Week 6

Day 3

The day for the trip to Tom's hometown.

We had breakfast with the whole group before leaving to take a bus to the bus station for the long trip bus to his hometown.

The stars seem to be smiling as us as throughout the whole journey to his hometown, we mange to get onto the buis without much waiting and everything was going on fine.

The bus trip to his hometown was 5 hours long where we had a little discomfort and the worst was just someone smoking in the bus.

Upon arrival, we took a taxi to the ferry terminal to cross the YangTze river to the other bank where we would continue of journey on bus to his house. The ferry was also used for transporting small vehicles like motorcycles. We learnt that there was another type of ferry that crosses the river and it transports mainly buses and cars.

The later on bus journey was filled with stares of the local people as they had even less foreign visitors as compared with Wuhan. His house was near the bus stop and we were welcomed warmly by Tom's mother who kept offering us tea and to be seated down. A warm welcome indeed. After settling down, we were brought on a tour around his house and we learnt and saw many things which cannot be found in Singapore anymore.

The house was really old and even around the area this was 1 of the oldest. They had a well which was very deep and the water was used as drinking water last time but now just for washing clothes and dishes. It was really clear and if I had the chance, would try it. They reared chickens, both the chicks and the grown up ones. Everyday they would collect the eggs from the chickens and they would feed them with the left overs of their meals mixed with chicken food. their house was 2 storeys high with roof excess so that makes 3. They had 2 rooms to themselves and the rest were rented out to a hairdresser and a cook. They had had a solar cells on their roof tops and we were told only well of families could afford it. Next we went to have a tour around their cotton factory which was just round the corner. It was quite big and since the season was over empty as well. They still had a few packages of the processed cotton left and it was really soft. We left for the viewing of their cotton fields was was now planted with other kinds of plants. Tom told us it was small, but when we got there...WOAH it was very wide with the size of many football fields on end!We left foe the last visit and that was the primary school that Tom and his dad hd attended when they were both young...imagine how old the school is! We took pictures of the classroon with the students in them and the condition that the tables and chair was in really looked like how it was back in Singapore when we were in primary school.

After all our visits, we went the best motel around the area which was also round the corner to have dinner there. this was wear we felt the hospitality of Chinese families. we were treated to nic spread of dishes where we also learnt the manners of the chinese. they loved toasting to each other not to mention their passion to drink! last but not least, the chefs came out to have a picture with us, saying that it was their honour to be able to cook for us. we were really treated liek kings and queens there.

We left for bathe and the girls stayed at Tom's parent's room while the boys stayed at the motel that we dined.

The chinese hospitality is something which cannot be matched with hotel services. it is really filled with warmth and they really gived their best to us...For the first time, i'm actaully pleased with the people in China.