how close to home a place that is utterly foreign can feel. Families are families all over the world, and this one has welcomed me in completely. I have surely been to more picturesque places and done more exciting things in this country, but I have never had 20 cups of tea with a pair of grandmothers in their home before, unfolding their miraculous life stories, or watched the sun set outside the oil-paper windows with a grandfather scrolling through the photos on my digital camera. Their stories deserve telling, but later, when my fingers and mind are not so lethargic.

Today's key words (for later elaboration): poker, 3-wheeled tractor, condom grab-bag, pit-toilets, beggar children, swivel skateboards in the people's park, smallest ever goldfish bowls, staring isn't staring if you're staring back, cream puffs, and ice cold inside and out.