New Things

Living in China has definitely changed for me in my second year. The first year, everything is new and interesting and exciting. I experienced all kinds of new things, and frantically absorbed what I could. This year, things are less new and less exciting - which mostly I've enjoyed. It's nice to find the familiar, to be comfortable in my surroundings, to know how to competently get by. I've found that the food is less spicy and greasy this year, and the places I like to go are easier to get to - or so it seems. This is currently the closest place to home for me; I understand now why my friends have told me that the 3rd year is the easiest...

But, of course, it's still a relatively new culture to me - it's still a foreign language - so "new" still happens. I've been forced to play "translator" to the new staff. At the beginning, I think they were fairly impressed. Now, I think most of them have caught on to the fact that I most am translating body language and making the rest up. Still, at least I can bargain for them...

However, a few weeks ago, I had my first (and, so far, only) genuine conversation with a stranger in my apartment stairwell. He asked me questions about myself ("What's your name?" "Where are you from?", "What do you do?", "Do you like China?") and I competently answered him in Chinese. For me, it was a massive achievement. (I told my Chinese tutor about it. She looked less than impressed with my mediocracy. Probably because later on in class that day, I answered her question, "Who will you see?" with "I am drinking juice.")

Later on that same week, I had my second China First: a bike accident! I know I shouldn't be excited about this, but really, everyone I know who rides a bike has had an accident. I felt a bit like I was biding my time... and I wasn't injured or anything, so no big deal. Basically I was ever so slowly pulling into an intersection and a biker going down the wrong side of the road crashed into the side of me. (Looking before you pull out or step out into the street are optional choices in China - I have wholly embraced these concepts.) I'm not sure where the other guy was looking, but, still sitting on my bike, I toppled over on to him. So I had a nice soft landing, albeit a bit awkward. He was pretty mortified though, as his girlfriend was also on the bike with him. So we all apologized and laughed a little and went on our way. Now I feel a little better - now that my first accident has happened without painful injuries.

So... those are some new things for me in China. What's new with you?