Day 1: First Contact

In order to get the proper Beijing experience, we decided to share the flat of a real live Chinese family!!! We Skyped them twice, and managed to send them a couple emails about parks and local libraries. What could possibly go wrong? My mandarin teacher’s reaction was a little knock to our confidence in this area - she informed us that when at the station meeting him for the first time, we should casually make the person state his identity first. She demonstrated: “Ah, nice to see you....?” She trailed off casually and surveyed the imaginary imposter with a cool glance. We nodded sagely, adding “don’t call Frank, Frank” to our travel to-do list. She added in a motherly tone, “and don’t get into anybody’s car, ok?”  Suddenly, I could see The Chinese Mafia brandishing candy next to large white gaping vans, crowding around us as we arrived at the station, hollering for just one ride in their nice car, with frenzied,  wild eyes. 

However, despite previous apprehension, first contact with our Home Stay family went well. Frank duly announced his name before we shook his hand, and we walked back to his flat - no car involved. Jessica, his wife, presented herself as a sincere, friendly type, and quickly rustled up a plain but tasty dinner for us. The family are very relaxed - they’re easy-going and polite, and not even a little bit curious about where we come from. Hygiene in the kitchen leaves something to be desired but then you can’t have everything. They are seasoned hosts - one of their previous home stay guests stayed for a year, but we have subtly mentioned that we have plans for the autumn.