Zaijian, China!

Well, folks, this is it---my last day in China!

Zai jian means good bye in Chinese, but "zai" literally means "again" and "jian" means "meet." So, Zai Jian really means to "meet again." Quite appropriate given that I will be coming back soon. I think this country will always be a part of me, whether I like it or not. That makes it much easier to leave right now....

I've been traveling around China for the past two weeks and am heading to Thailand today for a few weeks (for the new job as well) before finally making my way back to the States. Although I will certainly miss aspects of my life here in China, I am really looking forward to moving back. Quite a few exciting things await me--- a new fun city to explore, new and old friends to hang out with, a new job that I'm excited about, being in the same state as my family for the first time since I was 18....just to name a few. It's definitely time to go back and I couldn't be more excited or ready!

So it's time to end this blog and revert back to my life of anonymity (or is it the other way around...hmmm...something to think about).

Many thanks to those of you who faithfully followed along and sent me messages of support, encouragement, etc. It meant more than you'll ever know!

Things I'm going to miss most about China #1: friends

Phew, I made it! Yes, these entries were certainly rushed, but I finished it! And just in time, since this is my last day in Nanjing. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be traveling around China for my new job. I’ll write one last entry before leaving the motherland…

Number 1 on the countdown shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. The people I’ve met here, both Chinese and foreign, have become such an important part of my life here. In terms of my Chinese friends/family, I’ll definitely miss my Chinese ma the most. She and I have been through so much together over the past two years---from hospital visits and family deaths to matchmaking ploys and coffee talks, and everything in between. Then there are of course my sisters and my bro, who felt like real siblings to me and treated me so well. As for my foreign friends, it was really difficult saying good bye to my British partner in crime the other day. I’m so glad I met him and had the chance to become good friends with him this year--he’s one of my favorite people out there! I’ve learned a lot about myself and the world from these and other friends that I’ve come to know during my time here. We challenged each other, supported each other, vented to each other, laughed at (I mean with) each other, etc. I’ve had some ridiculously difficult times here in China over the past two years, and I often wonder how I would have gotten through them without these people. I really wonder…

Things I'm going to miss most about China #2: chatting with locals

I’m really grateful that my language skills are good enough to be able to communicate with locals on the street. It has been one of my favorite things about living in China and my experience here would not have been the same without it. It’s funny, several foreign friends have commented that I have “the curse”—meaning that Chinese people tend to like me for some strange reason. It might be my language skills, or that I smile a lot when I’m with them, or that I’m Asian and therefore not seen as threatening as a white man, etc. But for whatever reason, this alleged curse has enabled me to talk to and befriend many locals---cab drivers, shop/restaurant owners, etc. They tend to be really open with foreigners, resulting in some of my most interesting conversations in China.

Things I'm going to miss most about China #3: food

Mmmm…cai bao, jian bing, hong shao rou, tudou rou, xihongshi jidan, san xian doufu, xian cai, yu xiang qiezi, tang bao, liang pianr, yang rou chuanr, dao shao mian, niu rou chao la mian, mu shu rou, jing jia rou si, jiaozi…I could go on forever. Chinese food in the US does not even come close to what you get here. So cheap, so good. My favorites are the little outdoor stands selling snacks in bamboo steamers or making fresh noodles. Maybe I’ll try to get some stands going in the SF Chinatown! Or perhaps they already exist…?
PS: thanks once again for the pics, Nar!

Things I'm going to miss most about China #4: my students

Well, my teaching days are over---and most likely for good. Although I only saw my students once a week, the times we spent together were really special to me. There were definitely some challenging and frustrating times, but for every one of those there were about 30 good times filled with laughter and smiles. And it’s those times that I’ll always remember.... All of the smiles and hello teacher’s I got every time I arrived at school. The excitement in their eyes when they realized that it was time for my class. The silly—bordering on ridiculous—things I did in class which had even the “bad” kids in the back of the class paying attention. I think the influence I seemed to have had on them as a foreigner was more important than anything I did to help them improve their English. To them, I was the coolest person they’ve ever met (their words, certainly not mine). Who else will ever think that??? Hmmm?? At any rate, when they think of foreigners in the future (in particular Americans), hopefully they’ll remember their wacky foreign teacher with fondness…I’ll certainly never forget any of them.