The End is Near!

I can't believe it's already here. 


Was it not last month that I was hastily moving through the airport, looking for a random Chinese person holding a CIEE sign?


Was it not last week that I was starting classes, deciding on my level, and meeting my tutor for the first time in the library?


Was it not yesterday that I was moving in with my host family, anxious about our compatibility?




And I feel like I'm still waiting for the oft mentioned "culture shock" to kick in, forcing me to pull my hair out in frustration with unfamiliar behavior. Yet, no such thing has happened. Sure, Chinese society (after the countless essays I had to write on it, I refuse to use the word culture!) embraces different behavior. Pushiness is acceptable, and the concept of a line doesn't quite exist. When walking, no one really keeps to the right side of the path, and traffic is the most chaotic jumble ever, but none of it really bothers me. In fact, I feel I've adapted well. I no longer hesitate to ask people personal questions, or stare at passersby. I am getting better at the implicit communication Asian societies embody. When my host mom casts a quick glance at my bare feet, I know I need to put on my terribly nerdy slippers when walking around the apartment. 




As for my Chinese, I feel as though I have greatly improved in different areas. Not only has writing characters become easier, but I feel so much more comfortable speaking. Gone is the nervous tension when listening, and I now blab as unceasingly as in my native tongue. I'm sure it's not all correct, and there are some times when I know the listener doesn't understand me, but it's such a relief to let my personality shine through instead of the awkward and robotic reactions I had before coming. 


I've been making more and more Chinese friends too. It's never planned; they come from all backgrounds and situations, but I'm going to miss them all...


Some students go abroad just to party ad infinitum, or take advantage of easy classes, or just to "get away" from the US, but to those who have a genuine purpose to your time abroad, a semester may not do.


To all of you out there thinking of studying abroad: if you seriously care about learning the language and making genuine connections to the locals, A SEMESTER IS NOT LONG ENOUGH!


It has gone by in the blink of an eye. Of course the semester I have had has been wonderful, but more time would have been welcome. I was worried that if I didn't like the program, a year would be miserably long. Given that twelve weeks have flashed by, I think even an unhappy year would have been tolerable.


It is a tough call. I really didn't want to leave my ND world behind for a full year, but I did come up with a solution: this summer, I will be living in Taipei, Taiwan, where I will continue to study Chinese. This way, I can keep working on my proficiency.


 As for the friends I've made here in Beijing, there's only one solution: I'm just going to have to come back someday.