Things that seem to have happened a few weeks ago, actually happend months ago... Reading my blog made me realise that. I guess I have been guilty of re-living the past and relishing on whatever I can savour from my time in China. I loved it... so sue me if I want to hold onto it. = )
Ok... 3 words that will sum up my condition... "Reverse Cultural Shock":
"Reverse cultural shock is actually more difficult to deal with than the original cultural shock experienced when entering a new land. This is because most people don't anticipate the need for adjustment when returning to their home country."
Little quirks from my blog entry. I apolgise for the incorrect spelling of names. I have seen myelf misspelling Quentin's name wrong on so many levels... hahaha. Gabriel and Hanalee I have spelt so wrong as well... EEP! Ive even spelt Zhejiang Daxue wrong a few times... though I think they might have been sevre typos.!
My Chinese... LOL well its getting there. I am really furstrated with the fact that I have really high expectations of myself, and I really thought that I could come back and speak good coversational Chinese. I can speak... basic.. and thats about it. But... I guess what is a bit rewarding is that all the beginner's books, programs that I have bought or downloaded I can understand most of the content in it. So I guess that means I have made some progress.
Things I will NOT miss about China. Well first of all... I will not miss the spitting. The hacking, and that noise that comes from your the back of your throat or nose, I am not surewhere its from... I will defiantely not miss that. The smoking... awww I am soo happy we are back in Australia... my lungs can breathe again. The pushyness... well I dont like being pushed around in general, but in China I think I got used to it. Also some of the rudeness... there are some rude people... but thats how it is in most places in the world.
Things I WILL miss about China. How cheap things are....tasty food that you can walk down the street and pick up.
I will miss the random Chinese candy! I will miss the jaozi or dumplings!!! AWWW I miss the ones from the canteen at Zhejiang! I will miss the baozi or steamed buns that I would eat every morning in Hangzhou from the shitang before class, I will miss the 1.50 Kuai Ice cream that I always bought every day from the same little shop a few doors down from our dorms in Beijing... (the guy rocks! everytime I walk in there, he knows what I want, he gets the icecream out before I ask... and If there are time when I cannot find it, he will find it for me. AHHH!!!) I will miss Beijing Kao ya (peking duck) I will miss Nai Cha (Bubble tea/Milk Tea).
I will miss trying all those awesomely packaged drinks that only once you take a sip of it, you realise it tastes like shit.
I will miss the pomelo!
I will miss the lifestyle of being a foreign student learning Chinese. Living in the dorms and being able to go to class in your Pjs (which I ended up doing in Beijing). Trying to talk to locals... being lost in translation...getting away with things because you are foreign... Meeting people from different countries, cultures and languages. Learning about the differences between Australia, China and everywhere else. All those little cultural idiosyncracies facinate me and I just get filled up with .... I don't know... awe?
Clubbing!! awww I will miss the clubbing, how stupidly cheap drinks are! Transportation via taxi being hell cheap. In Hangzhou... I miss S.O.S and Maccas... perfect stumbling/sobering up distance from the dorms.... I will miss the bikes!!! Jeeemes! CHINAAA! I will miss K TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was not really big on K tv... I thought it was kinda pussy and like I mean I would do it for kicks and have heaps of fun... but once in China... I've become addicted to it! I love it!!! miss it already! got huge withdraw symptoms. The Ktv ROCKS! There are plasma/flatscreens there are party lights, there are tamberines, there are cool computers there that help you select the songs... they serve food!!!!
I will miss the freedom. Being able to think of something to do and on the spot be able to organise it and do it! Being able to have the carefee attitude of "yeaaa why not?" and there is nothing or no one there to stop you from doing it. Being spontaneous! I love it! AAAAHHH... CHINAAA!!!
Oh wells... thats my reflection of China. Wo xiang zhongguo!
Labels: China, Chinese, Clubbing, Food, Friendship, KTV, Opinion, Travel
posted by anna at 3:07 PM