China praising-

I talk trash about China all the time and its true that I like studying Chinese and traveling the country more than living here, but I have to give credit where credit is due.

One of my favorite things about China (and this could be because I'm a waiguoren- foreigner) is that I can wear and be however I want and I won't be judged.

Wear:

Wearing the same pair of pants 5 days in a row?

No problem! I have my weekly garments: a white overshirt and leggings…or a black shirt and leggings…or my white linen shirt with jean shorts. Basically, I wear one outfit each week and its perfectly acceptable…and in fact, everyone else in my office does the same thing!

Haven’t done laundry in FOREVER and all you have left are PJs?

That’s ok! Wearing mesh shorts, sleeping shirts, and even junky t-shirts is totally normal! I often take walks around town in my sleeping shorts and tanks. No one looks twice…and actually I fit right in with all the rest of people in their pjs.

Matching with your boyfriend!?

COOL! Matching is hot!! They even have stores that sell matching man and woman t’s. Jeff and I bought our set and spent an entire day wearing our ridiculous shirts…the best part, we didn’t even care! We even forgot that we were wearing them. Nobody looked twice and we saw many other lucky couples that were dressed identically. Can you imagine Jeff and I trying to do that in New York? Ha! We’d be arrested for public disturbance.

Afraid your outfit is out of season or just isn’t right?

Don’t fret, everything is in style here! Most fashion looks like couture meshed with 80’s that just underwent a nuclear explosion. What does that mean? I don’t even know, but neither does anyone else…people wear orange stripes with purple leopard print leggings with ruffles (oh man, ruffles everywhere) and its ok. I hardly look twice when I put clothing on. As long as its on my body, its golden.

Manners:

I’m not sure if you all know, but mummy dearest put my sister and I in etiquette school..Silver Spoons I think it was called. We learned how to eat, sit, and be extremely proper at the dinning table. China is exactly the opposite. In fact, I was outraged at the table conduct, but now, I appreciate their general lax rules. (Just don’t stick your chopsticks in a bowl of rice and leave them there).

Feel like eating EVERYTHING on your plate (in western ettiquite, you always leave a little something)?

Good! That’s considered a compliment in China. If you leave something, it means you didn’t like the food.

Eat something you didn’t like or found a bone in your food?

Spit it out on the table! If you don’t like something or you chew on a bone, its completely normal to put it on the table. I don’t think I need to explain that you can’t do that in any other place without being seen as having dreadful manners.

Want to stick your fingers in your plate?

Go for it! No judgment passed.

Want to eat someone else’s dish?

Well, you can’t put your chopsticks or spoon in someone else’s dish, but all Chinese food is typically family style…so snacking on a dish you didn’t order is expected.

Can’t get the food at the bottom of your bowl?

Pick up the bowl, hold it to your mouth and shove the food in!

Elbows on the table?

Naturally! Where else would they be?

I’m usually extremely rigid when it comes to manners and etiquette…but in China I can relax a lot. It doesn’t matter how I eat, it’s all the same and no one thinks any different of you.

Singing in public?

They want you to sing louder! They love it! Normally you be considered crazy or just plain nutty, but walking around humming is fantastic! Singing is a huge part of the culture and so when you bust out into song, you’ll get encouraging smiles and nods (even me and I suck-thanks mom and dad-its all your fault I have no musical talent).

China in the end, is one of the most down to earth places I have ever been to. Its relaxed atmosphere lets me be however I want without fear or self-consciousness. New York is one of the one of the harshest places to live in the world, so I guess I should enjoy this social freedom while I’ve got it!

Ok All,

The ticket is set!!

August 22 is my return date to America!!!

63 days.

COUNT IT!

65 days and counting. I have not actually secured my ticket yet, but I will very shortly.

I am eager to.

Jeff left this morning and is heading back home…yes, home to New York City. I never thought I would be so anxious to go back to place I had already been, but I am. It defies the notion of ‘global nomadisim’, but that’s ok. I’m ready.

My brief affair with China, the yearning for exploration and the passion for being submerged in the middle-kingdom, is merely a passing experience in the thousands of experiences that make up my life. The wanderlust for travel in my soul will never be quenched, but living here for the last 9 months has satisfied the need to live abroad.

I have realized that traveling, living in a new country, starting over, is only truly exciting if you have nothing to leave or are hiding from something. It is the ultimate escape and the ultimate clean slate. Disappearing in another country, changing your name, being someone or something totally different is at your finger tips. Each new place is like being able to create a new you, free from baggage, memories, and mistakes. For me, there was a point when the anonymity and solitude of a foreign country would have been a welcome silence to the screams of my past. Now, I want to do just the opposite. I want to run back to my past, escape into the life I left behind.

