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

Jessica and her husband trim vegetables at their home in Zhanjiang city, South China's Guangdong province. [Photo provided by Jessica to chinadaily.com.cn]

So, another Spring Festival has come and gone. I've grown closer with his family and truly am starting to feel that I can call his family, MY family and his home, MY home. I can't express how grateful I am for the hospitality his family has shown me over the past four years. I really feel like their daughter. I've lived in China for over six years now and I can say, without a doubt, Spring Festival is one of my favorite times of the year.

What affects me I guess is how poor everyone is yet they can still be happy. They don't care about the complicated trivial things outside of the village. Just care about living. We care so much about what's happening in the world and politics but those people they aren't even aware of what's going on or they don't care.