I didn't know exactly what I was expecting, but I know one thing for certain: this is not what I expected. I guess that's what happens when you live with an exaggerated imagination like the one I have. It's not so much that I'm disappointed - nor am I actually relieved - but if I had to describe what this feeling is, I would say that it's curiosity. What else could it be?
Life in China is hard to explain. It's simple, yet it's exhausting. I wish the air was a little less polluted and a little less humid, and maybe if the streets were a little cleaner this would feel just like home. Even so, every moment I spend here I feel less and less attached to the town I once called home. Could it be that I'm no longer attached to it, or is it that my likeness for China seems to grow more every day?
I seem to fall into a comfortable routine now. Every morning, I wake up early
- earlier than my three roommates - to shower and get ready for school
before they wake up and leave no time frame for me and my preparations.
However, I think I wake up too early because the hot water tank doesn't
seem to turn on until after 7am or so. After a frigid, cold shower, I
gather my books and homework, maybe do some studying, or maybe some
socializing with friends, and then I head to class. I have two different classes everyday: One class is for pronunciation, then a different teacher comes in and teaches our writing class. Learning
Chinese is definitely a challenge, but more importantly I think it's mostly about memorization (which comes with repetition). We only have afternoon classes on
Wednesday, so every other afternoon I usually spend studying Chinese, or spending time with my friends.
I've gone on some adventures too, and that seems really promising
considering I've only been in this country for a week and two days! However, something is missing still. Maybe it's just something simple, as if I just need to accustom myself here completely then I won't feel that empty piece anymore. That has to happen after all, right?
