One Year In China

It's the morning of July 31st and I've been wide awake, ironically, since about 4 am. It's ironic because the reason I'm awake is my lovely WeChat app has been going off nonstop and has totaled 30 messages (30 beeps) in the past hour or so. You see, my friend Cecil got married today, July 31st, in Hong Kong. Most of my colleagues were unable to attend, because like me, they're home or on holiday someplace. We don't have to be back at school until August 10th, so we're all enjoying the last of our freedom before getting back to the grind. Everyone, no matter the time zone, has been commenting and congratulating Cecil on his big day.

Exactly one year ago, on July 31st, 2014, I moved to China. It was my mother's 70th birthday, and I felt extremely guilty for having that as my departure day, but I boarded that plane and headed off for a journey I had been planning for nearly two years. The China part only came to fruition around January or February of 2014, but the going abroad again I knew I'd make happen as soon as I moved home from Italy in May of 2012. I felt very strongly that I wasn't meant to be in Charleston and I prayed and prayed to try and determine where the Lord would lead me.

In the last year, I have been tested and tried. I went through a period of culture shock, as we all do, and I certainly had to adjust to the way of life I'd lead for the two year contract period. I found China to be dirty and hot. Those two words are all that come to mind at the moment but I think they describe it pretty well. I found locating things pretty difficult, but not as difficult as I'd expected. Do you remember reading my post, "A Girl's Packing Guide?" Do you remember my mathematical equation to sorting out how many tampons I'd need for a year? I was told there were no tampons in China. This isn't true. There are a few places near where I live where I can find them, pricey and of poor quality, but I can find them none-the-less. I will say I recently had a rather poor experience with a box of Tampax as the plastic wrapping literally fell off the applicator when I tried to use them so that was a red flag, but when in a bind, they're there.

Locating items for cooking has been a bit of a stressor too. I certainly miss being able to get what I want when I want it. I've caught myself gawking in the grocery store here at items, simple things like brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, kale and frozen pie crusts, organic products and craft beer. I know those things are random and clearly don't all go together, but they're items I can't find easily and we tend to take things like that for granted. When I tried to get spinach, strawberries, bell peppers and a few other items in Hong Kong to bring back to China, I had all the produce confiscated and my passport number written down. I had never been told those items couldn't cross the border so now I'm sure I'm marked "produce pusher" or something. Watch out...I'm practically a fugitive!

My professional experience in the last year has been trying. I spent a lot of time quite aggravated with the way things didn't seem to work and found it quite difficult to not get stressed over lack of cohesion or best practice taking place. I won't get too much into this as I don't want to place blame anywhere, but I will say I'm looking forward to a new year, a fresh start. A lot of my professional frustration came from simply being in an international school, not my little Heaven of Stiles Point. A lot of the "issues" I had came from wanting to compare the new place to the old place, and as I've said before, you just can't compare anything to SPES, for I had a wonderful experience there. The other issues came from lack of ease in getting decent school supplies. Teachers of America hear me...you may have your own frustrations (I know, I remember them), but I want you to cherish those Expo markers, Sharpies, index cards and sentence strips you use. When you turn on your SmartBoard, I want you to think of me. Heck, I want you to pull up Google Earth and zoom in on my part of the world. When you have your kids take out those marble composition notebooks or that lovely lined notebook paper, I want you to have them write a narrative about the thing they value most, then tell them about your friend Hannah who cries for joy over pencil cap erasers and three hole punches. I kid you not, everything is made in China, but nothing stays in China.

Despite all the hardships, I have had an amazing year. Last week, I sat down at my Mom's church after driving by and seeing the Red Cross Blood Mobile...I'm a freak and I really like giving blood. I went in and told the kid at the desk that I might not be able to give, but I'd try...I knew I'd been to some countries that might red flag me, but we could give it a go and see. The girl finally took me back to my little curtained off area and we went through all the questions, "Have you been with a man who's been with a man since 1986?" "Have you had any piercings since 1792?" "Have you or does anyone you know have any relation to Marco Polo?" I mean really. Then she gets to the "Have you been outside of the country in the last 12 months? Have you spent time adding up to more than 5 years in Europe?" Ummm, ok, yes. She asked me to list where I'd been since last July and I quickly started spitting out countries, "China, England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, Thailand..." WAIT, WAIT, WAIT. She couldn't keep up. Ok, start over, so after an hour and a half and a lot of unnecessary stress on this poor girl, we determine I CAN'T donate because, and get this, I spent time on a beautiful RESORT in Phuket, which she kept pronouncing "Pookay" despite my corrections. I found it all hilarious and laughed, not at her (but sort of at her), the whole time I was there. I didn't get to donate, but I did get a free comedy hour and a box of Girl Scout cookies, so I consider it a win.

The point of that story is of course that in the last year, I have added several stamps to my passport, and that I love. Bear with me now, don't get stressed out like that blood donor lady...here's a quick review of where I've been since July 31st, 2014. Just like I had to do for her, I'll list all of the cities (if I can remember them).

China-Dongguan, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nansha, Beijing
Hong Kong (SEVERAL TIMES)
Vietnam-Ho Chi Mihn (formerly Saigon)
Thailand-Bangkok, Phuket
Australia-Sydney, Bondi, Goulburn
England-London, Bath, Lacock, Stonehenge (Wiltshire), and other small towns
Scotland-Glasgow, Ayr, Balmaha, and other small towns
Northern Ireland-Belfast
Ireland-Dublin, Dun Laoghaire, Dalkey
America-New York, Charleston, Edisto, Beaufort, Lady's Island, St. Helena Island, Port Royal (Chicago and Seattle for layovers)
Canada-Vancouver (for a layover)
and because I had a layover there and can count a new country I added in one more for good measure
India-Mumbai

When I look at that list, I'm not overly impressed like, "Wow, look at me," but in a way, I think it's pretty darn cool. In the last year I've seen more than some people see in their lifetime. In the last year, I've learned more than most could even fathom, about myself, about my beliefs, about other people, places and cultures. I have had moments of disbelief in both negative and positive ways. I have one more year ahead of me in China and I have to say, I'm really looking forward to it.

Many years ago, my sister gave me a framed quote and it now sits on the counter as you walk in the door to my apartment in Dongguan. It reads:

To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give
To roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.
~Hans Christian Anderson.

I think that beautifully sums up how I feel. I am so very blessed and I am thrilled to say I survived my first year in China. I am equally happy to say that this year, I get to be at home with my Momma on her birthday, and am very much looking forward to my last week in Charleston before heading back "home" to Dongguan.