There are just a few things I have been thinking about since America is drawing nearer and nearer. There are a few things I will miss over the Summer and a few things I will not miss.
Things I will miss:
1.) The Dumplings and Fried Rice: This is probably my favorite food here. I wouldn't say I could eat it everyday, but it is yummy! I'm not saying I will crave it while I am eating a steak somewhere, but it will be missed. :)
2.) My students: I'm not really a sentimental person, but I do become nostalgic from time to time. I think I will miss some of my students, but I can still keep in touch with those who I have befriended. It helps me not be sad when I think I will gain even more friends next year at our new school!
3.) The small shops. Our area of town, and the area around out school is fantastic for shopping. They are little mom-and-pop places to shop. You can find some good Chinglish T-shirts there and little bags and purses. You can bargain a little in these places, just like at the night market!
4.) Bob, Linda, and Angel. The first couple of times we hung out with the Kings, it took Angel a while to warm up to us. Now, she gives us a hug when we walk in the door! This is progress and we are happy to have them in our lives!
Things I will not miss:
1.) Being stared at: The saying "Take a picture, it'll last longer" applies here more than in America. They will literally take a picture of you with no shame. In fact, my parents got to experience it first hand. A man was acting like he was dialing a number, but he sure was holding it high up in the air. He was taking a picture of the foreigners at the airport. haha! Another example: One time I was sitting on a city bus. It was in the afternoon and I was tired. I was going to be on the bus for a while, so I fell asleep. I was awaken by the sound of a camera phone clicking in my ear. I opened my eyes and saw a man standing in front of me pulling his phone away from my face. He just took the liberty of taking a picture of me sleeping. I know to some of you this might sound like I'm complaining about something lots of people want: People staring at you everywhere you go because they think you look so different from them. But, you kind of begin to feel like a freak after a while, and it becomes irritating. This is the biggest thing I will not miss, but I will get use to it again when I come back in the Fall.
2.) Getting "Chinese-d" as I like to call it. The Chinese are oddly enough a collective type of person... "people pleasers". Now just hear me out, because this is a generalization. If you want to get something fixed, or if you want something the store does not have, you will ask them, "When will it be fixed?" or "When will you have it?" You will most likely receive an answer similar to this: "Tomorrow or the next day." If they do not say that, they might give you a day like, "This Friday". A lot of times this answer is only given to please you momentarily. You are pleasantly surprised, because what would normally take 2 or 3 weeks in the U.S. seems to only take 2 or 3 days in China. Not true. When you return "Tomorrow or the next day" you will be unpleasantly surprised to find nothing has been done, and a new deadline is decided. When you call to check up on the status of the item (because you don't want to make the trip all the way there, like you did last time) you are told it will be longer. It ends up being the same amount of time it would take in the U.S., they just go about it in a different way. This, I will not miss. But once again, I will get used to it when I return.
Whew! I had a lot more to say about the two things I will not miss about China. I guess I needed to vent a little. Haha! Anyway, thanks for reading and I miss and love you all! It won't be long before we are home!