I loved my life in New York, but curiosity and my devotion to Chinese won. I took a risk I will never regret. A risk that I would lose everything…my friends, Jeff, opportunities, missed experiences, and irreplaceable time. I won some and lost some, but in the end, it has turned out well. I am ‘fluent’ in Mandarin and I have done what few will ever do.

Its time to go back. It is time to return to where I belong; NYC.

For me, what keeps me traveling is my curiosity, the unknown factor, the destination’s secrets. Visiting, passing through only gives a sneak peak of the superficial differences of a new location and culture. Living here has unraveled the mystery of China and shown me the hidden truth; it’s not so different from my life in New York, but with out my boyfriend, family, friends, and luxuries of America. In the end, it’s the people, the events, and the accessibility to your favorite things that make a place worth being in. Without these, Shenzhen has become an inadequate substitute for my home.

Being a tourist, and living somewhere are two totally different worlds. Being a tourist is so impermanent that you can have the fun and excitement without the overkill. The secrets of the destination are not revealed and the normalcy of life remains hidden from view. It is exotic, new, and totally different from the life you took a break from. Truth be told, in the end, it wouldn’t be that different. The location might change, the scenery might vary, but life is life and you remain who you are despite your best effort to be someone else temporarily.

My friend Liz told me you that you learn a lot about yourself here. She is 100% correct, I have learned a lot, I have learned one of the greatest things a person can; the place, without a shadow of a doubt, where I belong

I almost forgot, I found a wonderful place called Dafen Painting village. I'm not sure if you all know, but Jeff and I are making the official move-in when I return in August! Yeah! *Sorry honey, I'm taking over the closet ;)

Anyway, I love decorating and there is this little area that sells nothing but ART! ART everywhere! I'll be doing our room mostly in neutrals with a poppy red and black accents. So I went to Dafen and found a very cool painting that was in my reds, neutrals, and blacks. I can't ruin the surprise but I will be decorating our pad and posting images. The living room will be much more colorful...i'm thinking greens....

Dear friends, family, friends of friends, friends of family,

You have all probably what has happened to me: did I disappear? Become Chinese and forget how to write English? No, I’m here still. The sad thing is, I haven’t had that much to write about. Life has maintained status quo, though Jeff (to his delight and my despair) is returning stateside Monday. I am returning state side August 23^rd. My countdown begins!

Now, what have I been doing for the last few months? Honestly, not that much. Jeff and I take walks around our concrete playground, eat food that I cook (eating out became dangerous for our stomachs, watching movies, and getting clothing made). Uncle Phil, you never stray far from my thoughts.

I have found a magic tailor. Not your ordinary tailor, a mystical one. Everything he makes for me fits perfectly. The quality is amazing, the attention to detail is incredible would make you jealous. I know I have talked about the custom clothing before, but it just keeps getting better. I joked with John (The Tailor) that after Jeff leaves, instead of reverting to comfort foods, I will drown my sorrows in custom clothing and delectable fabrics. So far, I have had over 35 things made, and the list keeps going. I will bring a picture of a Celine, Burberry, Kors, Lanvin, and Maxmara, hand over my fabric, and *POOF* once week later, I will have a gorgeous addition to my wardrobe. I have begun to order so much that I stopped bringing in photos…I know put all my pictures on a 2GB SD card, have John bring in his laptop and transfer folders of clothing. This week, I will have a burberry trench, 2 kors pieces (wrap dress and off shoulder dress), the Ralph Lauren mandarin collar suit, and a Gucci inspired silk button up (gold chain pattern on the silk).

The best part is that, for the most part, these are cheap thrills. I think for my entire list which is:

1 turtle neck jersey dress-black

1 burberry trench

1 versace black wool double breasted, knee length jacket

1 ¾ sleeve navy sailor jacket

1 high waisted black pants

3 jeans

2 grey pants

1 navy sailor pants

2 linen pants

2 black pants

8 button ups

1 lanvin sheath

1 chanel sheath

1 wrap dress

1 off shoulder dress

1 leapoard print skirt (and tank)

1 Jean Paul Gautier suit

1 black and white herring bone pencil skirt and jacket suit

1 velvet blazer

2 jersey/shirt dresses

1 black dress

(I may have missed one or 2 things)

The grand total must be around $400-$500USD (FOR EVERYTHING!!)

That makes each item about $13.50…not bad!

Anyway, enough about the clothing, my countdown has begun: 9.7 weeks, 68 days.

The big plans are to bide my time for a month-I’ll meet my father in Japan, July 26^th for 4 fun filled days in Tokyo.