Yi-haw Ride 'em cowboy
Chengdu is home to 17 (or so) universities, one of them is the South West Nationalities University. It is home to the largest Yi culture programs in the world. Through a friend Maggie and I are able to visit an instructor of the Yi language.

It does not take long for me to revert to my field work training as a linguist. As I ride in this phonological rodeo I am reminded of Eric Liddell's quote, "I know I was made for China, but when I run I feel God's pleasure." I, too, know that I am living out what God has called me to – to pastor in a local church, but when I am working with language research I feel God's pleasure. The others in the room dissolve and it is just Ms Wang and I going through the sound system of this fascinating language that has received limited study – almost exclusively by Chinese scholars and a couple from SIL that are currently working in a remote village somewhere in SE Asia.

As we head back to the hotel I have to admit there is an added swagger to my step – after all I am now one of the English-speaking world's foremost experts on Yi phonology.