Conclusion to Chinese

Dear China,

We both knew this day would come. Tonight, I’m leaving with a one-way ticket on a westbound plane. Don’t know when I’ll be back again.

I am not exactly ready to close the China chapter of my life, so no doubt you will see more of me. Soon. My money says I will beat that Olympic flame to Beijing.

Late this morning, on my way home from my last exam, I watched you like a nostalgic slideshow--- coasting on my bicycle with music in my ears drinking you in one last time. (In the back of my mind, I prayed your crazy motorists wouldn’t take my life on my final day here.)

We really did have good times. I feel like I was just getting to know you and your people…and that multi-toned language of yours. Whew! I sure did have fun pretending to understand that.

Special shout out, of course, to your food; “Gan bian yun dou” will be missed. As will your various forms of sweet potato (which will now be dubbed digua in my vocabulary): baked, dried, and caramelized.

I am going to miss all the familiar faces and smiles of those I see daily but can’t communicate with, like the little boy with the thick, green, glasses. I’ve been seeing him every day on my morning ride to work. He rides backwards on his Mom’s electric bike and points his tiny silver, plastic gun at imaginary bad guys. On the first day we met, I was sitting on my bike directly behind him at a red light and caught him with his gun pointed directly at me. I threw my hands up, “Don’t shoot!”
Since that day, I have sat facing him at many red lights, many days in a row. And when I was swallowed into the mob of bicycles, and I could see him up ahead looking for me in the crowd. This morning, I wished I could tell him not to look for me after today, that he wouldn’t see me anymore. I wanted to tell him that he was the highlight of my morning.

Well, its time to go now. Intro to Chinese has come to an end, but I can leave with the peace of mind that there will be more Chinese courses in my future.

Thanks again,

Betsy