Perhaps Another Trip…?

I remember going to some sort of fort when I was a child, with long-time friends of my parents and their kids. If I had to guess, I’d say the fort stood on an island somewhere off of Boston Harbor, but my memory has some gaps. We took a windy boat ride across choppy waters, the fortress looming gray and lonely on a circular island, steep with bluffs and topped with waving weeds. I’m almost positive there was no scheduled tour, that we merely walked around the grounds, wandering among the ruins on our own. The fortress, if you could call it that, stands out in my memory as one of the most intriguing places I’ve even been, probably because of my extremely lively imagination and the lack of boundaries I had while we were there…

At the fort, which seemed like an ancient castle, I spent most of the day lost in my thoughts, exploring and creating stories in my head. There were dark stairwells that tempted me, spiraling steps leading deeper and deeper into darkness with no end in sight, and I got only so far before I had to turn back from fear Some staircases were abruptly cemented off, just when the black threatened to envelop me. I stood between thick stone walls and couldn’t see my own hand passing before my face, though I could hear the echo of my whisper or the scuff of a shoe. Other passages brought me straight up to the roofs of the forts, where I stood atop colonial stones like a queen in her palace.

As a kid, I was constantly crafting stories in my head, forming characters with names and faces who would interact in a setting I found appealing or inspirational. No, I didn’t talk to these characters – I’m not that crazy – but the setting and the characters often led or contributed to a larger piece of writing, whether for school or for personal purposes, either expanded upon at that same time or saved for later. Just last night I was looking at photos of the Chinese city Nanjing, doing some research for a trip I’m planning, and the memories of the nameless American fortress I visited burst into my mind. Nanjing is an old city, formerly the capital of China, and was a major site for terror during WWII. Though the attacks on Nanjing are fairly recent (1937), some of the sites and structures in the city originated in the first millennium, around 300-600 AD. Of course, many of the ancient ruins have been restored, but I still look forward to seeing another city filled with guarded forts, surrounded by city walls made of aging, gray stones.
What sparked my interest in visiting Nanjing was “accidental research.” My friend Ali donated a large library of books when she left China, and I adopted a few, one of them called The Rape of Nanking, non-fiction about the Japanese attacks on China during WWII. After finishing the book, my Chinese teacher recommended I watch a new movie with a similar topic, called “The Flowers of War,” starring Christian Bale. Both the movie and the book, plus my love of China, have cemented my desire to visit Nanjing. Though I could never win at history trivia, I am very interested in the past, and I’m itching to see the city ruins where the Japanese invaded. I want to walk along the city walls and see what the Chinese army saw as they tried to protect their city. Plus, I’m excited to use my camera again, snapping photos of everyday life and the small beauties I find.

I suppose the only people who can confirm the true details of my childhood visit to the stone fortress are my parents, though I’m not sure I really want to know the truth… It’s exciting to think I walked through a battleground, that I climbed the spiraling stairs where an American soldier once hid from his enemy. I’m still busy planning my itinerary for the Nanjing trip, and booking the train tickets is proving to be a hassle – not like buying plane tickets online, where you can just pay with a credit card. I tried to go to the train station, but the tickets I wanted were only available for purchase within 3 days of my trip. Still – I’m going to make this adventure happen, no matter what it takes! Look for new photos and posts when I get back!

The Land of Smiles

Returning from Thailand!!!
February 3, 2012

I considered many ways to write this story – perhaps a traditional chronological memoir would be easiest (though maybe a little boring). I also contemplated giving you a bulleted list of everything I did on each day of my 10-day vacation, to keep it simple. Alas, I’ve decided to write my Top Ten Memories of Thailand, so it’s a list, plus a story.

#1 Riding an Elephant
Hands-down, my favorite memory of Thailand is riding an elephant through the jungle. On our first day in Khao Sok, the Treehouse Lodge where Elizabeth and I stayed helped us to arrange an “Elephant Trek” and drove us to the elephant plantation, about 15 minutes down a winding road through the mountains. When we emerged from beneath the trees into a clearing, we saw elephants stomping around the dirt and wading through the stream. Green hills and palm trees stood in the distance, framed by fields of thick grass. From far away, the elephants looked like everything I’d ever seen in movies or books, but up close they were much more wrinkly, their skin leathery and tough.

