A fortnight ago… The girls and I were still in Canada. Drinking in the beauty of Vancouver. Relishing final moments with friends. Picking BC berries...
Two weeks ago I… Dreaded (in the back of my mind) my return to China. Hugged friends necks... the very necks I don't know when I'll see next. Stepped onto an airplane with three kids and 8 bags (EIGHT BAGS!!) in the cargo hold. Listened to my five year old chant that she "NEVER WANTS TO BE ON AN AIRPLANE AGAIN." (Not cry, yell or scream, simply chant this mantra for the final three hours of flight.) Arrived in Beijing. Waited in Beijing for our connection. Popped the US SIM card out of my iphone with my earing, and then popped my China SIM in with the grace and dexterity of a hit man or drug runner (the likes of which also need to switch SIMs and ditch phones). Waited some more in BJ when our flight was delayed. FINALLY boarded our flight to Qingdao, two hours past schedule and with three serious jet-lagged kids.
I returned home and … Discovered my new kitchen counter. And a new toliet and shower. Found myself pleasantly surprised by both. Got the kids ready for school. Sent them to school. (Found out school started the day before.) Unpacked bags. Washed laundry. Wondered what the loud noise was coming from the washer. Wondered where the black spots on the clothes came from. Realized the washer was broken. Called a repair man who confirmed it. Watched as the washing machine left for repair. (ETA for repair one week.) Counted up school uniforms to see how far they would stretch before the washer was fixed. Did the same for underwear. Discovered we could go months without a washer and still be good in the unmentionables department.
I took…
Taxis.
I took the Bus.
I took time to get back into the groove.
I Went … To fellowship. To PTO. Out to lunch with friends. Out for coffee. To the grocery store (about every other day). Went on long seaside walks with the dog. To the bus stop to pick up The Three. And two Saturday nights in a row, went on hot dates Mr Johnson. I went to the tailor. To “Pet Street”. To “Kitchen Street”. To the flower shop (where I came out with armfuls of lilies for a fist full of kuai.)
I Realized… That’s what my life in China is like. Realized how much I’d missed it. Realized how much I’ll always miss the people who’ve left, but at the same time that they were part of what made being here fun. Realized two more years will be good. (As long as we take it one day at a time).
2 comments:
Love the drug runner/hit man comment :) would never have thought of it that way but so true. The little things that just become everyday to an expat sometimes amaze me when I really think about it. Glad you are back and settling in. I think I have found our area here that will rival "kitchen street," "plant market," etc. Getting excited for cooler weather so I can really check it out.
6:30am Vancouver time, reading your lines was stronger kick than any cinnamon moccha of sturbucks & maple donughts of Tim Hortins :)) Love it! For those few moments I was all over the place together with you in Qingdao, had a brief sniff & a couple of drops & pulled myself together by looking outside to the blue sky & our huge Cedar trees and the bits of blackberry bushes...Beleive me leaving great family friends behind is more diffucult and almost impossible to get over with.Looking forward to next summer, where we can pick up the 4 Johnson Girls & Mr. Johnson from Vancouver airport.
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