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A Family Chinese New Year Holiday in Hainan Island
By Lea Xu
Our family decided to stay at a quiet place this year for Chinese New Year and have extended family come to visit us, rather than our family of five travel to two or three different provinces to visit grandmas and aunts and uncles. We chose to get a quiet place on Hainan Island, which is about one hour driving away from Sanya – the most popular tourist spot on the island of Hainan. The place we stayed is very quiet and not at all crowded. The ocean there is beautiful and the beach is soft.
I enjoyed my morning running on the beach every day. I had set a goal to run 3 kilometers right on the beach. Oh boy, it was not easy! On the first day, I felt like one kilometer on beach is harder than 10 kilometers on the land. I was glad I made it. It was a blessing to run by the ocean, right on the
beach and watch the sun rise. I also enjoyed sitting next to the ocean, reading and listening to the music. I wrote down the following: “When you are tired (no matter a moment or in your life time), you only need a cup of tea, to sit on the couch, watch the waves and read.” I loved having these quiet moments during the vacation, which only belongs to me and my heart. It was the highlight of my day.
Our girls enjoyed biking, swimming, making sand castles, and jumping in the waves. All three girls are very sporty. Of course, they also LOVE playing games after every day of homework. (Yes, in China schools, you must do homework during school holiday break.) I could tell they were much more relaxed; they ate more when they were in Hainan.
The air and water of Hainan Island are rated the “best” in all of China. The foods, including veggie and meats, are much more delicious. I think it could be the soil, water and atmosphere make the difference.
Louie worked a lot during the holiday (as he always doesJ! He also cooked every single meal. When all the extended family arrived, there were twenty-five of us that he was cooking for. He enjoyed sharing his life insights during afternoon tea time with relatives and friends. Of course, he also enjoyed the appreciation from everyone about his cooking too. He takes the pride in himself for being a successful businessman and a good house-husband. I admire his persistence and determination.
Hainan is like Hawaii, good for family vacation –relaxing and hanging around. It is the best type of vacation place for me– being NOT an adventure traveler. My next dream place to visit is South Africa. Jasmine told me her new year wish is to be like Bill Gates, makes lots of money in order to help the poor people (God bless her heart). So I wish to take her to Africa someday. Also I hope to revisit Xian sometime soon; I spent three years in college there and it has a special place in my heart. Life is like a trip, you always find new attractions and its beauty.