Holiday Ski Trip

The big holiday time of year has arrived in China (hence those impossible-to-buy tickets), and the day for Frank's company's celebration arrived yesterday. We were transported through THP up the gorgeously bamboo-clad mountains, up, up to the ski resort on top. The first activity of the day was running around the reservoir, which we skipped to procede directly to skiing. Naturally we were bundled up very warmly---as it turned out too warmly ! It wasn't very cold, and there was very little natural snow. The snowmakers had their work cut out, and I especially appreciated the beautiful snowbows their sprying snow made in the sunlight. The cloudless sky was deep blue, as we either skimmed over, or clumsily plodded through the white stuff (as the case might be). Thank God the only casualty of the day was Scarlett's father, who got a little laceration above his eye. My muscles were sufficiently inured to stress that none hurt except those in my chest wall, as I relentlessly plied my poles to propel me over the "not-so -slopes". The afternoon flew on wings, (even if we didn't feel we were flying as the ad suggested) and too soon we were summoned to prepare for the New Year's Banquet in the dining room of Jinjiang Sky Lake Holiday Resort Hotel. As we ate (and yes, the chicken and fish were served complete with head per usual), different company officials came to each table with greetings and new year's wishes. Many of the those at the banquet were former English students of ours, including some of the managers, whom we taught over 13 years ago.  I couldn't help reflecting on what abiding fruit there might be from the few hundred taught, only a few of which responded to the Good News at the time (all of which are far away and out of touch with us).  Awards were given and a number of people who could not sing, made the attempt anyway. We retired to our lovely room in the hotel for the night, thankful for the restful surroundings. Frank told us he had sighted a wolf a little earlier, and that is extra special in China where wildlife is seldom seen! The morning brought a bracing hike a ways down the mountain through the bamboo growing thick as the hair on a dog's back. I loved the sound of the wind sighing and whistling lightly through the leaves, reminding me of Frank's quote a few minutes earlier: "In the whistling grass, I hear Him pass..."