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Unexpected Adventures

It is always the most unexpected turn of events that makes life exciting. I’ve learned to never pass up an opportunity that may bring more adventure into my life. The opportunities don’t even have to be on the grander scale of traveling to a new country. All it has to be is stepping out of your comfort zone and being present in the moment, which is exactly what I did one Sunday morning.

My usual Sunday morning routine includes sipping coffee on the rooftop terrace and watching the village wake up as the sun stretches its rays into the sky. Basically, it’s a lazy Sunday morning for me. My friend, Anthony, asked if I wanted to exchange those lazy morning plans for something more adventurous right in our village. With my feet stretched out and my skin enjoying the sunshine, my body didn’t want to move, but I knew that I shouldn’t pass up an unexpected chance to meet the locals.

Mr. Yang, who I’ve nicknamed “Happy Smiley Greeter Man” since everyone is either Mr. Yang or Mr.Li, came promptly at 9am to pick us up. He was in a hurry for us to get back to his house and meet his friends. On the walk over to his house, Mr. Yang talked about the things like his children and the garlic and bean fields that were surrounding us. He was acting like the town mayor as we passed by his fellow neighbors, constantly shaking hands, smiling, and telling us in broken English, “My friend.” After weaving through little alleyways, we finally made it to his house, where his friends greeted us with smiles and green tea. A little dog greeted us as well and wanted to receive the most attention. Our conversations about the village and the unusual instruments that they play quickly picked up a pace that I could no longer keep up with. I decided to sit back, smile, occasionally sip my green tea, and try to play one of the instruments that were laying on the table.

When they would speak with us, they would speak in Mandarin Chinese, but if they were just chatting with themselves, they would quickly change into their local Bai language. It reminded me of standing around in the early hours at Al Johnson’s before the morning rush came charging through the doors and our only customers were the friends of Al. Coffee, tea, and lingonberry soda were served to Al’s friends as they discussed the stats of the recent baseball game (professional or Little League), which is a totally different language to me. Even though the language barrier is present, there is a level of comfort in both situations that I have found to be quite enjoyable.