Getting the Ball Rolling

Here in Pengshan, it was my second day in training as an American teacher. Each day, four of the American teachers team up to create a two hour long lesson for some volunteer students at the university, and are afterwards critiqued by our director, Tim. In the afternoon, we have an hour of Chinese class, and then the rest of our free time is spent making lesson plans, exploring the town, and generally bumming around wherever there is air conditioning (it is as hot and humid as I was warned it would be). The Chinese students are hardworking and cheerful, and creating a lesson plan and teaching is not nearly as nerve wracking as I feared it would be, for they are all very forgiving and supportive of their American teacher.

China itself is just as I remember it: confusing, fascinating, quirky, and delicious. The "delicious" aspect speaks for itself. I have never had food I enjoy more than actual Chinese food (don't get me started on American Chinese food), and the food here in Sichuan, the 'land of flavor', is no exception. I will freely admit that I've been positively gorging myself on Ma Po Doufu, Huo Guo (aka Hot Pot), Gongbao Jiding, or so many other of my favorite dishes. As for the "quirkiness" of China, that's a little more difficult to explain.

The reason I keep coming back to China, time after time, is that there is always something new to see or learn. Its history is so rich and vibrant, and its civilization has developed for so long separate from the Western world, it has a completely singular culture. Now, I'm not talking about the distinctive architecture or jade carvings or haunting music. Those, of course, are all part of the makeup of China, but it is certainly not everything. By 'completely singular culture', I mean that there is a nagging twist on everything you see and do. Everything, from people's body language, to the smells on the street, to the coca cola bottles in the store, is familiar, and yet slightly different from what your brain is expecting. The insects in the trees sound kind of like cicadas, but not the ones I know. The street signs are a different size and shape. The buses, the flowers, the leaves on the trees, the skyscrapers, the elevator music. Of course there are huge differences, such as the language and the people, but it is the little differences that sneak up on me. Add to that crowds of people staring at me, and it quickly creates an eerie sense of disorientation wherever go.

However, while this feeling of vertigo is not always altogether pleasant, it is definitely the reason I keep returning to China. It is fascinating and alluring, and forces me to look at my own country through a different lens. Always with something new awaiting me outside my front door, I have the opportunity to explore every time I leave--explore new territory, explore new tastes and smells, explore the trivialities of China that make it something all its own. Staying away from this country for long is simply not an option.

Also, the food.