待在中国六个月

I feel as if I need to do something on my blog for my six month anniversary in China, so here goes.

Today is the halfway point of my Chinese adventure. I cannot believe I made it and how fast it has gone by. I've done so much here, yet so little if you know what I mean. I have visited many cities in China that Chinese people have not even seen, but I still have others I am planning on traveling to, one being Tibet (not a city, but Tibet in general) and Macau. Moreover, I can't believe my sister visited me here for almost a month and we got to travel together. If you told me that I could travel through China alone with my sister, a year ago I would have been skeptical (shit, I was skeptical a month ago!) but I did it. My supervisor told me she was jealous that I could just travel like that by myself... not that I could necessarily, but had the courage to do that. Now when I think about it, that was pretty damn cool and brave considering this is China (language, writing, culture, EVERYTHING barrier), but we did it!

Secondly I am disappointed with myself with the lack of language skills I have acquired here! I picked up Spanish, Italian, Russian, and English (bahahahah, when I was six) in the blink of an eye, but with Chinese, it's been much harder for me. Probably because I don't really practice, but when I DO try to speak it and pronounce words, people are telling me how impressed they are, so this should be motivation for me! I was saying some students' names in Chinese and everyone was pretty impressed, so I guess I am getting SOMEWHERE and probably just don't notice it! I do, however, know how to could to 1,000 and play two Chinese drinking games... that must count for something! I have also acquired Chinese cooking skills, which is a major accomplishment for me (no, I'm not Lily, but I can still cook SOME things!) This reminds me that I need to make that list of things I want to accomplish before I leave China ASAP.

Also, anyone who eats with me for the first time comments on my 筷子 skills. They usually say that I am better with chopsticks than them!!! I have noticed that my originally good chopstick skills have become exceptionally GOOD, BUT I still have my bad days. I'm amazed with how Chinese people sometimes hold them and it looks soooooo cool, but so difficult. When I'm drunk I practice eating with my chopsticks because then if I can do it well, I know I'm good (hahahhahahahah I'm only semi-kidding)

Enough of me praising myself though. I want to really thank the people that have supported me and gotten me through the hard times that I had here (and I had a few of those days). Thanks to Ali and her awesome note she wrote me before I left for China which I have hanging on my wall, thanks to mi prima for ALWAYS commenting on my facebook posts and letting me know I'm part of her life even though I'm not physically there, thanks to Wifey for letting me complain about EVERYTHING to her, thanks to my sister for doing so much for me while I am here and she is in the US, thanks to everyone HERE that has complained with me when the times were tough especially Serena, Audre, Katia, and thanks to my friends who send me little facebook messages and posts and e-mails telling me how much they miss me, because I miss you guys too! And thanks to my 姐姐 who's done more than I can even write about for me. So thank you everyone, and I'm looking forward to another six months!!!