Elephant ride in the trees.

We climbed up to a wooden platform where we watched tourists step aboard their elephants’ backs, waiting for our turn. The elephant that Elizabeth and I rode was smaller, and had pink, spotted birthmarks on her back and ears. At first we sat on the bench that was harnessed to her middle, but then our mahout prompted us to slide forward, off the seat, and ride “bare-back,” with our legs wrapped around the elephant’s neck. Though they look smooth, elephants actually have thick, coarse, black hairs rising out of their rough skin, about an inch apart and very prickly.

The path we rode along was red dirt, dusty in some places and muddy in others, and mostly very narrow. The majority of our trek was through a moving stream, and early in the journey it began to rain hard – it was indeed a rain forest. That didn’t stop our mahout from taking photos and making us “rain hats” out of broad jungle leaves. After an hour or so, we dismounted and took a very short hike to a small waterfall, and then rode our elephant back through the trees. Among my most lasting images of the ride is the tiny, muddy pathway that the huge elephant feet maneuvered so meticulously with a gentle swaying. From now on I’m only visiting countries where I can ride an elephant.

# 2 Cruising the Motorbike Through the Hills of Phuket
This was certainly the vacation of “Trying New Things,” and the soundtrack was “AHHHHH!” My driving skills are usually limited to cars and go-karts, and the bartender at our hostel and warned us NOT to rent a motorbike, laughing and telling me I’d be nuts to drive in the island traffic. Personally, I think he underestimated my will to succeed.

Ready to Ride.

Elizabeth and I rented one bike to share, and we both took a “test-drive” to make sure we could brake and accelerate properly. When it was my turn to drive – on the LEFT side of the road, I’ll have you know – I realized how terrible I was at balancing the bike, especially with a person sitting behind me! When I put my feet down, my short legs struggled to hold the weight of the bike upright; but once I started driving, it was easier, and I cried “Whheeeeee!!!!!” as we cruised up and down the hills across the island. I drove southbound along the cliffs, scanning the beaches below, making Elizabeth nervous with my constant chatter. I’ll admit, I did almost crash the bike once or twice, but I was very diligent about screaming, “Watch out!! Get out of the way! Inexperienced driver coming through!” The bike also had a horn, which proved useful after dark when we were finding our way back to town. If I ever relocated to a beach town or an island, I’ll definitely consider buying a motorbike, or at least bicycle to get around.

#3 Hiking/Running (screaming) Out of the Jungle Another “AHHHH!” story: Our Jungle Tree House was offering guided jungle treks for around 1200 Baht, and I thought that was silly – I’ve literally been hiking since I’ve been in the womb (thanks Mom). Therefore, Elizabeth and I decided to take an “Unguided Trek” through the jungle…
Things went well for the first few hours… we had a fairly unreliable map, but the trails were wide and clearly marked. Each time we heard a rustle in the bushes, it turned out to be a strange, red-headed lizard that resembled those spitting dinosaurs from Jurassic Park, or a large bug we named “Crazy Bug.” Our destination was a natural swimming hole called Wang Yao, which the map claimed to be “large and very beautiful,” and when the signs indicated we were near, Elizabeth and I turned off the path and followed the sound of rushing water.

