Picture of some of our first impressions of China.

Matt and I set off this afternoon in search of a bus ticket to Lijiang, our next stop. As we neared the area of the bus station, a few people approached us, saying something in Chinese. Upon seeing business cards with bus pictures on them, we figured these people were working for the various bus companies. A man in an orange corduroy sports coat and cowboy hat got our attention and led us into a lot filled with buses. We assumed this would be where we could buy a ticket, but were still a little confused as to where. And we weren’t sure about who this guy in the orange coat was, was he going to [try to] rip us off? Would we get charged a hefty commission for his service? We hoped not, since that was the reason we had come down to the station to buy a ticket instead of just buying one (with commission) at our hostel. The man in the orange coat spoke with another man sitting next to one of the buses. The second man asked us about what ticket we needed—in English. Relieved to be able to communicate in words, we told him what we needed. Then, instead of giving directions to the ticket office, the man motioned for us to follow him. He led us out of the lot, to the corner, across the street, and into the ticket office where he helped us to purchase the correct tickets. And then he gave us a card and wrote down his mobile number, in case we needed help tomorrow he said. We said thank you and goodbye. As the man walked away, Matt and I marveled at what had just happened, smiling in gratitude for this little act of helpful kindness that had just made our buying a ticket so much easier. What a difference from our past month of experiences.