[This
post will be written in the past tense because I was too busy to write this at
the time]
With
only a week left and occupied almost entirely with schoolwork, I was ready to
return to the States. Although I tried
to appreciate every moment in China, the new and exciting nature of the country
when we arrived was beginning to fade.
The
week was full of lasts. We had our last
meals at our favorite restaurants: the noodle-, dumpling-, angry lady-, and spin
table–restaurant. We had our last
weekend excursion experiencing Beijing nightlife (which was awesome mind you). I taught my last kung fu class of little Chinese
kids. I found it nigh impossible to
avoid becoming sentimental at times.
Up
to the end, my language teacher always made jokes to keep his two students
entertained. I honestly think he was one
of the best teachers I ever had because he was always positive, energetic, had
high expectations, came to know us well, and eagerly dove into class every day.
I will miss him and his long, wise
eyebrows.
Surprisingly
I found it far more difficult saying goodbye to my American classmates than the
people in China that I left behind. I
think it is because from the beginning, I knew my stay in China would be short. It almost came as a surprise, however, to
realize how difficult it would be to see some of the other students in my
program ever again. In a country where
literally everything is foreign (and I hope I accurately represent the thoughts
of my classmates because this is something I wholeheartedly believe myself), you
come to depend on people that share culture and language with you. We often just walked down the hall of our
dorm, knocked on each other’s door, and hung out to take a break. We were there for each other when the weight
of being on the opposite side of the world, far from what we grew up with, was
beginning to wear us down.
I
use the expression wear down because the fact of the matter is that a foreigner
in a different land cannot fully assimilate; because individuals feel naturally
comfortable in the culture that they grew up in, the process of getting used to
another culture takes effort. Although
there are obviously differing degrees of how comfortable one feels in a foreign
land, I couldn’t see myself actually living in China, and toward the end of
this trip, I was quite eager to return home.
I
have learned so much from this experience.
Not only about China, but also what makes me an American (and frankly,
why I prefer American culture to Chinese).
Moreover, this sabbatical from science classes gave me a better
appreciation for the effort it takes to master a foreign language and the
difficulties of modifying business presentations to accommodate differing cultures.
Ultimately,
I really enjoyed this semester abroad. I
have no regrets about my decisions to focus less on immersing myself in Chinese
language, and more on learning as much as possible through my relationship with
my martial art instructor, who was more accurately my business partner and
close friend.
Sometimes
people wonder if studying abroad changes you a lot. Frankly, it does, but not in necessarily noticeable
ways, such as by gaining perspective. Hence,
in conclusion, I thought it would be appropriate to end this post with a quote about
change from the Shaolin Grandmaster’s
Text, which likely put the idea of someday going to China into my
head.
“I
am not the same person I was yesterday, but neither am I someone else”
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