The Red-Headed Dinosaur

We took a short break in a broad clearing, and then began the .5 km stretch to the swimming pool – but as I stepped onto the boulders constituting the path, a skinny, brown snake slithered in front of me and I let go a scream that commenced the terrifying start to what should hereby be known as the “Amazing Race.”
As Elizabeth attempted to calm me, a family of three walked toward us and kindly warned us of a giant spider hanging on its web from a fallen log, blocking the trail ahead. The man held up his hands to indicate the size of the spider, about as big as a softball. He also reminded us to keep moving, so the leeches wouldn’t hook onto our legs. Then Elizabeth – the strong one – began to panic, but we made the decision to continue with our heads down, not looking at anything but our footsteps, convincing ourselves that we were on an exclusive episode of “The Amazing Race.” As we neared the source of water, the trees grew thicker and the path thinner, burying us in a canopy of darkness, and we continued to murmur to each other, “Amazing Race, Amazing Race, don’t look up, just keep going, there’s a camera crew right behind us…”
When we broke through the vines and saw that the “beautiful pool” was just another hole of brown water, Elizabeth glanced down and found a leech (her third one) biting her ankle and then we both freaked out – we were squealing and stomping our feet, making a beeline for the trail that seemed tangled in the undergrowth. This is the part where we literally RAN out of the jungle, screaming “Amazing Race, Amazing Race” the whole time.
Elizabeth went ahead of me – falling twice and tearing up her knee so that she was a canvas of mud and blood – and we still had to pass under the mammoth poisonous spider again. When we reached the clearing, I paused for a minute to clean the crusty dirt from my calves, and when Elizabeth started shouting to me, I hurried up. This is the worst part – I trotted up the rocks where we had seen the snake, and as I made it out of the trees, I saw A DINOSAUR. Okay, not really, but I thought it was a dinosaur, and I screamed, “AHHHH! A dinosaur!!!” It was about 2 feet long, plus a long tail, army-green and brown, with stubby feet, and it waddled. Elizabeth didn’t see it, so the whole way back I tried to describe it to my dubious friend. “It was fatter than my thigh! And it waddled – it was a big, waddling, lizard-snake-dinosaur!! I swear!”
Luckily for us, we both made it – alive – out of the jungle, and we also saw a monkey in the trees. Also luckily, Elizabeth had WiFi on her phone, so she pulled up GoogleImages and handed her phone to me: “Okay Andrea. Show me what you saw.” See below for an image of the Water-Monitor Lizard, found in Asia and the zoo.

Water-Monitor Lizard

 

#4 Watching the Parasailers Cast-Off from the Beach

Parasailing

While I lounged in my chair on Patong Beach, one of the local parasailing businesses was launching tourists into the sky a mere ten feet away in the sand. The pasty tourists were harnessed and clipped to a damp parachute behind a coil of worn rope, and a Thai local would say, “One, two, three, running okay?” Within 15 seconds, the tourist was sprinting toward the surf, the rope was pulled taut, and then the person was flying through the air against a clean blue background.

#5 Exploring Bangkok on Foot
This is when I really regret losing my camera, because while this wasn’t my Number One moment of the trip, there is really no way to recall everything that I saw and photographed that day… Still, the emotions are what matter most, and there is no emotion better than feeling to free to wander without searching. True, I did have a map, but we took no specific route and there was no time limit or fear of getting lost. Along the way we visited the Grand Palace where we had to borrow traditional wrap-around skirts in order to enter the grounds. I saw a high-school marching band practicing in a local city park. Elizabeth and I passed through a flower market on our way to the Chao Phraya River, and we rode a “River Taxi” that bucked and lurched in the choppy water. There is a significant sense of gratification when you somehow find your way through a novel situation, without giving in or giving up.

#6 Partying with the Lady-Boys on BangLa Road

Lady-Boys are… well, we’re not really sure what they are… in short, they were born male and now are not, with different shades of gray and plastic.

Lady-Boy dancer on BangLa Road.

In any case, Patong Beach’s BangLa Road fascinated us with scores of dance music, drinks served in sand buckets, interesting entertainment, and very little clothing.

