I woke up this morning later than usual and I noticed that I was making this loud purring noise while breathing. At first I thought I was home and a cat was in my bed. I sounded like a tiger! Then I realized it was voluntary and I stopped. WEIRD.
I also woke up feeling like I needed to reflect. I didn't want to hang out with anyone. I think I was tired from meeting so many new people. I just wanted to organize my thoughts. It sounds simple, but sometimes I just want to think.
So thats what I did. I grabbed my bag and went for a walk around campus, which is now bustling with students. I live at the north campus or old campus and at first it didnt strike me as beautiful, but i liked it today. There are willow trees everywhere and plenty of stone benches to sit and think.:) And Moonlight Sonata was playing on the loud speakers.
I also ran into the Russian couple again, their names are Kostya and Olga. They want to have a barbecue sometime soon and invited me. I love barbecues. Weekend barbecues are not part of the Chinese tradition though. Thats obvious, but I didn't realize it was just as much a Russian thing as it is American. Cool.
That said, I LOVE Chinese traditions too! I love tea. I love chopsticks and the communal style of eating meals. I love the modest girlish manners of chinese girls. I love the way that most chinese men know so much about physical health. I love waking up to the sound of fireworks (nearby wedding celebrations).And I enjoy the cushion of knowing a different language and not being entirely responsible to carry on an intense conversation.
Oh! but I do want to learn Chinese! The written language is so complex but beautiful. The Oral language is grammatically simple but difficult for English speakers because of the tones. I am determined to learn though!!! I knew nothing before coming and I have only just begun to learn, but I know I can do it.
Tonight I even managed to find and "order" what I wanted to eat. There is a popular food here that is essentially a vegetable wrap. The person will cook up shredded cucumber, carrots, taro, green onion and cabbage and then fold it in this thin tough bread . I was so proud because I requested that they add peppers to make it spicy and they understood my chinese!
I had my next realization while eating dinner. Cucumbers(huang gua) are everywhere! With my cucumber filled wrap I ate a raw cucumber (they are so thin and crunchy!and cheap!) I also had a little bag of cucumber flutes or puffs on my desk. Its like a cucumber flavored snack food. I didn't drink it with this meal, but you can also get cucumber juice. Cucumbers are in the melon family and melons in general are really common here. Watermelon(shi gua) is eaten after dinner. Hami gua(orange melon) are also sold on sticks in the streets and a popular flavor. Yellow and red watermelon are found in every market. There are melon flavored icecreams and countless cucumber dishes.
Ok ok ok, so I wouldn't say I made any new profound discoveries today but it was still nice to acknowledge little things that I have noticed. Oh and one more...
China demands that you be f l e x i b l e. Going with the flow is the only option. The Chinese are generally intuitive and take their time with things. Planning and schedules do not exist. So different from what I am used to but a relief at the same time. I always visualize China to be full of tai chi artists. So many people but everyone manages to make things work without crashing into each other. Taxi drivers are a prime example. They drive so slow and calmly. They also pull out if front of other cars. No big deal though, the other cars just glide out of the way. No hard feelings. Its during these moments that I see my own impatient and stubborn nature most clearly. UGH. I was pretty easy going by american standards but here I catch myself wanting immediate solutions to problems etc. I have gotten better at adapting to new situations though. I think part of the trick is not waking up with a pile of expectations and then also just taking everything for what it is.
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