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| The Hudson River from my hometown. |
The people of Baoding are of the most friendly and accepting people I've ever met, and although I sometimes get frustrated by their stares, I'll never forget the kindness they have shared with me.
Before coming to China I had no idea what to expect. About a year ago I sat down with a program alumna and asked her "what should I expect?" I laugh at the question now, because she must have thought the same thing that I think when people ask me to sum up my experience. Bewilderment is how my body reacts to that question. How do you sum up a year of your life living in your own country? Why would anyone think it would be easier when living in a different one? Yet I was one of those people too. And I'm so thankful for the words of encouragement this amazing woman imparted upon me.
Before coming to China I had no idea what to expect. About a year ago I sat down with a program alumna and asked her "what should I expect?" I laugh at the question now, because she must have thought the same thing that I think when people ask me to sum up my experience. Bewilderment is how my body reacts to that question. How do you sum up a year of your life living in your own country? Why would anyone think it would be easier when living in a different one? Yet I was one of those people too. And I'm so thankful for the words of encouragement this amazing woman imparted upon me.
Sitting in a little coffee shop my friend and I (we came to China together) looked at her for guidance, and on some level confirmation that we weren't throwing away a year of our lives. I remember the confusion when she told us we would be treated like rockstars in Baoding. She went on to explain that sometimes we would love it and sometimes we would hate it, but in the end it would be something we could never escape.
Although I have now lived it and totally understand the feeling, I don't know how to explain it any better. It's a feeling, it's knowing that you will get extra special treatment because of who you are. I learned quickly to drop the "I'm a foreign English teacher" line when trying to buying things as I was always quickly offered a discount.
The best I can offer as an example of the rockstar feeling comes from an experience I had with a group of friends a few weeks ago. In order to show this moment's true glory I have to give a little back story. When you try to get on a city bus leaving the Eastern train station in Baoding: run at it as fast as you can, as soon as the doors open start elbowing people, pushing them aside, until you can claw your way on to the bus. Seriously its always a stampede.
Upon getting back to Baoding my friends and I were attempting to take a bus of this nature, the first one was too packed so we waited for the second. One of my friends speaks very good Mandarin Chinese so he asked a bus attendent when the last bus was as, we were told they run every 10 minutes for the next 2 hours, he also complemented my friend on his Chinese. As the second bus approached the throng of people began madly dashing for the bus. As we begrudgingly began to follow the friendly bus attendant who had told us the bus schedule called out to us Laowai (foreigner)! Laowai! And motioned for us to follow. We began running after him as he led us to the back door of the bus, he pried open the doors with his hands and yelled in Chinese something to the driver, I only could make out laowai. The doors opened and he single handedly held back the throng of people as my friends and I got on to the bus and got seats. I'll never forget the image of this man holding back more than 100 fighting Chinese people so we could safely get seats.
Had it been a zombie apocalypse he would have sacrificed his life for us.
I think there are moments in life that are just so awesome you need to take a second and truly appreciate them, cause nothing like it will ever happen again. My experience at the bus station was one of those moments. Like the insightful alumna explained we can never escape the rockstar status, but in that moment I loved it.
Although I have now lived it and totally understand the feeling, I don't know how to explain it any better. It's a feeling, it's knowing that you will get extra special treatment because of who you are. I learned quickly to drop the "I'm a foreign English teacher" line when trying to buying things as I was always quickly offered a discount.
The best I can offer as an example of the rockstar feeling comes from an experience I had with a group of friends a few weeks ago. In order to show this moment's true glory I have to give a little back story. When you try to get on a city bus leaving the Eastern train station in Baoding: run at it as fast as you can, as soon as the doors open start elbowing people, pushing them aside, until you can claw your way on to the bus. Seriously its always a stampede.
Upon getting back to Baoding my friends and I were attempting to take a bus of this nature, the first one was too packed so we waited for the second. One of my friends speaks very good Mandarin Chinese so he asked a bus attendent when the last bus was as, we were told they run every 10 minutes for the next 2 hours, he also complemented my friend on his Chinese. As the second bus approached the throng of people began madly dashing for the bus. As we begrudgingly began to follow the friendly bus attendant who had told us the bus schedule called out to us Laowai (foreigner)! Laowai! And motioned for us to follow. We began running after him as he led us to the back door of the bus, he pried open the doors with his hands and yelled in Chinese something to the driver, I only could make out laowai. The doors opened and he single handedly held back the throng of people as my friends and I got on to the bus and got seats. I'll never forget the image of this man holding back more than 100 fighting Chinese people so we could safely get seats.
Had it been a zombie apocalypse he would have sacrificed his life for us.
I think there are moments in life that are just so awesome you need to take a second and truly appreciate them, cause nothing like it will ever happen again. My experience at the bus station was one of those moments. Like the insightful alumna explained we can never escape the rockstar status, but in that moment I loved it.
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