 #7 Peering Through Snorkel Goggles in the Clear water on Nai Harn Beach

            I consider myself a mountain lover rather than a beach girl, but it’s been a while since I’ve gone swimming in such clear water, so I must count this experience in my Top-10. Nai Harn beach certainly isn’t one of the “best,” according to Thailand’s standards, but next to the Jersey Shore and freezing Rye Beach in New Hampshire, Nai Harn is amazing. My favorite thing was the way the white sand was carved into ripples on the ocean floor, and I’ll hold onto that image until the next time I visit a tropical island. I did some research to find out where exactly I was swimming – was it the Pacific? The Indian Ocean? In fact, there is a body of water called the Andaman Sea (or the Burma Sea) that borders the Eastern coast of Thailand, and, according to Wikipedia, is technically a part of the Indian Ocean. Geography is much more interesting when you’re swimming in it.

Nai Harn Beach

#8 Waking Up in the Foggy Jungle with the Windows of the Train Wide Open We took an overnight train from Bangkok to the small town of Surat Thani, and the sleeper cars were completely booked, so we had to ride in the regular coach section. Keep in mind, this is NOT Amtrak in America. Our car looked like something out of the 1920’s, mustard yellow on the inside and window panes with chipped blue paint. I thought for sure the train people would shut the windows once we started moving, but nobody did, and I was free to hang my head out the whole way across the country if I wanted too. Of course, I realized soon enough that trains were screaming past us on both sides, and I like my head attached to my body, so I was careful.
I slept soundly for about 2 hours right before dawn, and when I awoke, I was surrounded by green on both sides of the train – a color I haven’t seen much of since living in Shanghai. There was a heavy fog cloaking the tropical palm trees, and white cows stood like ghosts as we crawled toward town. A train in Thailand probably isn’t the best overnight accommodation in the world, but I can now claim it as one of the strangest places I’ve woken up in.

#9 Breathing the Air When I visited America last October, I was stunned at how clean the air was, and how blue the sky could be. We don’t have those luxuries in Shanghai. So this trip to Thailand was exactly what I needed to remind me that fresh air does exist in the world; even the rain in Thailand felt good on my skin. Don’t take nice weather for granted.

#10 Enjoying a Bagel with Cream Cheese Seriously. There are no bagels in Shanghai, not good, toasted ones with cream cheese. There was an Au Bon Pain in Phuket, and when I discovered it, it felt like heaven.

Thailand is called the “Land of Smiles,” because there are 13 different types of “Yin,” or “smile” in Thailand, all of which are used as a form of communication. The Thai people are extremely friendly and will almost certainly greet you with a smile, every time. I’ve visited many places in the world that I have no interest in seeing again, but Thailand is definitely a location on the map that I’ll circle, highlight, and Post-it for my future journeys.

The Newest New Year

January 2, 2012
Happy New Year!

My second holiday season in Shanghai is coming to a close, and it’s been another interesting ride. Because Chinese traditions are different from Western ones, I sometimes have to stop and remind myself that a holiday is approaching. If it weren’t for friends and family reminding me about Christmas, I would’ve forgotten completely.

This year my roommate convinced me to buy a Christmas tree for our little apartment, and though it’s tiny and plastic, it looks good standing in the corner of our living room. We decorated it with some odd things, like Christmas cards and clothespins, plus a picture of my mom and dad to remind me of home.

For New Year’s Eve I opted for the safe route and went to the Watchnight service at my church. I didn’t expect it to be so crowded, but surprisingly the church was packed! For the first hour or so we focused on prayers and heard testimonials from the pastors, but then as midnight approached, the songs we sang were all upbeat praises – everyone was dancing in the aisles, clapping and cheering. It’s an international church, so there’s a little bit of everyone, and some families even brought their young children. It was quite the experience to commence the new year, and I’m really glad I went. However… leaving the church after midnight wasn’t easy. My church is located in a fairly popular area of the city, and the streets were crawling with partiers. The traffic was unbelievable and there wasn’t an available cab in sight; I waited for about 25 minutes, walking up and down the streets to find a taxi, and I considered walking home. But I was pretty far from my apartment, wearing heels with no socks, and feeling the burn of new blisters. I finally decided to wait at the bus-stop, where there are two buses that run throughout the night. Of course, I can’t read Chinese characters very well, so I really had no idea if I was boarding a bus that would bring me closer to home. I focused really hard on deciphering the characters – like a code – and decided to take my chances. When the bus came, it was loaded with people, smushed up against the door and windows, practically rocking the bus from side to side. When the back door opened, a Chinese man kindly extended an arm to me and hefted me into the bus where I barely fit – my shoes and bags got caught when the bus driver shut the doors. I rode about two stops on the bus until I deemed my location close enough to walk, and then removed myself from the human sandwich. That was my first time taking the bus in Shanghai, and I was very proud of myself for taking the chance, not knowing where I would end up!

