Wishy Washies are Wonderful

So there is this book: called the area book. It's a compilation of knowledge passed down by previous ILP head teachers to help us newbies navigate life here in Guzhen. The other day I was perusing the area book, finding interesting tidbits of knowledge, when I came across a mention of something called a Wishy Washy. So. We decided that it had to be tried out. Megan and I went first, as a test run. We walked down to one of the many hair salons in the area, and went inside. The people were so nice, and didn't speak a lick of English. We had 3 or 4 of them gathered around us, trying to figure out what we wanted. Megan mimed washing hair, and I pulled out my dictionary and started pointing at words... and eventually they figured out what we wanted, because they took us to the back of the salon, where there was nice music playing and a whole lot of really comfy looking bed things. At the head of each bed was a sink. And we got to lay on those beds while wonderfully talented Chinese people washed our hair, massaged our head, our necks, backs, and arms... and basically gave us the most wonderful experience.... I pretty much thought I'd died and gone to heaven. When they were done washing, they styled our hair. So. One hour and 30 yuan later (which is about 5 American dollars) we left the salon feeling like new people. I felt beautiful, and maybe like I actually deserved a few of the stares we always get. I haven't felt that pretty in quite a while. It was so great!

After Wishy Washing it up, we decided to stop by a bakery for lunch. After grabbing some things that looked delectable and trying to learn the names of the bakery employees, we stopped at the Lilly Pad Park for lunch. As we finished our meal, a nice looking Chinese man came towards our bench, gesturing with his racket--- he wanted us to play with him. So I got up and went and played badminton with a group of Chinese people. We couldn't speak to each other, but we had fun laughing and chasing the birdie around. It was so great!

Playing Badminton

Later that night we wanted to go Disco Dancing. So we all dressed up in cute clothes, and set out to find the disco club. Upon arriving we decided that the club looked a little to sketchy for us, but after a bit of thinking, and recalling that the area book said something about there being dancing at the Lilly Pad Park, we headed over that way to see what there was. In point of fact there was dancing. All sorts of social dancing going on. With old and young and everyone in between. Some couples looked like they were pro, others just mimicked their moves, some danced in time, others not so much... but it was so fun to be there and watch and dance a little ourselves.

All dressed up and ready to go!

What a great Saturday right? I loved it. One of the things I love most about being here is how kind and friendly the people are. The stares can be a little awkward, and when guys follow us around it's sometimes a little weird, but I love the realization that you don't need words to communicate. A smile goes a long way, and laughter even further. Of course, that isn't going to stop me from trying to learn as much Chinese as I can...

I love China.