City Walls

Yulin is an unassuming town. By town I really mean to say large city by most American definitions. Inside its ancient crumbling city walls bustles a Chinese city few Americans (or for that matter westerners) come to. Walking down the street you can hear the people gasp (followed by a ridiculous case of the giggles) at the sight of mei guo ren.

We are unmistakably the only foreigners here. Yet, we have felt more at home here than almost anywhere else because of the kindness of strangers.

The search for information about desertification has lead us to the fringes of northern Shaanxi, a place once stricken by increasing dunes and sand storms. Today, the land seems full of scrub that amongst rains must blossom into lush green hills. Helped by the benevolence of local college students, we were able to see a community organized tree planting group, visit the local govt's sand control center, and finish the day by dining, family style, with the dean of the international office.

Sometimes all you need is an invitation to KTV (karaoke) to finish it all off.