Besides taking the bus (which I did AGAIN today by myself, as an experiment), my friends and I are trying another something new – - tomorrow we are beginning a De-Tox diet, where for seven days we’ll follow a very strict meal plan. The following items are banned: breads, salt, sugar, coffee, alcohol, processed foods, candy, butter, margarine, milk, eggs, cheese, cream, red meat, chicken, pork, turkey, sauces, soda, snacks. The items that we CAN eat: brown rice, fish, herbal tea, honey, vegetables, fruits, soy, potatoes, garlic, olive oil, unsalted nuts, organic yogurt, oats, and gluten-free ricecakes. Sounds delicious. If you know me, you’ll know that this is probably going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Time to summon my willpower and get healthy (for seven days).

Only 16 days until my Thailand trip! We are almost fully ready – we just need to confirm the booking on our treehouse in the jungle!! I’m soooo excited to experience another culture, different from China. I was telling Elizabeth yesterday how I feel like the “newness” of China has worn off, considering I’ve been here for so long, and that I need to have awe and adventure brought back to my life. I think Thailand will answer this prayer for me. Plus, I’m eager to feel the sun on my skin, finally!

I know I promised some “observations” about Shanghai and the world around me, so here is one that I see every single day: The Shanghainese are always cold. I’m not exactly sure the reasoning behind it – perhaps their skin is too thin, or they don’t have enough fat on their bodies – all I know is that when mid-October comes, they pull out their winter clothes and start wearing calf-length insulated coats, plus hats and scarves, while I’m still enjoying my tank-tops and shorts. I seriously don’t understand it. Even though it’s January, I usually carry my coat with me instead of wearing it, though the Chinese are wearing at least three sweaters and more than one pair of pants. When I’m teaching my little ones how to count in English, it’s typical for me to ask them, “How many shirts are you wearing?” Once I counted SEVEN sweaters on one of my three-year-olds. If anyone knows the answer to this puzzling matter, please email me.

I hope everyone has a blessed new year!!

Love, Andrea

Our little Christmas tree.

Ugly Christmas sweaters!

Christmas Night with my friend Che.

Update!

Wednesday, November 30th, 2011

Hello all, from China again (of course). I know it’s been a while since I’ve written, and it seems that I disregarded the promise I made about writing every week… Perhaps it’s just that life is getting dull around here.

Since being back from my trip in October, I’ve been going to church as often as possible. The church I go to, Shanghai Community Fellowship, is made up of people from all over the world, and I usually go to the 4pm service, which means I still get to sleep in on Sundays (one of my days off). I love the SCF Worship Team, which has so many different members that I rarely see the same singers. Last week there was a children’s special where all the kids sang carols while wearing birthday hats (to celebrate Jesus’s birth), and we sang “Hark! The Herald Angels” in Chinese!

My good friend Elizabeth and I have planned a trip to Bangkok for the Chinese New Year in January, and we are both super excited. The down-side is that our plane tickets were outrageously expensive – and we still need to book hotels and save spending money. Still, I’m really excited to experience a culture different from that of the Chinese. We’ll be visiting a few temples, cruising down the river, and basking in the sun on island sand as white as snow.

