Hainan Island, China is an island in the South China Sea, 200 miles SW of Hong Kong. The island was given publicity in 2001 as the location our pilots were brought down and detained creating a dubious political strain between China and the US. Relations have since improved with President Bush's visit, hopefully continuing an open communication between the two powerful countries.

Hainan Island became the 31st province in 1988. Before this time, it was mainly a place for those in exile. Six million people now live on Hainan Island. Haikou is the largest city with a population of 300,000. Hainan Island is often compared to Hawaii because of a similar tropical monsoonal climate and foliage. The island has a year round temperate climate and used mainly as a resort for the people of Mainland China.

Most of the land on the island is used for the farming of rice fields, coconut palms, grapefruit, leechee, mango, and other tropical fruit. Cattle, hogs and ducks graze the land. Agricultural produce and livestock are exported. There is a diminutive amount of industry, including canning, textiles, rice hulling and light engineering.

An American friend of mine teaches at a private kindergarten in Haikou. She arranged for me to live with a Chinese family who had twins, a boy and a girl, a rarity in China. I was able to experience and photograph their day-to-day family life, sharing meals and relaxing. The husband spoke English which resulted in engaging conversations into the late hours of the night. I observed their nature, lived their life style, listened to their goals, the way they view their government and heard fascinating tales of Chinese history. The Chinese are aware of our culture in the West, knowing more about us than we do of them. I heard stories about their court system, and found it interesting that since China does not have many specific laws to govern their people, the judge is given much of the power. He can decide a case based on his feelings. I imagine times where the judge could show bias, hampering a fair ruling on a case.

The Chinese family structure is quite significant, bearing a resemblance to the legislative structure of their government. The Chairman is the father figure, and the people are the children. The Chinese consider society to be "the body," and the family "the cell." The family is the "cell of society," the heartbeat. To the Chinese everything evolves around the family. They honor the members of their family according to their status, meaning the elders get the most respect. Divorce is rare, especially for a minority family who could be shamed for generations. I asked if it's better for an unhappily married couple to get divorced. Seems it's preferable that the troubled couple live together and do not speak to one another then get divorced. It's better for the children that they stay together. The children are treated as the most important aspect of the family. It is quite common to see a grandmother taking care of and spoiling her grandchildren. Everything in the Chinese family evolves around the children.

In China you must abide by the strict one child law, or you will pay stiff fines. If someone has a second child, and cannot afford the fine, they might get a niece to adopt that child as her own. It becomes a problem when the niece wants her own child, where her only recourse might be to move to a different region.

In the villages, a woman lives with her husband's family and looses inherited rights from her biological family. The new bride is also now the maid of the family and does what the mother-in-law tells her to do. She learns the importance of treating them well, or arguments could arise. It seems just as important to choose good parents-in-laws as it is to choose a good husband. Today many more Chinese women are looking at foreigners for marriage because of this old tradition. They want their own independence, with more freedom and more choices. Many foreigners prefer a Chinese wife because they are loyal and know how to take care of their husband.

The household I lived in was well-to-do and had a large screen TV. We watched popular Chinese soap operas after dinner. They are action-packed and seem to signify death and despair. The family sat amused, as I felt the story's pain. Sometimes we were fortunate to view an HBO movie. One particular evening, a Terminator movie was playing. The family sat "stone-faced and stunned" during the action parts, as if not understanding, as I sat amused.

Chinese food is enjoyed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most restaurants serve food from a specific province, which is the only differentiating element, the distinct flavors of each dish. Some ingredients used in Hainanese cooking include coconut juice, watermelons, plums and tropical fruits. The food is considered lighter, with milder seasonings than in Mainland China. Rice, vegetables, meat or fish are served for each meal. Peking duck was my favorite dish and cost only $8 US serving up to five people. There are also strange foods eaten depending on which province you are in. Some remote villages live on cats, dogs and rats. I asked a man what they don't eat and he stated that they eat everything. This includes snake, which is considered healthy and warming to the body. They also eat sea cucumber, shark fin, jellyfish, abalone and sugar cane, their natural source of sweets. In China you do not see overweight people. Food is cooked fresh for each meal. Refrigerators are small, so their outdoor markets are invaluable. In the villages the food is cooked outside on a fire. Everything is grown or killed. When I was in Hong Kong, I passed many snake stores, where you can buy them killed, cooked or live. I hestantly walked in, then observed the storekeeper in the back of the store holding three snakes in one hand and a cleaver in the other ready to chop their heads off, and that of course is when I ran out.

There are three major minority groups of people who live on Hainan Island. They have their unique culture and customs. Many originated from Mainland China or were mixed descendents of other islands. The majority of the people in China are Han, which consist of 84% of the population. The largest minority on Hainan Island is the Li minority, then the Miao and the Hui, who are the Muslims. The minorities live in smaller villages outside the city and abide by all the governmental laws except the one child rule. This is due to them being considered "less than the Han," enabling then to have as many children as they wish. The minorities have unique facial characteristics along with their distinct language. The same is true for the different provinces of China, each with its own culture and dialect. Going back into China's history you read about unwarranted prejudices resulting in battles between the majority and the minority people. I was unaware of prejudices prevalent today. The family I lived with were Han.

The Hainanese people are remarkably hospitable. They do not have much contact with foreigners, so I was constantly stared at from the time I arrived on the island until I departed. But you do get used to it and they mean no harm. On many occasions I would be encircled by up to 15 people in the streets. I was often invited into private homes for a meal. They were warm and welcoming to a perfect stranger. They would also follow me because they desire to learn English. This is a far cry from the time of the Cultural Revolution where any tie with the West, whether it be speaking English words or empathizing in a "western" direction could bring dire consequences. But today China is changing at such a fast pace. There are persistent efforts to catch up with the West through education. The need to better their lives is prevalent, and learning English is the link to their goals. However, China is still a poor country, and many of the people cannot afford to take English lessons. I was fortunate to teach American songs at my friend's school. The children were able to mouth the words, but not understand the meaning.