Differences

So, I've been MIA for the past 11 months. I am NOT proud of that and I know when I'm looking back through my blogs, I'll be really sad that I don't have anything posted about my time in Beijing. It was (as expected) another great year in China. However, now I'm back in the States full time and beginning to start my life as not a foreigner. My goal is to make a series of posts about the differences in China and America. These differences will include the food, people, lifestyle, work, and some other culture aspects. By doing this I hope to remember what it was like as I was a foreigner in a land that's not so foreign to me anymore.

A short update on my life now. I got a call to serve as the fourth grade teacher at St. Paul's Muskego. I have pretty much fully moved in (however, still working on getting things on the walls) and working hard in my classroom. Hopefully I'll also include some pictures of that in this series.

Here's a difference... blogger isn't blocked in America. I have no excuse as to why I'm not posting... :)

Heartache

I recently finished my trip back to China. Every year there are different feelings. Nervousness, excitement, anticipation, sadness, etc...  This year I had more feelings than ever...

Every year I have flown to China with a good friend of mine. This year she is staying in America to start her life there. I'm so excited for her new job, home, and friends. However, this means it's the first time in a long time that we aren't living in the same city or even in the same country!

As I boarded my flight in Shanghai one month ago, I was thinking about the last time I would be boarding a plane in China. It nearly brought tears to my eyes knowing that someday I will have to say good-bye to this country forever (of course I can visit, but that's not the same).

Yesterday as I boarded my flight to Shanghai I was thinking about all the family and friends I was leaving behind. Again, it brought tears to my eyes (it really did, I looked like an idiot ;) ) as I was walking once again down the ramp.

I wish China and America could be joined together, but in this life it will never happen. I'm thankful that no matter where I am, after this life I will get to celebrate with my family and friends from both countries, from the east and the west.

side note: this afternoon I set off for a trip with some students!

Summer is almost over

I'm sitting in a library counting down the time before I step on another plane. In about 12 hours I'll be sitting in the MSP airport waiting to fly to Chicago and then on to Shanghai. This summer has flown by. One month in America is much different than 2 1/2!

My school has impressed me this year. I received an email the other day discussing my classes for the next semester. Usually I don't find out until a few days before class. This year, I already have a good idea of what I'm teaching, just not what days yet... Unless something changes I will be teaching the upper lever students for speaking (very thankful for that!), second year students for IELTS, and a Master class. That's right, I'll be teaching a class to students who will be studying for a Masters. I'll see if they call me professor... :)

6am Wednesday morning... think of me, I'll be on my first of three flights!

Identity Crisis

I realized the other day that I am confused with my life...

-My phone number is from Oregon.
- My zipcode is from Wisconsin.
-I drive a car with a Minnesota license plate
- I live in China

Hmm... what a confused person.

Busy in Portland

I arrived in America four days ago, and I haven't had much time to rest. My sister has been amazing. She planned every moment of every day. We started out hiking at Mt. Hood, the next day we did some shopping and eating at fun places, Sunday was spent taste-testing wines from around Oregon, and today was an early day off to the beach! We didn't swim, it's a bit cold here :-) We went early to see the tide pools and walk around the quaint little town.

I also got a cell phone today! Once I got it, I text-ed everyone to give them my new number. Melissa then informed me that it's 11pm at my home... sorry guys, I forgot I'm a few ours later than you. Tomorrow I head out to Spokane for a day to visit my old Wuhan buddy- Kelsey!! Excited to see her new city!

Back in the States!

I made it back to the USA with some very smooth flights and connections. I had a few delays, which always gives me a little stress (I really don't like having to rush through airports), but I made everything on time. I had about 7 hours to kill in the Shanghai airport, but I know that airport so well, I felt very comfortable walking around. I even found a place to sit down and chat with others online as I waited. My flights were good and my sister was waiting for me as I walked down the stairs in Portland!!! It was about 11:45pm, about 30 hours after I left the apartment in Wuhan.

Here are some things that shocked me as I came back to America.