I’ve begun reading a new book called The Poisonwood Bible, given to me by Mom (I think). The first chapter was extremely vague and confusing, but then it grew much more interesting! It’s about a married couple with four young daughters – all under the age of 16 – who travel to the Congo as missionaries in 1959. Each chapter is told from a different point of view, thus using a different voice, tone, and sense of sarcasm. The author describes every detail of the little African village, and there are so many things that remind me of China – like the way they have “market day,” where the locals sell fruits and vegetables stacked on blankets in the dirt. Or how the Congolese constantly stare at the white family, marveling at their blonde hair and light skin – similar to where I am now. Plus, there is a constant cultural divide and language barrier for the characters living in the Congo, which one would find in any foreign country. Though I’m only a few chapters into the book, it inspires me to notice more about my setting in Shanghai. I take for granted all of the things around me, but unless you’ve been here in the past few months, you don’t know what I see every day!

I’m eager to get this bit posted, so that you know I’m still alive and writing each week, but I promise (PROMISE!) to share some SH observations with you in the near future. 

Love, Andrea

New GoOverseas! Contribution

Hey everyone,

I recently contributed a new article to the GoOverseas! travel website, and it’s been posted online this week. Check it out here: http://www.goteachabroad.com/teach-in-china

Click the blue bar that says “Click here for our guide to teaching in China.”

Enjoy!

Cheese & Chocolate

Sunday, October 23, 2011

On the morning that I was due to arrive at the Philadelphia airport for my flight back to China, I was cramming bags and boxes of American food into my suitcase and my carry-on bag: a box a chicken-flavored stuffing, cream of wheat cereal, a can of breadcrumbs, Campbell’s pea soup, Kraft mac&cheese… and among these things were my favorites, Reese’s peanut-butter cups and individual portions of nacho cheese dip (thanks mom), both of which I buried in the small suitcase that would accompany me in the economy section of the airplane.

My parents dropped me off at the international terminal before 6am, I got my boarding pass, and waved goodbye as I rode the escalator to the security check-point on the second floor. Like a good traveler, I remembered to put my make-up and contacts in little plastic baggies, and when the guards pulled me aside to rifle through my bag, I was annoyed rather than concerned. But the man in a dark-blue TSA uniform unzipped my suitcase and immediately pulled out my stash of cheese dip, saying “Well this can’t go.” My jaw dropped a little as I realized, “Ohhh s—, that’s a liquid isn’t it…” But he wasn’t finished yet. He plucked out the two bags of Halloween Reese’s and said, “This is milk chocolate, this can’t go either.”

With a line of people building behind me, I tried to clear my sleepy head and say something besides, “Ummm… but… but I need that.” My plan was to give the candy as gifts to my Chinese friends at work, and surrendering it to the Philadelphia airport staff was simply not an option. I tried another route: “What if I give you a Reese’s,” I suggested to the man.
“Ma’am, that’s bribery,” he told me seriously. “You think I’ma lose my job over a peanut-butter cup??” At this point, the other security guards were beginning to look over at what was happening.
“Okay, well then can go I go back downstairs and check this?” I asked.
“They gonna charge you 30 bucks to check this bag. How much these things worth?” he asked me, holding up the items in question, the cheese-dip and chocolate. “Did you pay 30 bucks for these? You think they worth that much?”
Travelers shuffled past me in their socks, taking their time re-lacing their shoes and gathering their things off the conveyer belt so they could watch the scene unfolding. I thought hard and made a quick decision: “I’m going overseas where I can’t find these items, so yes, I guess it’s worth it,” I said. Suddenly, the man began to laugh, a deep, full-belly laugh, like I was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.
“Really?” he asked. “All this for a bunch of Reese’s…” he continued, chuckling to himself as he re-zipped my bag. Even the other guards were smirking, stealing glances our way. “She want me to lose my job over a peanut-butter cup…”
Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a calculating person who likes to have a plan. I’m easily derailed by spontaneous events that are out of my control, so it took a lot of my strength at 6 in the morning to make a split-second decision. A list of concerns popped into my head: I would need to re-organize my bag for it to be checked below the plane. I’d have to remove my laptop and other break-able items, putting them into my purse to bring as a carry-on. Plus, I’d have to wait in the long line at the security check-point, again.
“Okay, can you show me how to get back downstairs so I can check this bag?” I asked the guy. He continued to laugh, putting my small suitcase onto the floor and taking my boarding pass and passport.
“Follow me,” he said, beginning to walk while surveying my plane ticket. “Where you going anyway?”
“China,” I said. I walked behind him as he dragged my suitcase along, leading me down the tiled hallway.
“Oh yeah? What you do there?”
“I’m a teacher.”
The man suddenly stopped at a ramped intersection and handed me my passport and bag. He gestured down the hall where all the other people were walking and said, “You’re gate A3,” pointing toward the highlighted gate numbers. He turned to walk away, and I blinked confusedly at him.
“Wait, really? I’m good?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what was happening, whether he was joking or not, letting me go with all my unsanctioned items.
He strolled carelessly back toward the roped-off security check-point, glancing back at me. “Have fun in China,” he called back. “Enjoy your cheese.”

