FARMING AROUND

Out to the countryside I go! I was so excited when my work friend had invited me out to her family farm over the weekend. It was a 30 minute drive from Tongzhou along the gravel roads and into the middle of nowhere. As we arrived I was greeted to her entire family, aunts, uncles and grandparents, along with three big Rottweiler’s locked in cages. These dogs were huge, twice the size of any other Rottweiler I’ve ever seen, almost the size of a lion- no wonder they are in cages.

We had a glorious lunch – village style! All of the food was cooked in this tiny little outdoor kitchen of gas stoves and a fireplace. There were about 20 or so dishes in front of me and I had no idea what most of them were. I was so delighted when I was offered a glass of HOMEMADE SOY MILK. Oh my god. Absolutely made my day, it was delicious. I have never come across SOY MILK IN CHINA until this day. Let’s be honest, I probably drank more soymilk than food eaten. The food was delicious but very strange. Tomatoes covered in sugar, a whole fish with eyeballs and all, and massive pork bones with little meat attached to it and vegetables cooked in sour sauces. It was an interesting experience for the taste buds but I enjoyed it!

After lunch we went exploring through the peach farm. We chased the chickens and geese through the paddocks and took one of the dogs on a walk with a heavy metal chain. I kept my fair distance from the dog, I was terrified. The peach farm was so beautiful, most of the trees hadn’t blossomed yet, but there were a few with the pretty pink flowers. The peaches are due to be ready in about 2 months when the weather starts to warm up. It was such a beautiful day and I am so lucky to have been invited to the farm, it was such a good experience and sight to view into the countryside of Beijing.