1. A man stood on his seat on the plane with his shoes on. I almost freaked. Shoes in China are filthy and you never step on a chair without taking your shoes off first.

2. People are bigger here, not only a bit heavier (a healthy lifestyle is VERY important in China), but also much much taller (high heals are also much more popular)!!!

3. I was walking downtown Portland and even though it's a big city, the buildings are soooo short!

4. People smile when you meet them on the hiking path.

5. Houses are huge and have carpeting... how how nice that feels!

6. Showering with a bathtub around you is nice. The floor stays much dryer.

7. You can't cross the street wherever you want... my sister had to yell at me once. :(

8. People understand you. I mumbled under my breath when someone cut me off in the airport, and then I remembered he probably knows English and I should be careful.

I think that's a good list for now. It's great being back. I'll be with my sister for about a week, then fly off to Milwaukee and on to Brownsville!!

Made it back

Thankfully everything went very smooth on my trip back. Best part of the trip... we all had individual tv screens in which you could choose what to watch when you wanted and pause and rewind... it was like having DVR on the plane. This was a HUGE step up from last time when we had a big screen in the front of the area so we all looked at the same tv. Not so easy when people stand up.

Nicole and I had good time amounts between flights. Never did I feel stressed that I would miss something. All of our bags came and our friend picked us up from the airport and took us home. Now I am laying in bed 10:15pm my time 9:15am my body time and I'm hoping I will get a good night's sleep.

I'm excited to explore and see what changes have happened in the past 2 1/2 months!

That's different

People always say it's harder to go back to America than it was to go to China. Culture shock gets you as soon as you get off the plane. People here are much different than in China. It's amazing how much you forget about America being gone for only ten months.

I went to Menards the other day and I felt like I was in a different world. I felt confused, like I didn't know which words to use to ask them things or describe what I needed. The parking lot was so big, the store was huge, clean, and completely in English! I needed to get a copy of my key. In China, I would first have to find a key maker (just look for a big, yellow, plastic key), then give them my key and tell them how many copies I wanted. That part is easy. The hard part is for the maker, they copy your key by hand. Yes, they use a machine, but in America you stick the old key in, a blank key, and close the lid! In China there is quite a skill in key making.

There are other things that are different, things that are a bit more important than how each country makes keys, but that's for another time.

If any of you are in the area, I'm doing a presentation on July 8th at St. Luke's in Oakfield. I'll talk about my experience and how it has affected my life! It's at 10am. :)

Things I've missed...

After being back in America for about a week, I've realized some of the things that I've missed. Here they are...
1. Sitting on a carpeted floor (doing that right now :) )
2. Walking across nice green grass.
3. Speaking in English to everyone and being able to use idioms.
4. Professors and friends from MLC. I was back for a few hours and it was great seeing people!
5. No traffic on the highways and city streets (I haven't really been to the Twin Cities yet, I'm sure I'll meet plenty of traffic there.)
6. My family, however, I haven't really seen them yet since I haven't been home. I've seen my other two "families" and they have been great! I love going back home to Sioux Falls and Sleepy Eye. Next home... Brownsville!
7. Much more.. stay posted.

I'm Back!!!

I made it back to America. I had a few problems with my flights, but it all worked out find. I had a stressful time in Chicago getting held up in Customs (first, my passport wouldn't scan, then I brought in beef, which was a no-no), losing Nicole (we got divided in Customs), getting stopped in security for my mahjong set (apparently it looks bad in the x-ray machines), running to my gate to make it before boarding and NOT seeing Nicole, calling my sister on a stranger's phone to tell her that 1-I am coming home, but my flight was changed and 2-I can't find Nicole :)

Surprisingly, even though they changed my flight and we had some short layovers, we both got our luggage!!!

Now I'm sitting in windy Sioux Falls, SD. Less that 24 hours after arriving in America, I started traveling again! I'll be traveling around Sioux Falls, New Ulm, and Minneapolis for a few weeks before finally heading home to Brownsville.

I'll keep you updated a bit this summer!