As I write I am en route back to Shanghai after a month of what seemed like time travel back to my old American life (with the addition of a gypsy life-style between "my" 3 cities and the subtraction of a job or any sense of responsibility!) It was a month jam-packed with holidays, reunions, laughs, and, love, as well as some realizations. The most obvious being: China and America are two different worlds!! The turn of a new year always seems to be the prime time for reflection, and with the unique year we've had, some reflection is needed!
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| Making a bulletin board map has been on my to-do list for years- ever since I saw one in the Sky Mall magazine for almost $300 and thought, "DIY here I come!" Essentially, it's a map that's marked by push-pins with where you've been and want to go. You can color code the pins as you wish! I gradually found the framed board and map, pinned it on, and packed it in our shipment to Shanghai. Then, I just needed the small, colored pins! Randomly enough, I found them at a store while we were in Japan and wanted them bad enough to add a few packages of them to my backpack that I had to carry around for the remainder of the week! (I'm sure they're much easier to find in America!) |
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| If you look closely, you can see the little dots of color that are the push-pins. Blue is for places I've been, red is for places Aaron's been (notice the collegiate team related color choices), yellow is where we've been together, and the larger gold pins are where we plan to go next! Next up is Myanmar in February! Our goal: run out of pins! |
Ok, now back to that reflection I was talking about...
While these past 6 months have seemingly flown by, it also strangely seemed like a lifetime since my former life and I was ready for a dose of it! I obviously knew that life in Shanghai was extremely different, but I guess having jumped into our new little bubble and focusing on adapting, I put blinders on to some of the unique and wild things happening around me! Spending a month in America opened my eyes! While we honestly love both of our worlds, there are definitely pros and cons to each! Here's a sporadic collection of thoughts on what we've experienced and learned since our two worlds have collided: (In absolutely no coherent order!)
- Mandarin is the hardest language to learn. Ever. (And I'm not even trying to conquer the characters!)
- No one is going to knock on your door and beg to be your friend- you have to get your ass out there and be friendly.
- Hearing someones voice - or even better - seeing their face - is worth a million written words. Thank God for Skype!
- Eating mostly food that can't survive years in a pantry truly makes you (and your tummy) feel better.
- Eating mostly food that is fried in greasy oil and laying atop a pile of rice or noodles truly makes you (and your tummy) feel crappy.
- Fashion is subjective. Yikes. I've never seen so many odd combinations of lengths, colors, patterns, glitter, and bows.
- More Chinese should hire a Native-English-speaking editor... or not.. the result is usually hilarious! For examples, look here: http://www.engrish.com/ . I think I'll start collecting pics myself!
- Canadians are awesome. Kiwis are awesome. Brits are awesome.
- There is a fake version of everything. Everything. Some you want (ie: designer bags and sunglasses) some you don't (ie: liquor, eggs, and makeup)
- My mom is my best friend. She always cares. Always answers. Always listens. Always knows what to say. Always makes me feel loved. LOVE YOU MOMMA!!
- Not having to drive yourself anywhere ever is pretty damn nice.
- Not being able to drive yourself anywhere ever is pretty damn annoying.
- Traveling is much easier when you speak English as your first language... Russians have a hard time finding a Chinese person that speaks Russian!
- The travel bug is incurable.
- Moving abroad requires good math skills: converting money, measurements, and time is tricky!
- Moving nearly 8,000 miles away from everyone and everything you know can make or break a marriage... So glad for us it was the former of the two!!
- Italians are awesome. Germans are awesome. Australians are awesome.
- Do not text while crossing the street. Do not talk while crossing the street. Pray while crossing the street. Look both ways, then look both ways 8 more times before you take your first step and then continuously look both ways until you successfully reach the other side. Then say "Amen".
- If you need a teaching job, move to China. No experience required.
- Using the bathroom only requires a hole in the floor and the ability to squat. And a personal package of tissue in your purse. When you find a western toilet, it will probably have this sign on the stall door:
The best way to eat: Family style dining on a giant lazy-susan with chopsticks ... Spin the wheel and let the Hunger Games begin!
- Not understanding what strangers around you are saying is nerve-racking.
- Not having to make small talk with strangers (in the elevator, on the subway, waiting in a line) because you don't speak the same language is great when you're grumpy, but stinks when you wanna know where they got their purse or which stop you need to take!
- Breathable, clean air and purified water should not be taken for granted.
- You can find something to love in every single person on this Earth. (Although sometimes hard to see at first glance.)
- A bike and a few straps can hold more than an SUV.
- Everyone should get a massage at least once a month, and never have to pay more than $15 for it! (Now who wants to come visit??!)
- Baijiu is the Chinese version of Moonshine, except it tastes worse, they only shoot it, and if offered it you don't turn it down. Unfortunately for Aaron, it is common at work lunches and dinners.
- If you don't know what it is, eat it anyway. (Of course with the exception of anything that looks rubbery in consistency, has tentacles, claws, or eyeballs, or resembles an organ of any sort.) Chances are it will taste ok, won't kill you, and you can one day blame it for your disease.
- American society needs to adopt the European ways of month-long holidays so we can get out and travel more!
- Seat belts, helmets, turn signals, and staying in your lane are under-rated in China! Honking is way over-rated. Thank goodness I don't have to be behind the wheel!
- The grass is always greener...
- Sunday brunch is the best meal of the week!
- If you think you are poor, unlucky, or deprived in any way, travel to a developing country and you will quickly realize we are all filthy rich.
- When you don't have a car to wash, a yard to mow, or a house to clean (since that's what Ayis are for) you have a LOT more time for FUN!! (I am trying to scheme a plan to sneak our Ayi back to America with us.)
- The dial-up Internet I complained about in the 90s (when I couldn't connect to AOL instant messenger fast enough) was awesome compared to China's snail-esque zero-G network.
- No matter how long you are apart, with good friends and family, it always feels like yesterday.
- "Make new friends and keep the old- one is silver and the other's gold. "
- God's got a plan! "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
- (For an expat's comedic take on life in Shanghai, check out http://wuluwu.tumblr.com. If you don't live here some may not make sense to you, but most will and are hilariously accurate! )
