Tag Archives: leaving

Zaijian Beijing (Goodbye Beijing)

Here I am in Kimpo, South Korea, a few weeks after that fated day, the day when I last saw Beijing.  I’m still dazed and confused, utterly blindsided by what just happened to me these past few months.  Indeed, what just happened? 

I woke up at 7 that morning, but went to sleep at 3.  Last day celebration extravaganza at Wudaokou, Beijing’s foreigner/bar district.   Wasn’t too tired that morning.  It was more of a wispy “dude, I can’t believe I’m leaving this place, this place I’ve called home for the last 4 months” kind of feeling.  I packed up my stuff.  Ended up buying so many souvenirs that I had to buy a second luggage case.  For some reason my judgment lapsed during that purchased and I convinced myself that 300 RMB wasn’t bad for a luggage case.  I completely failed to factor in the Chinese’s continual dedication to craftsmanship and quality (insert sarcasm).  But hey, you get what you pay for.

My friends all gathered to my dorm room door at around 10:30 in the morning.  They wanted to catch lunch with me before I headed off, as I was the first to leave out of our group.  With some degree of poetic irony, I chose the shoujuabing stand.   As Gob Bluth once said: Return from whence you came.  I slapped Nick on the back and asked him if he remembered  our first time there and the buttload of troubles we had just trying or order something, anything.  We didn’t know the menu, any of the Chinese characters on the menu, or what we were supposed to say.  So I resourcefully said “I want the same” after the guy in front of us ordered.  It turned out to be the first of many times I ate a delicious shoujuabing, but that day was to be my last.  With a much greater degree of fluency, I ordered the works, something I’ve been too stingy (or maybe scared?) to try before.  One crispy flour pancake wrapping around cheese, egg, lettuce, a variety of sauces, and not one but two pieces of bacon.  It was to die for and the most fitting of last meals. 

So we all grabbed our meals and a drink and sat outside the tables just outside the Red Umbrella convenience store, thusly named for the red umbrellas it puts out during the summer.  I’ve yet to see these umbrellas and probably never will.  We chatted, reminisced about our adventures in China and our plans for the summer.  Then I said my goodbye.  Many of my friends planned on staying for the summer in order to better solidify their Chinese, so they urged me to stay as well.  Perhaps if I didn’t already have plans this summer, I would’ve obliged.  But alas, I have Korea and an internship waiting for me in the States. 

So is this goodbye?  This may be copying a little too directly from Will Fienberg’s IES Beijing commencement ceremony speech, but whatever.  Zaijian translates to “goodbye”, but more literally, it means “See you again”.  In that sense, maybe I will see this country again: a place where explosive growth is happening, a place of extremely deep and profound culture, a place that boasts one of the most difficult languages to learn…  A place I’ve once called home.  I’ll see you again someday.  As for my friends, I’ll see you guys again someday too.  Till then, zaijian.  


Location: Kimpo, South Korea

The Two-Week Crunch: Anxious Excited or Anxious Nervous?

icebar.jpg

I’ve just started my last week of classes, which means next week is finals. And the following week I will return back to the good ol’ USA for the first time since 2010. It’s time for the two-week crunch as I’ve called it. A last ditch effort to get everything out of London I can in two weeks while also putting a ton of effort into those finals to make sure the grades stick.

When I first set in foot in London, I had instant culture shock that I thought I could never get over. Now, I’m pretty used to life in London, whether it’s hitting Tesco’s to grab a chicken wrap and bag of crisps or heading to a pub with friends for a quick pint between studies. I’ve made some friends that I will keep for the rest of my life. Some go to Penn State so I can see them every now and then during my senior year. My closest friends live in Boston, Connecticut, California, and Washington respectfully, so keeping in contact won’t be the easiest. But, Facebook definitely will help and I know that the friends I’ve met here will be around for a long time.

Right now, my classes are killing me. I’ve had a lot of work to get done and still have four final exams to go before I can go home. And since my grades transfer, everything I turn in is at the utmost importance. I”m definitely feeling the pressure, especially after working hard and receiving some grades that weren’t completely satisfying. It’s a different league in terms of schooling- professors definitely expect a lot from us and it’s been difficult for me adjusting, kind of like the transition from high school to college was. But, even if my grades aren’t straight A’s and I receive a grade I didn’t want, I will still be taking what I learned here back at home. I feel that my work ethic has improved tremendously and even though I felt these classes were extremely difficult at times, it will make completing my senior year at Penn State a little easier (or simpler rather).

But enough about the classes. What about London?

The image I had of London was from photos in magazines or movies like The Parent Trap, so quite romantic. But, London is a modern international hub that was overwhelming at first but now is quite pleasant. I love living in a place that is accepting of everyone and anyone; I feel like anyone can easily belong here. I’ve seen and been to a bunch of places so far: Harrod’s, Big Ben, The London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Picadilly Circus, Hyde Park, and the Tower of London to name a few. But, I still need to check out Abbey Road, Kensington Gardens, Covent Garden, Portebello Road among others. It’s virtually impossible for me to see everything in London; it’s like New York City in that respect.

But even without the major sites, I’ve taken a lot out of London. The theatre district, an icebar (pictured above), the BFI, the East End Markets on a Sunday, walking down the King’s Road every day, learning how to use and appreciate the Tube, the Double Decker buses, the nightlife… everything.

Now, I’m getting ready for my return. Back to the land where I can drive my huge gas-guzzling SUV, watch television again with a DVR, use the data on my iPhone, and see my friends and family yet again. But, I don’t know how to approach these next long two weeks. Anxious is the word, but is it more excited or nervous like Lindsay Lohan asked in The Parent Trap. Sure, I am nervous about my finals (especially for the borderline ones), but I would say as she did, “Anxious excited; definitely.”

Location: Manresa Road, Chelsea, London, UK

The Count Down

I wanted to create an entry on my trip to Nikko, but since I cannot upload pictures, I will talk about the re-entry workshop I had today.

I was sad to be reminded that I will be leaving Japan and going back to America in 2 weeks. We were reminded to say our goodbyes and to get contact information from all the friends we have made this semester. I don’t want it to end!
One interesting thing that was mentioned was the reverse culture shock. I don’t think I’ve had a culture shock in Japan. To be honest, I don’t really know what it is! In the beginning of the semester, a lot of people asked if I had a culture shock, but I never really knew how to answer. I mean, yeah, there were things that I thought was interesting and surprised me, but I wouldn’t really call it a “shock.” So after hearing about this reverse culture shock, I’m interested in seeing how I would be when I go back. Last semester, I had a friend who went through a reverse culture shock and he said things felt different in America–that he took some time to adjust. Maybe that will happen to me as well.
After the workshop, I kept thinking about how much I would miss all the friends I have made here. It is a very depressing thought. It can be years before I get to see them again!
I will have to make the best out of these last 2 weeks and make sure I have no regrets! And I will definitely keep in touch with all these great people.
To add to that, all the final papers and exams are in these 2 weeks! Oh, what stress!!! That just gives us that less amount of time to be able to enjoy the rest of the time we have here.
Well, I’ll end it here now. Hopefully, the photo upload problem will be fixed soon.

Location: Chiba, Japan