I've gotta say, I love my job and I love the people I get to work with and all the ways we share life. And yet, it took moving to a country of more than a billion people to irrefutably confirm that I decidedly lean more towards the introvert side of any kind of -vert scale. So, as much as I love my students, my team, and even the cute little aunties at the supermarket, sometimes living here is just plain hard - you know, in the being-totally-overwhelmed sense of the word. I have a friend who lives in a nearby country who may have put it best when he said that the culture basically "stampedes" us.
I've learned that in order to keep any semblance of sanity, sometimes it's necessary for me to just get away and have a little alone time. Thankfully, working on a university schedule affords many such opportunities. This week, for example, is Tomb Sweeping Day and so I was able to sneak off to a nearby-ish city for a couple of days before meeting up with a few of the other foreign teachers to check out a glacier park. (Seriously. Checking out glaciers. In China. How is this my life?!) It's crazy how refreshing it is just to eat an omelet, drink non-instant coffee, and overhear English conversations in Irish, American, British, and even Polish accents. I spent the whole afternoon yesterday on a comfortable sofa with a fresh cup of coffee, studying my Chinese characters in peace - pure bliss. Last night I was able to talk to a handful of people back home that I hadn't been able to connect with due to a poor connection. Few things are better (or more homesick-inducing) that hearing the voices of the ones I love.
On a different note, many times waiguoren choose not to acknowledge each other in China, like some kind of unspoken rule that this Texas girl just hasn't quite figured out yet. However, when we're on our own and in a western business/setting, somehow it seems to make us more susceptible to speaking to each other. It's always interesting to see the different personalities and hear their stories. Whether it's a couple from Europe taking a four month holiday to travel the world or an organizer of an Ethiopian benefit concert wrapping up some real estate deals, I'm always fascinated to hear what could have brought them here. With the (extremely odd/rare) exception of the random Frenchman who quite literally showed up on my doorstep last year, this kind of thing only ever happens on a trip into the city. Sometimes just a reminder of international diversity is all I need to feel reenergized enough to dive back into the life of my city and appreciate the unique culture it has to offer.
I've learned that in order to keep any semblance of sanity, sometimes it's necessary for me to just get away and have a little alone time. Thankfully, working on a university schedule affords many such opportunities. This week, for example, is Tomb Sweeping Day and so I was able to sneak off to a nearby-ish city for a couple of days before meeting up with a few of the other foreign teachers to check out a glacier park. (Seriously. Checking out glaciers. In China. How is this my life?!) It's crazy how refreshing it is just to eat an omelet, drink non-instant coffee, and overhear English conversations in Irish, American, British, and even Polish accents. I spent the whole afternoon yesterday on a comfortable sofa with a fresh cup of coffee, studying my Chinese characters in peace - pure bliss. Last night I was able to talk to a handful of people back home that I hadn't been able to connect with due to a poor connection. Few things are better (or more homesick-inducing) that hearing the voices of the ones I love.
On a different note, many times waiguoren choose not to acknowledge each other in China, like some kind of unspoken rule that this Texas girl just hasn't quite figured out yet. However, when we're on our own and in a western business/setting, somehow it seems to make us more susceptible to speaking to each other. It's always interesting to see the different personalities and hear their stories. Whether it's a couple from Europe taking a four month holiday to travel the world or an organizer of an Ethiopian benefit concert wrapping up some real estate deals, I'm always fascinated to hear what could have brought them here. With the (extremely odd/rare) exception of the random Frenchman who quite literally showed up on my doorstep last year, this kind of thing only ever happens on a trip into the city. Sometimes just a reminder of international diversity is all I need to feel reenergized enough to dive back into the life of my city and appreciate the unique culture it has to offer.
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