And so a month seems to have past since I last wrote. Time goes so quickly these days! While I spent a lot of last year wishing for this experience to be over, I now cannot believe how fast it's passing and want it to slow down! I find that all the things I formerly found disagreeable in this country have either vanished, or I've simply been able to transform my attitude; if only I had found the inner-strength to do this sooner! Now, looking out at my home which I have grown to love, I regret spending a single day, let alone almost an entire year, not clinging to every great part about this place!
China, while definitely an imperfect place, has lost its "foreignness;" it is now simply where I live, work, and carry out all the banal details of my life. People ask me why I have not updated my blog, and honestly, it's because I don't feel as though I have anything interesting to report; I forget that what I do, see, smell, taste, hear is still foreign. Everything I once found fascinating, confusing, appalling, now are simply commonplace.
That being said, I have, however, picked up new China-specific hobbies! When I first came to China, I was fascinated by the old women and couples congregating in public squares at night and performing public ballroom dancing. It was one of the things that most excited me and I wanted to learn, but never did because I always felt too shy or discouraged. This semester, however, with the companionship of Patrick (our new volunteer in Guiyang), every Sunday night we go and dance with older couples in a park near his school, spending hours dancing beneath a giant Chairman Mao statue. We are the youngest people in attendance (almost everyone there is retired, or at least close to it), definitely the only foreigners, and we love it! The older Chinese people have come to know and expect our attendance, and eagerly fight over who will dance with us each night. One night, when an older woman who is less regular than Patrick and myself asked me "where are you from," another woman interrupted and answered for me "she is Guiyang people," which is the first time in the entire 15 months I've lived in China that someone (let alone an only-Chinese-speaking individual) referred to me as a non-outsider; it was greatly warming! My favorite instructor is an older man (who I simply refer to as "Uncle"), who is quite direct in his instruction, scolding me when I shake my hips or stick my butt out too much, and is quite paternal in his affections; it's cute. :) In addition to ballroom dancing, I've also resumed my formal Chinese lessons (for the first time since last November!) and I'm studying Tai Chi (Tai Ji, in Chinese), which is another thing I've wanted to learn while I'm here, so while this is definitely a semester of familiarity, it is also a semester of new, exciting beginnings! :)
In addition to my new and old hobbies, teaching, and having fun with friends, most of my current free time is dedicated to studying for the GRE. I took the first portion (Analytical Writing) a few weeks ago in Kunming (on a very fun trip with Bethany), and will go back to Kunming again in 2 weeks for the final portion (Verbal and Quantitative), which I'm excited about simply because it means I get to take another trip to Kunming! A few weeks ago was Mid-Autumn's Day Festival, which is a holiday spent celebrating the full moon. Lulu invited all of the Peace Corps volunteers to her parents' home for dinner, which was a great experience and it was really nice finally meeting her Mama and Baba! This week was our People's Republic of China National Day week, so we didn't have to teach for a full 7 days, but rather than travel (as I originally planned), I decided to stay in Guiyang to save money and study more. Bethany and Melanie came in for a visit (Bethany joined me for daily study sessions), and Kimmy, Patrick and Dulce all stayed in town, too, so it ended up being a fun week in the city. The governor of Guizhou invited the majority of foreigner teachers to another fancy banquet, we discovered we could pretend we were rich expatriates and lounge in the comfortable seating of the 40th floor of Guiyang's ridiculiously extravagant Sheraton Hotel and look out to the city lights, we wrote our wishes on a Chinese lantern and, with the help of a candle, let it float up to the heavens, as is the Chinese tradition to encourage them come true, and just enjoyed having no obligations for a week!
Autumn is here, and with it comes the fluctuating Guiyang weather, which is never good for colds, and because of how fast life seems to be moving these days, I'm sure winter is quickly approaching. While winter is, hands down, the worst time to be in China, I think the other volunteers and I are better prepared for it than we were last year, and are not going to let it bring us (or the new volunteers) down this year. I have plenty of chocolate chips on the way, so baking will be taking place, as well as more frequent gatherings of Guizhou volunteers!
Occasionally, I get overwhelmed wondering and praying about where life will take me after I finish my Peace Corps China service in July/August, but mostly I am just enjoying the moment, loving and trusting where God has led me, and relishing in the inner peace and circumstantial improvements I've found this year. Life is good, and I am happy. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment