The diary of a foreign daughter-in-law during Spring Festival in South China

Jessica washes shrimps at her husband's home in Zhanjiang city, South China's Guangdong province, during Spring Festival. [Photo provided by Jessica to chinadaily.com.cn]

Now, this is a fishing village so every meal we eat typically consists of crab, oysters/clams, fish, or shrimp. I'm originally from a small town in the mid-west so I never grew up on seafood. I still can't get used to it. Everything is freshly caught off the island they farm. Most people would probably call me crazy for not eating as much as I could. Some of it I like, some I don't. Unfortunately, if I eat too much of it, I end up getting sick. My husband, on the other hand, is like a bottomless pit.

Over the next few days, we'll be quite busy. Each time we're home, we spend a lot of time on the island that the family farms. This island is known as "nan ping dao." It's about 10 kilometers round and uninhabited by people. The only people who go there are the farmers to fish or farm their shrimp pools. The island is full of wild goats, cows, chickens, and cats as well. There are a few shanties strewn across the island, used by farmers who work at night or need to have a rest and cook a meal.