From China to My Wall

We were walking along the streets of Huangshan, the city at the base of the Yellow Mountains. My uncle, who doesn't have a shy bone in his body walked up to the lady tending this store and put on her hat.

It's hand woven and honestly, I didn't see another hat like it in China. I was green with envy when I saw him with it. But it was going to be his. I knew it. He always gets the cool stuff.

He talked with the lady for a moment and came back without it.

"You're not going to buy it?"

"She wants 50 yuan for it."

Turning to our local guide, "See what she'll take for it." (they always started out triple what they wanted for anything)

He comes back, "She wants 50 yuan. No bargaining."

"I'll take it."

I wore it through Huangshan Airport, through Shanghai airport, carried it on board and it had it's own bin inside the airplane. Through Newark airport, where everyone that I came into contact with commented on my fantastic hat! I even saw a handsome student in Newark, that I met on the same street that I bought the hat and he recognized me because of my hat!

Then, I was allowed to hold it like a baby on the plane in my lap on the way to Nashville. The stewardess winked as she said, "Everything that will not fit under your seat MUST be stowed in an overhead bin or be checked as luggage."

Now it hangs on my wall and is a miracle of Airport Security.

P.S. Fifty yuan is about $7.50.