“这是我的土楼！
After spending about four days in Xiamen, Teya and I decided to go out to the countryside to look at the Hakka minority’s earth buildings, or tulous. We arranged a driver to take us to one about four hours out into the countryside, and on the way got to see a lot of amazing buildings.
Actually, at one time US intelligence specialists saw pictures of tulous beamed back to earth by satellite, and they thought they were missile silos! They’re just that large and strange-looking.
The next day we arranged for the driver to take us around to different ones, so we could take pictures, go in and look around, and chat with the natives. We went one one in a little village, and there was a bunch of old people sitting around at the entrance. Then two little boys appeared. One was about two, and the other was about six. The six-year-old was very excited to see us and took charge. He held my hand and directed us to sit down on a bench and have a rest. Then he said, “喝茶，喝茶 (drink some tea, drink some tea),” and when his granddad poured us tea he warned us that it was hot. We chatted with everyone, but the little boy was very excited and wanted to show us around. He took me by the hand and said he’d help us look at everything. “这是我的土楼！(This is my tulou),” he kept saying. He showed us where everything was, explained what would be done there, and then mimed everything for us. For instance, when we got to the place where people washed their faces, he mimed washing his face, and when we got to the showering place, he mimed washing his face and his bottom. He was really funny! He showed us where they keep rabbits, cook, store, stuff, watch TV (they have satellite!) and sleep. Teya asked him about his favorite shows, and he told us he likes Ultraman. Then he took us outside to visit all the animal pens in the village and showed us the communal toilets where people throw their crap in the morning (at night they use a pot). He also showed us the scar on his forehead from where his granny’s tooth had knocked him when he was a baby. He wrote down his dad’s name for me, and gave me his parents’ cell phone numbers, for some reason.
After spending a fun half-hour or so with him, we got in the car and left. Suddenly, our driver told us the boy was handicapped. I was surprised because he was really precocious (although his native language is Hakka he could speak Putonghua really clearly) and funny, plus he seemed to be in really good physical health. I asked what was wrong, and the driver said that although he is a boy, he doesn’t have anything “down there.” I was confused at first and thought he was transgendered, but it turned out he was just born with nothing, not even a urethra. He had to have several operations so he could urinate. The driver said he is really embarrassed about it because he is the only boy in the village who has to sit down to go to the toilet, and feels he is not as good as other people. Maybe that explained why the boy said “You don’t need to take my picture” when we wanted to. I told the driver I think the little boy is so smart and interesting he will be able to have a good lifestyle and happy life anyway. I hope so, anyhow! Imagine being a little boy in that predicament!
I got a tourism brochure with the name of the tulou on it, and he gave me his dad’s name, so I bet I can send him something nice in the mail. I’m thinking of a nice book he can read and share with the other kids around him. He has a very good mind, and I hope that can help him lead a happy life.