A morning spent picking chestnuts, figs and persimmon...and a meal with restaurant lady.

Last week when I was coming home, I bought a couple of bottles of drink and sat down to chat with an old security guard.  Whilst chatting I met a new friend, Susan.  Susan is a teacher in Jiangkou and her husband is a Police Doctor.  She offered to teach me Chinese if I taught her English.  We have had one online chat whilst she was wearing her face mask.  Most Chinese women wear these before going to bed.  Or at least that's what I am led to believe!
Anyhow, she promised to take me for a drive, and we went on one this morning.  Not just Around Jiangkou, but around  'greater Jiangkou'.  Up into the hills and to a friend's farm.  It was quite remote, and she had to ask the way once or twice .

Journey video.

We drove through some spectacular countryside, sorry no photos, and eventually, we got to this little farm.  We got out and went on foot down a small road between buildings with brightly painted walls.  We stopped to take a few photos with some locals, and then went to her friend's farm.

It, like many farms was a pretty simple place, but the friendship I receive at these places is always phenomenal!  Really happy generous people.  The farm consisted of a few buildings around a central courtyard.  The central courtyard had been covered with a transparent plastic roof and there were grapes growing on vines. The floor was covered in one corner with very large chestnuts.  

Me in the courtyard of the farm, vines overhead.

The owner brought out a chair for me and I sat down.  Susan gave me a few chestnuts to eat and had a conversation with the owner.  I sat ans watched! Shortly afterwards the owner picked up a couple of sacks and a pair of gloves and Susan said it was time to follow him.  We walked a short way into the fields along a path to a nearby grove.  Yes, I grove!  I used to sing about groves in junior school, but this is the first time I've seen one!  I only knew it was a grove because Susan told me the Chinese word for it and it translated as grove!  I've now officially seen a grove!  It was lovely, with many hidden treasures.  Firstly I saw the trees, then the bee-hives, lots of them!  I stayed at the top and walked a short way with Susan.  When I returned, the farmer was beating trees with a long stick.

He was harvesting chestnuts.  I climbed down and helped him put them in a sack.  

Meanwhile, Susan returned with some fruits and asked me if I knew what they were.  Needless to say, I didn't!

a handful of figs

Susan and a ready-to-eat fig

They turned out to be figs!  Lovely and ready to eat.  I too a break from collecting chestnuts.  Back to work.  Susan walked off wit the farmer, who climbed a nearby tree.  I carried on collecting chestnuts.  Shortly afterwards Susan came over, gave me a different fruit and asked me if I knew what it was.  I was not sure! 

 It looked like a Sharon fruit but when I translated this to Chinese it was unrecognisable!  It turned out to be a persimmon, and a lovely one at that!  Strangely I later discovered that a Sharon fruit is a persimmon, and it tasted a lot better than it looks in the photo!  After a while I had filled the sack and returned the gloves to the farmer.  I offered to take the sack back to the farm but he told me he would do that.  I think he had some sympathy for me because I had been eaten by mosquitoes!  Nine bites on each leg!  Shorts were not a god idea for this farm!  I walked back to the farm and Susan took me to a tap.  She wet some green soap-like stuff and dabbed it on the bites.  The itching stopped straight away.  Unfortunately, the itching has now returned....a day and a half later!  After having my legs fixed, I asked to use the loo.  Always an interesting question, especially in rural areas!  We both searched for a fwe minutes and eventually found it .... I think! 

I have seen some strange loos in China but this one had both me and Susan puzzled!  Fortunately I only wanted a wee.  Not sure what I would have done if it was a case of number twos!  I went back into the farmyard as the farmer arrived with two sacks of chestnuts.  Susan asked him something and he came back with a simple set of scales.  He filled two large bags with 'peeled' chestnuts and Susan paid him.  I took the opportunity for a quick photoshoot!

I am guessing that this is grandma and grandad and two grandchildren!  The farmer guy walked over and Placed one cahir on top of the other and started to pick some grapes.

The farmer on a stool balanced on a chair, picking grapes. (Susan in the background)

He climbed down and put the grapes in a bag and gave them to me.  I ripped the velcro union jack patch off my waistpack and gave it to him.  He smiled, but Susan had toe explain what it was all about.  After the explanation he seemed even happier!  We eventually left and went back to the car with two big bags of chestnuts, my bag of grapes and two persimmon.    We drove back the difficult way. Down a steep windy road.  It was just die enough for two cars to pass, with millimeters to spare.  However, there were passing places, but Chinese being Chinese they don't use these and instead try to squeeze past each other on the road.  Reversing twenty meters to a passing point would be far more sensible, but that;s not he way it is done.  Both cars stop and edge forward, and then one driver usually gets out and guides the other one past with only millimeters to spare.  N on e is angry or aggressive.  Strange.  After tht we got back to the main road.  The end of a lovely day.  Or so I thought.

When I got home I set about doing some school work. I was interrupted by a short text chat with restaurant boss lady.  Last time we met I had helped her install an translator on her phone and now we can speak to each other a little more easily!  Anyhow, she invited me to a meal at her 'shop'.  I was happy to go as I had not talked to her recently.  I went there at 5:30.  The table was set.

As usual a lovely meal.  The only problem for me is that everyone speaks dialect, and speaks it quickly.  I just sit there and smile. However as the guys get drunk and the banter flows, I start to feel a bit uncomfortable, especially when teh banter is about me!  I stayed for a bot an hour and a half and then left to play in the park!  An excellent day. I have missed this sort of day recently as work has been pilling up along with the stress of increased workload and new regulations.  Still I cant complain!