Retrospect

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." -Soren Kierkegaard

I first heard that quote when I was ten years old, but it's stuck with me all these years. When I think back to where I was one year ago today, five years ago today, ten years ago today, it's hard to believe I am where I am. However, it also makes a lot of sense. I can't decide whether it's easier for me to count the ways I've changed over the past year or to count the ways I've stayed the same. I have done a lot of both. All I know is that it will be even easier to look back once another year has gone. At this point, I'm still unable to process these past few months

But for the sake of my dear readers, I'll give it a shot!

The most obvious thing I think I've gained this year, other than PERSPECTIVE! and CHINESE LANGUAGE SKILLS! and WORLDLINESS! is patience. Patience is a virtue with which I've never particularly struggled, but I didn't realize how impatient I was until I got to China. The reason I never perceived impatience as one of my (many) personality quirks is because I'm not impatient about when a movie will come out or when the cake will be done baking or when the iPhone 12 comes out. I'm impatient about my future. I'm always fussing about what I'll be doing next, making to-do lists in my head, worrying about this summer, next year, five years from now, ten years from now. I'm always worrying about being on time, so I get impatient and I leave my house way earlier than necessary. I'm terrible about stopping, and don't even get me started on smelling the roses. China has made me more patient because things aren't as planned out as I want them to be. I have to wait to find out when my vacations day are, what classes I'm teaching next year, and where I will be living. It requires a certain element of flying by the seat of my pants that I did not possess upon arrival. China has made me an incredibly patient person.

Patience also comes from being a teacher. Teaching the same lessons over and over again requires patience. Students who are struggling require patience. Students who send you 3-4 emails a day with questions require patience. Patience is a teacher's best and most-utilized tool.

And of course, language barriers always require patience, as does living in an environment in which the people have vastly different beliefs on matters I consider to be incredibly important, like gender, freedom, and race. China requires patience in all kinds of situations, which is something I expected, but could never really comprehended until I was actually here.

In retrospect, I'm happy with my time here and I'm really excited to come back to China for another year. However, I am also thrilled that I'll be home in the US so soon! China Doll lands at LGA this Saturday night. At that point, this blog will (understandably) go on hiatus, until I can start blogging about my return. So don't forget about me, dear readers! China Doll'll be back real soon!!!!!

When You're 23...

My birthday in China was totally awesome. Even though the rainy weather ruined my plans to go to Xuanwu Lake, I still had a wonderful day. I got a great massage then went out to dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant (I would argue it’s the best Western restaurant in Nanjing) and the owner gave us free champagne. Afterward, we did KTV karaoke and I may or may not have come home close to sunrise. Of course, we sang “What’s My Age Again?” by Blink 182… nobody likes you when you’re 23… I hope that’s not true.

Natalie and Lela

Singing "Lady Marmalade"

I'm not a huge impulse buyer (except when it comes to clothes, of course) but my friend has a Polaroid camera and it's awesome so... I bought myself one!

Champagne

Drake and Liz at KTV

Somehow many of my students learned it was my birthday, so they were sweet and gave me cards and one even gave me a little gift! It's a little stuffed animal keychain. She told me it was named "number 7" (七号) because it's from a cartoon TV show? Whatever. It was so sweet.

The Monday after my birthday, the officials at NDFZ had a fancy going away/birthday lunch for me (and Sophie.) Fang Laoshi bought me an enormous, extremely heavy cake. How do I know it’s so heavy? Because I held it for what felt like hours through all the ceremonial pictures that were taken after I blew out the candles.

The cake

All I wanted was one picture!

Then we took a thousand

Then a vice principal thought this background would be nicer
(me and my tutor)

My cheeks (face-cheeks, of course) were a lot of pain

Cake and crayfish, a delicious combination!
Not.

The meal was incredibly delicious, and since Sophie and I were the guests of honor, food kept magically appearing on our plates as the officials kept encouraging us to eat more. This became a problem at the end of the meal (after the cake) when the final “soup” came out (sometimes its noodle soup, I’ve also had mushroom soup.) At first, the waitresses passed by me and gave the small noodle bowls to everyone else. I breathed a sigh of relief. Little did I know that I had been passed over because I was getting a giant bowl of “long life” noodles, a Chinese tradition in which the birthday girl or boy finishes a large bowl of noodles so that they can live a long and healthy life. I only at a few of my noodles, I hope that’s not a bad omen!

Long life noodles

Our banquet table

Me, Fang Laoshi, Sophie

In China, newborns are considered to be 1 years old, so technically by Chinese standards I’m 24. So, a very Happy 23^rd/24^th Birthday to me!

Can Someone Explain Why...

... Dawei (David) is going to buy a sweater at the Playboy store?

大卫要买一件毛衣

That 售货员 knows how it is. What is up with my Chinese textbook?

Bonus photo:

Qi Laoshi and me, last day of class

Right after this photo was taken, her adorable son busted into the classroom on a tricycle. 我是一个好学生！