RIVER WALK ICE SKATING and a New Friend

Yesterday I went out to get some exercise, walked about 5 miles while doing some chinese language flash cards on my iphone, earbuds repeating words into my brain.  I am studying AND exercising (sometimes).  

The Man on the Bench who called me over to chat.  I did.
On the Fuxin River walk I passed by this guy just sitting there on the bench with a couple of his friends smoking some cigarettes and passing the time. As I walked by the guy sitting down called out to me to come on over and have a seat.

He wanted to talk to me.
​

I think he may have had some other dialect because I was having trouble hearing/understanding most everything he said and the way he said it. One thing interesting about China is that it used to be a lot of different little countries and they all spoke quite differently and they have tried to standardize the language on what we call Mandarin, But there are many of the people from the country who never got the modern education and so they're speaking their original language. They are usually from the country side, and have recently come into the city for employment.  I have even had Chinese friends tell me that they don't understand some of these other Chinese people were speaking a different dialect.  Then I don't feel so bad. ​

So I sat down and tried to talk to him. I tried really hard. But I could tell by the way he looked at me with these longing friendly eyes that some of the times I didn't really answer the question that he had asked although I was saying things and he probably understood me. Oh how I want to communicate with everyone! But sometimes I just have to smile and be happy. So I did.

After a while I excused myself and began to walk down the path along the river looking for more adventure when to my surprise this guy was calling out to me again and asked me to come back so we could take some pictures. I think he had a little camera but we also used my camera. Hence these pictures. He was dressed in a military uniform under that big thick green military coat that he took off and so he saluted at me. What I found especially special was how friendly he was, and how respectful and genuinely interested. When I got up to leave again, he called out to me again, I came back, and he asked me when I would be coming back. He wanted to see me again. And so I told him I would probably come back tomorrow.  I am just touched by the childlike friendliness of some people and I feel the love of God is there for all people.    

Here are some of the other people and activities that I saw mainly where they were skating on the ice of the river which is still frozen over about a foot thick. ​

These three girls have got style skating around the circle on the river of ice.  Ice was about 1 foot thick.

Man skating in style.  Fast. Agile.  The Fuxin River of ice in the winter.

Many people just walking around, skating around, and scooting around on sled chairs...