A Cottage Adventure to Remember

(Introduciton: In the summer of 2022, as the government began lifting Covid restrictions, the reading club I belong to organized a group activity for its members, marking the beginning of this wonderful cottage adventure filled with food, fun, and friendship)

We got there! 

Before I went on this trip, I was not exactly enthusiastic. I’d heard we would be sharing beds, which worried me since I suffer from insomnia from time to time.

We departed in the late afternoon of Friday. Joanna insisted on picking me up even though it wasn’t on her way. Our car was the first one to hit the road. Traffic seemed normal which was very rare on weekends. Time passed unconsciously in our chatting. When we got to our destination- Ping’s cottage, Ping was outside to greet us. She helped us with our luggage and then led us directly to the kitchen, where she had thoughtfully prepared noodles, beef and vegetables for our supper. The cottage is right beside a lake. When we sat on the bar chairs enjoying our meal, in front of us was an amazing lake view nicely framed by the kitchen window. My heart started to melt…

Marching through the evening!

Soon, the second car arrived with our friends Xiaopin, Teresa and her two boys. Brisk chatting and laughter filled the house, while the dark outside quietly gave off a mysterious charm, alluring us to go and embrace it. So five ladies and one teenage boy marched on the road toward the direction we came from.

“Hey, Xumei’s car (carrying Xumei’s family and John) is about to arrive, we will be right there to greet them!” , said somebody. The idea made us thrilled. Just then, a beam of light cast across the road, a car was approaching… “It must be Xumei’s car!” “It must be them!” We started jumping and cheering, waving wildly toward the car. But the car sped pass, ignoring us completely. Later we learned that it really was them. Because of the darkness, they were not able to recognize us but only thought we were just some “crazy small-town people”

Poor Joanne!

No surprise I had trouble falling asleep that night even though Joanne could not be more still beside me. When I woke up and turned on my cell phone the next morning, a line on the screen read “ Whoever wakes up, please come and help! the mosquitos are killing me!” It was from Joanna. She got up for her morning run at 5:00 am, and was locked (she thought the gate was auto-locked but actually was not) outside and innocently became some being’s breakfast. Poor Joanna! I should have given my boiled egg to her that morning to compensate for her loss!

Adventures on the lake

Ping’s cottage is built on a large lot that runs down directly to the lake. It was a beautiful day! The water of the lake glittered under the sunshine. We finally got our paddling board ready and launched into the water. Xiaopin and John were our pioneers; Ping’s husband Laochen and Xumei’s husband Tianqiang were there watching over us, like our safety guards. I was a novice, both to swimming and SUP. Xiaopin kindly let us paddle with her one by one, showing us the key motions. We gained confidence by that and started to try by ourselves. I peddled sitting on the board first, and then kneeling on it, and finally I attempted to stand up….I made it! At that moment, I was proud! Wow, I can do this too! A big wave came, I had to kneel down again, and then I managed to stand up again. At that time, I tasted both hardship and fun by challenging myself.

Xiaopin was also practising swimming and had set her mind on swimming across the lake. At one point, while she was standing up paddling, she wasn’t wearing a life jacket. Suddenly, a big wave knocked her into the water. She made several attempts to climb back onto the paddleboard, but it was clearly no easy task. Seeing her struggle, Tianqiang dashed forward to deliver her the life jacket. In the rush, his arm was accidentally injured, but he still managed to reach her without hesitation.

Feasting and campfire fun

Returning to the cottage,  I saw our lunch lady Teresa busy preparing lunch for us with her teenage son Henry, who was impressively adept in the kitchen. The food was diverse, delicious and plentiful. Our stomachs were bloated yet Teresa continued to spoil us in the afternoon with her signature snack- pan fried chive dumplings. 

As evening fall, we gathered in the backyard for a barbecue dinner. Tianqiang, with a patch on his arm, took command of the grill with unwavering enthusiasm. Together, he and Xumei treated us to a mouthwatering Korean-style feast. 

Meanwhile, Ping had quietly started a campfire down by the lake.  Teresa made us whirl around the fire while holding a long stick —to roast our marshmallows! When the marshmallows turned gold John pressed each of them to a cracker with chocolate chips on it.  Despite not having a sweet tooth, I devoured a whole piece: sweet and  gooey!  I never knew marshmallows could be so tasty! We even had some honourable guests visiting us, they were from the water! They had wings and long necks!

A decadent dessert and Karaoke night

You probably heard John had a passion for baking. Yes, he would not let such a special day go without serving a dessert. When the mosquitos sent us back to the house, he introduced his well-prepared cheese cake, which involved more than a dozen ingredients and took countless steps to finish! Xiaopin artfully decorated each slice before serving it to us. It was truly extravagant!

The night ended with karaoke, a dazzling display of talent! Joanna impressed us with her skillful renditions of Teresa Deng songs, while Xumei, Ping, and other male friends each shone in their own way. The atmosphere was electric, and our energy eventually “blew out” Ping’s karaoke equipment.

That night, I had a sound sleep…

Sunday morning fun and farewell

I feel refreshed the next morning when getting up from bed. Guess Joanna still had a lingering fear for those bloodsuckers and had chosen to sleep in as well. We prepared breakfast and enjoyed a walk along the lake with Xumei. Meanwhile, Xiaopin and John found a shallow area where we could practice SUP more comfortably. With a bit of courage, we let go of our fears and had a fantastic time—a memory perfectly captured in our photos.

After enjoying our sumptuous lunch—accompanied by a live performance from Xumei’s daughter—we prepared for our return trip.

Before heading home, we gathered for a group photo. As we positioned ourselves, John automatically took his usual spot in the front row, half-lying down with one hand propping up his chin and a big grin on his face. This signature pose of his made everybody burst into laughter. 

Reflections on friendship

So long, Ping’s beautiful cottage! So long, dear friends! As we left, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much I’d come to appreciate everyone on this trip. Ping, our elegant and thoughtful host, had everything meticulously organized. Xiaopin balanced grace and strength, tackling every task effortlessly. Joanna was calm and composed, exuding an air of quiet confidence. Xumei, with her lovely smile, was poised and capable in every situation. Teresa has a remarkable ability to stay focused on her own things, undisturbed by what’s going on around her, which I deeply admire. And John, ever playful and cheerful, impressed us all with his meticulous dishwashing skills!

The book Little Princess says, “Connecting makes us special to each other.” How true that is! This cottage adventure surely helped us get to know each other better, and has undoubtedly drawn our hearts closer together.