China 9: Ending the Festivities
Weird food: duck face (at least that's how it was described to me, though think it was more like the brain and the eyeballs.)
Days Running With Ms. Piggy (my host mom): 4 days (The girl has more discipline than I originally thought, though I still have to wake her up every morning at 6. She's begun to run half the way now and walks the rest! Nevertheless, I'm revising my prediction to 8 days before she quits.)
Today, marks the beginning of life in China. By life I mean routine, boring, monotonous life. The kind of life we live where we've decided what order to clean what order the shampoo, body soap, and face soap go in when we're taking a shower. As much as I'd like to think that the four months I'm spending in China are gonna a long nirvana of wonders, I know better.
Today, the school had another big assembly where we were the main item for show. We all had to give your typical speech about complimenting our hosts and telling our own little stories. Of course, it was all in Chinese so and, being me, I refused to read my speech. Thank Buddha, that I went first. The thing about speeches is the fresher the audience is the better laughs you get. So, I went up said my name, how happy I was to be there, and forgot the rest of my speech. Well, the minute and a half of silence was unbearably funny, so I got some good marks on my oral expression there. Then as I adlibed my way through the remaining five minutes, I made sure to crack a few more saying how studious and smart the Chinese students here were (score!), after forgetting exactly why I want to learn about Chinese asking them why I should bother being here (score 2!), and capping off my speech by claiming my undying thirst for chinese pop (three pointer!).
After the speeches, we performed a Backstreet Boys song acapella b/c they're still loved everywhere in the world besides the US. I interrupeted the song to lay down a beat and introduce Edna's step routine. And we ended. This was the last planned welcome and festivity.
Even at school, the glamor of life has died down a little. My superstardom on the basketball courts was finally matched by a Chinese student with a red collared shirt. I came home and my mom immediately began her blabbering in my ear while I type this email. Ms. Piggy is always on my nerves, but even that is becoming just another facet of daily life.
We travel attempting to find a life that is entirely refreshing, but the adrenaline can only last so long. I'm beginning to truly accept what Thoreau was saying about how we were building the railroads to run away from our problems and start on a clean slate, but the fact is no matter where you are you're gonna get used to life and make a routine. I guess what I have to do it find a way to live life like everything is interesting and not accept it as routine. I gotta break the habit of falling into a comfort zone like I tended to do in Brookline with school, friends, hygiene, everything.
Wow this sounds like trash! "Live life to the fullest?" I gotta get off this cliche nonsense.
Anyway, at this point, China's surprises will last only as long as I let them. Who knows what's for dinner tonight?
posted by dAVID @ 5:24 AM
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