On The Eastern Journey

“Mmmmm!” Schäfer says to his fresh apricots.

06/27/08

6/19/08
Next to our building, is a newly placed large dirt mound (read: every toddler’s dream). One cloudy afternoon, we asked the workers if Schäfer could play. “No problem!” they replied.

Hard at work.

Loading up the dump truck.

Making sure the dump truck is filled to maximum capacity.

Sifting for ancient Three Kingdom ruins.

Bliss.

Just wanting to lay down and become one with the dirt.

This Nai Nai (general title for older women) is one of our neighbors. She absolutely loves Schäfer and comes out whenever she sees him outside. On this day, she really wanted to get him to dance, but he was more interested in the dirt.

Nai Nai calls Schäfer “Little Foreigner” - even though she knows his Chinese name. She calls him this so much that Schäfer has picked up the word “lao wai.” They think it is so funny when Schäfer calls people “lao wai.”

One morning, Schäfer and I were outside with the neighborhood kiddos when Hubs passed by on his way to see a friend. Nai Nai said, “Look! There’s your Baba. He’s a foreigner too.” Then Schäfer called Hubs a “lao wai”. I corrected him because it was disrespectful, but Nai Nai insisted that it was fine. We’ll just have to chalk this up under the broad category of cultural differences and call it good.

Welcome to the neighborhood sandbox. It’s a little part of the sidewalk which has fallen apart. When the children are spaced evenly, this sandbox can fit 6 toddlers. Schäfer can spend hours here moving dirt with his shovel, sifting small rocks with his sifter and loading his dump truck with sand.

A few days later, Hubs took Schäfer back to the dirt pile so I could get some things done around the house. No matter where you go - there’s always someone to talk to.