Small World, Big City: End of China Trip

Lastly, I wanted to wrap up this trip with general comments, if that's what you call them. I love New York, but being in China this past month felt like a really, really good appetizer--I feel like I'm not done, like the entree should still be coming. I didn't have enough time, and there is still so much left to do. There is definitely a part of me that feels at home on the road, and moving from city to city had a certain freedom to it that I miss already. I have my routine in New York, but I also have my routine while moving around. Usually I sleep and wake up early--in bed around 11 pm, and awake by 8:30 am. I don't know why it's so hard to get proper sleep in New York. I guess it's probably because I'm working full time too.

When I wake up, I usually write down everything I did the day before, while having breakfast. Or I do this on the train, depending on whether it's a day that I'm switching cities or not. I like that I maximize my day time in China, and pretty much spend the entire day outside, walking around. Air quality was pretty bad in Beijing, so my skin got worse there.

Beijing is really not that nice. I would actually recommend you just skip Beijing if you go to China, but I guess everyone wants to see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.

My favorite moments in China are spent walking with no particular destination. Walking along the old alleys in Beijing, around Nanluoguxiang, during the day when there are fewer people and I have the streets to myself. Walking along the canals of Tongli and Luzhi, where the green water is so still that even a woman dipping her hands in to wash a shirt is such a disturbance that large ripples spread throughout the water. Walking along the city walls of Nanjing, where the dragonflies and butterflies fly beside me, doing their dance for summer. Walking along the shops of Shanghai, ignoring my aching wallet as I venture into store after store. Walking through the gardens of Suzhou around closing time, when again, it's more spacious and it feels like the pathways belong to me alone.

Aside from walking, my next obvious favorite moments are eating. Cracking open shellfish loudly with my relatives in Qingdao, who keep yelling at me to eat more. "Drink more! Eat more! You are too skinny, that is bad, eat more!" They go through the trouble of dismembering crab and snails and other shellfish for me, since they imagine that being an American, I can't do it properly. I feel obligated to eat since they go through the trouble, and as soon as something goes into my mouth, there is another huge hunk of meat to take its place on my plate.

I can't eat anymore," I say, feeling like I'll explode.

They look aghast. "That's not possible. You haven't eaten anything at all!" They look so offended that I force myself to eat a few more scallops, and there is laughter once again.

"I can't drink anymore," I say.

"Okay okay," they say, but then a few minutes later, there is another round of clinking glasses, and if I don't drink, that's just rude. Not only is my glass never empty, it is always full almost to the brim. People in Qingdao are really warm hearted, especially to family.

It was really nice eating with family and friends, but most of my meals were spent by myself as I traveled. I used to hate eating alone, but somehow now I don't really mind it. In fact, I've really enjoyed most of my alone time in China. There is no rushing to meet someone else's clock, or to make an appointment. The day lasts as long as I want it to, ends when I want it to. It almost feels like I can control time. Sitting over my meals, I can stay for as long as I want, and leave as soon as I want.

I had a brief, wonderful moment of a hybrid between bubble tea and taro tapioca. A sales lady approached me, disturbing me. It was the only time that I pretended not to speak Chinese, so she would go away. She actually stayed and tried to make conversation anyway, but I just smiled and nodded, like I couldn't understand. Eventually she gave up, and my drink and I could continue our quality time together.

It's a lot easier to live in China than New York, cost wise. People do make less, but if you have a higher educational degree, you still can afford a far better standard of living in comparison to major US cities. I think I will see what happens in New York for the next two months or so. If I end up with a job, I'll stay in New York. Otherwise, I think I will go back to China. There are apparently, a lot of job opportunities there for teaching English.

Here are a few more photos, of random moments that I've enjoyed during my travels: