Mainland Jump-off

I spent the vacation time between semesters in mainland visiting my friends. Just in one month and one day -- I've learned more then in previous several months (not talking about the school stuff :-) ), felt overmassaged, and I've started seriously thinking about changing my major. Also I've been expecting unexpected, enjoying and listening to Mike's freestylin' and picking up his phrases and vocabs -- Sleepy Sleepy Yo!, not planning too much, having New Year in China, eating plenty of food&drinking many kinds of 奶茶 (Năi chá - Milk Tea), making new friends and losing the old one, earning money and spending more, and observing and trying to understand Chinese culture.


For some, I was a foreigner, like a boyscout, teacher, roommate, tourist, friend and a boring guy for somebody else. As for myself, I've been still the same person looking all around, hanging out, thinking, asking tons a questions, and looking for the conclusions impossible to make.

Basically I was having great time and non-stop politics/economics class at once. I've been also listening to Mandarin and having feeling it sounds somehow familiar unlike the last week having fun with Cantonese. For last four days I've been to Hong Kong again and were totally amazed and impressed by that city -- I need more!

For the conclusion -- are there any lessons which I've learned during that month? For sure I won't let ever happen several things again. I've promised myself not to:

• Lost my passport with re-entry permit and visa in it.
• Make any effort to try understand Qimin again unless I've got fluent Mandarin (and preferably majoring in psychology).
• Climb the rock without a valid travel insurance (and just with the casual shoes).
• Get arrested for hiking by the soldiers for a while.

When I got back I had many things to sort out on my mind, it took some time to fully realize I'm not on the road anymore. I was so confused that I've been wondering every morning for few days where I actually am. Though it was easy to recognize I'm already back -- nobody were staring at me, glad for that :-)


^.^ k.