I’d like to say that it was a cool experience, getting away with something and brining prohibited liquids onto the plane, but the stress of traveling and lack of coffee really messed with my head. Not only was I wrapping up an emotional trip back to my roots after living abroad for more than a year, plus anticipating the feelings I’d have upon arriving back in China – on top of that, I was completely taken aback by this man’s laughter and his amusement toward my attachment to American comforts. Looking around nervously, assuming that the TSA would come barreling after me as if I were a criminal, I made a bee-line for the nearest bathroom. I barely got the stall door shut before I burst into tears. I cried from stress and loneliness, cried that I was leaving my mom (again), and that I was caught between two homes that I love.

After giving away all my beloved Reese’s to my friends at work, I can laugh a little about the situation at the Philly airport. Though I wasn’t pleased at the time, I can now appreciate the humor of the moment, and I’m glad that I saved the 30 dollar fee by not checking a second bag. Plus, I have the satisfaction of knowing that I probably made that guy’s day: now he can tell all his coworkers about the crazy teacher from China who just wouldn’t let go of her Reese’s and cheese.

Back in the PRC…

Sunday, October 16, 2011

 Greetings from China (again)! I have safely returned to my apartment in Shanghai, and there was hardly any jet-lag after my flight plus the time change. I slept for a necessary 12 hours my first night back, and I attribute it to the fact that I was traveling so strenuously during my “vacation” to America. It was an excellent moment when I laid down on my big, comfortable bed here in Shanghai, with lots of pillows and my cat. Speak of the Devil, Tian Tian has actually been pretty well-behaved these past few days; I think she missed me.   

On Tuesday during the plane ride from the States to Shanghai, I was thinking “Wow, another plane ride to China…” It seemed funny to say that, and I remember how I felt last summer when I left Philly, when my plane was descending over the Pacific onto the mainland; there was a waning orange sunset outside my tiny airplane window, and I wondered What will I find here in China? During this year’s plane ride, I was mostly feeling irritated about having to return to work the following day. I also seemed to have pinched a nerve in my back while driving more than a thousand miles in a week on the East Coast, so it’s quite uncomfortable to sit, stand, lay, walk, etc. I think the 16-hour flight with very little leg-room intensified my pain. 

Since being back, I talked with some friends about how it feels to travel between our “home” country and another, and we agreed that it’s similar to resuming any lost habit – playing piano, riding a bike, using a specific computer program… It’s a funny feeling to have to adjust to our surroundings, to consciously remind ourselves where we are and what is socially expected. After stepping off the plane, it took me a few hours to completely adjust to the setting, and my first days back at work required a bit of memory-jogging (“What are the opening lines of the Demo again? I forgot…”). I have my Chinese lesson on Monday, and I’m worried that I’ll embarrass myself in front of my teacher with all the words and sentences I’ve forgotten over the past two-and-a-half weeks. Of course, I had an amazing time visiting everyone I love in the US, but coming home and adjusting to my usual routines is annoying! The next time I’ll partake in some serious traveling will be in January, when my friend Elizabeth and I are planning to go to Thailand. Any tips or advice about that country are welcomed!

