4. Friendly People 

During my last week of classes before examinations many of my students asked me again to share my impressions and opinions. One thing that stood out to me, and that I mentioned first in each class, was I am yet to have a negative encounter with a Chinese
person. Day in and day out, without fail, the people of Luzhou have been friendly, patient, honest, and kind. 

Even after four months my Chinese vocabulary is limited to simple phrases such as "hello", "thank you", "please", and some other basic words. Had I been planning on staying longer than one semester, I'd have taken the plunge and given the Chinese language my best effort. But, this not being the case, I decided to devote my energies elsewhere and resort to carrying around my pocket phrase book. Initially I was very timid when dealing with the local people, whether at restaurants, the market, or on the street. For some reason I thought they would frown upon my
coming to their country without a working knowledge of the language. However this fear was soon put to rest by peoples" willingness to help and friendly attitudes while doing so. 

In the restaurants I frequent, my relationship with the servers is light and humorous. I smile and laugh over my own lingual ineptitude, and they are patient and understanding while I fumble over words and pronunciations. The people in the marketplace are also playful and when I say "xie xie", which means thank you, everyone has a good laugh over the way I say the words. While I'm sure I've paid an extra yuan or two on occasion, mostly from opportunistic street vendors, these instances are few and far between. If anything, I'm astounded it hasn't happened more often, as I know first-hand it does in many other countries.  I have generally been extremely trusting of people, under almost every circumstance, and my trust has yet to be broken or lead me astray. 

One example among many, regarding the hospitality I've experienced, will speak volumes. Three weeks after arriving I was ready to expand my comfort zone and leave the city on a day trip. I left in the morning for Fiang Shan, a holy Buddhist mountain an
hour away, and was planning on spending the day wandering around alone. When I was let off at the gate to the grounds, two couples from the same bus invited me to walk with them. They were all young, perhaps late twenties, and were out on a double date of sorts. They stopped to buy themselves some prayer candles and incense, and offered to buy me some as well, though I declined. When we walked to the gate, the two gentlemen purchased my 25 yuan ticket before I could argue, and this was only the beginning of their generosity. 

We spent the next several hours hiking up and around the mountain, looking at different monasteries and enjoying the views of the countryside. They stopped for lunch and insisted I eat with them, refusing my offers to help pay. They bought me drinks along the way, and shared with me what food they'd packed. 
Because they spoke as much English as I speak Chinese, communication was difficult. Nonetheless, they did their best to include me, using both body language and my phrase book. Never once did they become frustrated, and not for a second did I feel like a burden on them. 

On our way down we stopped at a small souvenir stand and I asked them to inquire about the price of a small set of carved Buddhas. They wrote down the number 30 to show me the price, but because I hadn't brought enough cash, I declined. A moment later each of the men paid fifteen yuan to the vendor and bought
me the set of Buddhas. It was the most touching gesture among many that day and I was amazed by all of them, especially because they had nothing to possibly gain from me, not even a good conversation! 

I don't know if I would have had the same personal experience had I lived in a major metropolis such as Chengdu, or in one of the many large cities in Eastern China. I doubt I would have been a novelty like I was in Luzhou, where there are only a handful of
foreigners living. And in all likelihood I would have had to be a bit more conscientious of trickery and crime, both of which are non-factors in my life here.  As funny as it sounds to say about a city almost half a million people, Luzhou has a small town feel about it. This feeling of warmth springs from the genuine and good-natured people I encounter on a daily basis, and has helped me feel at home while so far away from home. It is also why I'll be taking nothing but the fondest memories with me when I leave. 

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