 Tomorrow is Sunday (my day off), and my plans include brunch, church, and a massage. I’ve been thinking about new goals for this fall, and I think I’m going to begin budgeting my money (that’s something I’ve never really done) and maybe look into learning how to play the violin, if I have time. 

Thanks for all your comments on my writing, and to everyone who has subscribed to my blog! Your support means a lot to me and it always encourages me to write. 

Before the Goodbye…

 

Monday, October 10, 2011   7:32 pm

 Tonight is my last night in America, and coming back here was definitely a whirlwind of emotions. I remember how scared I was a few months ago to return to my home, to the places where I have attached such strong memories. I was afraid that after being in China for more than a year that I’d feel out of place in America and sense some sort of “reverse culture shock.”

 In part, I was correct: I absolutely noticed the differences between the Chinese culture that I’ve grown accustomed to and the American customs to which I was returning. However, it wasn’t exactly a culture “shock,” per say. When I arrived in Los Angeles on September 27^th, it felt like I was waking up from a long dream and I couldn’t remember all of the details. I found myself thinking, “Oh yeah… I forgot that we do that in America.” For example, there is an unspoken “shopping etiquette” present in the US: you say “excuse me” when maneuvering a shopping cart down a busy aisle, you exchange greetings and small-talk with the cashier at the register, and when you say, “No thanks, I’m just looking,” the sales people generally leave you alone.

 The first stop on my trip was Venice Beach, California. When I booked my trip several months ago, I knew that I’d be jet-lagged and I wanted to take some time for myself to relax and see the sun (Shanghai is very smoggy). This was my first time to that part of CA, and I had a lot of fun walking in the sand, biking to the Santa Monica pier, and sleeping away my exhaustion.

 After my mini-vacation in Cali, I flew to Philadelphia to begin what Silje has dubbed the “Tour de Friends.” I carved pumpkins from a local farm with my best friends from high-school, ate cheese steaks on South Street in Philadelphia, and shared a gorgeous Welcome Home cake that my cousin baked (thanks Erin!) with my family and friends at my parents’ house in Pennsylvania.

 My trusty car and GPS took me from Washington D.C. to New England, where the fall foliage was just beginning; standing atop a hill on my sister’s college campus, I looked out over a sea of green tree tops, dotted with sparse glimpses of red and orange and gold, a view I would never see in Shanghai. For every day I’ve been here in the US, I never got used to seeing the clear blue sky; I guess I always took for granted how shockingly blue it really is, and I know that’s something I’ll miss tomorrow when I fly out.

 Right now, sitting in the house where I grew up, I just feel weird. This whole time, driving up and down the East Coast visiting my friends, and even this exact moment – it truly feels like I never even left, like my life in China never existed. It’s weird to think that I can belong in two worlds that are so drastically different and apart from each other.

 I can’t begin to guess how I’ll feel when I get back to Shanghai, but I’ll be sure to write about it when I land. 

 

Carving pumpkins in Pennsylvania.

 

Standing in the sand next to the Santa Monica pier during sunset.

 

Custom cake made by my cousin Erin. Check out her facebook page, Sweet Erin's Custom Cakes at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Erins-Custom-Cakes/204974672881341

 

Starfish clinging to the rocks on Venice Beach, CA.

 

Me and Katie in Massachusetts at the College of the Holy Cross, visiting my sister Rachael.

 

 

In the Beginning…

     I’ve been considering starting a blog for several months now, but I never really had the time to pull it together – I’m not the most technologically-advanced person, but while on this “American Vacation” of mine, I’ve found motivation to put some work into my writing. Some family members in the States have commented that they haven’t recieved an email updating them on my life in China for several months, and I also agree that I’ve been slacking quite a bit. That ends now (hopefully). With some help from my friends Seal and Katie in Washington D.C., I’ve figured out a few tricks to this blogging website, and I’m sure with some dedication I will be writing and posting on a regular basis. Wish me luck!

Me with the woman at the farmers market in DC. She makes and sells her own soap.