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Published: November 21st 2011
My Friend Jocelyn
She is an amusing, warm and kind woman with a beautiful smile. We have much in common. I am now in Beijing, in my hotel room, listening to the sound of traffic outside. I am tired. Today, I visited the Great Wall of China. In order to catch up and write about that I must tie up my Xiamen entries. In the final week in Xiamen I was busy making time to be with those I needed to say farewell to...Jim and I had a last meal at Dad's Kitchen together. I made a trip to the SM Mall with Elise, Happy and Vickie...we shopped around and had a cup of coffee together at Starbucks. Then Elise departed and Happy and Vicky and I had a meal and took in the worst movie I've ever seen. I chose it. I apologized after to the girls. Next time girls, you pick the movie! HA ! I even made it to the counterfeit art market and bought myself a cardboard tube to take home my birthday art that Diane had created. For only 3 kwai (.50 Cdn) I got a tough tube that would save the art from being destroyed in my suitcase. I set up a QQ account so that I could chat with my Chinese friends. QQ is
Sea Cucumber Soup
The broth was very tasty;however, I took only one bite of the sea cucumber as I didn't care for the taste. I was disturbed when I saw this soup at first...it just looked like a giant black turd in some gravy. LOL just like MSN but the Chinese version. Sarah and I had gone to Honeymoon Dessert and had a lovely visit and some really good desserts. She gave me a present to give to Aiden. I was so touched by that gesture. Sarah, I am sorry I did not say a final farewell to you at school. I just couldn't do it. I hate saying good-bye. I was supposed to go to Tianjiao on Friday, Nov. 18th to say my good-byes to everyone there....turns out...I just couldn't do it. At just after 3 p.m. I had returned from an emotional luncheon at Rich and Diane's apartment. They'd created a really delicious stir fry of veggies and pork which they'd served with mi fan or white rice. It was pouring down rain when I got there and I arrived soaked. We had initially planned to eat at the Korean restuarant at Cow Street but Diane said "We've decided to stay dry for as long as we can. We're eating in." Which was fine with me and which was more than I can say about her laundry which had hung forlornly (and very damply) outside in the balcony already for a few days.
Fungus Salad
A really, really good tasting salad. Eeeesh. How NOT convenient. Oh well, let's just not go there! I had barely gotten in the door of her apartment when the water started leaking from my eyes....not wanting to say good-bye to her had been eating at me for several days..... Crap. We hugged and I managed to contain myself; however, after our visit and upon returning to the empty apartment and packing up the last of my things I experienced my undoing. The flood I'd mostly held back burst and I blubbered like a fountain. A snotty fountain. With red eyes. A blubbering, red-eyed, fountain packing away her time in Xiamen into three enormous and completely filled suitcases. With each item stowed I erased a bit more each piece of evidence of my existence from the pleasant bedroom I had grown accustomed to returning to each night in Xiamen. I had felt safe and comfortable in the apartment. So, having cried a good long cry but not quite feeling done with the "crying and good-bying", lol, pardon the little pun, I decided that I would just not go to Tianjiao. I felt I could not face being on a bus looking so awful, nor could I face
Tasty!
I don't know what this is called, but it is very good--you place the small chopped bits into the rice cakes. Delish! Loved these. going in to the office and being a raw, emotional, wound. I stayed at the apartment and hoped that nobody would be too unhappy I did not show up. And I was okay with that till Happy phoned to see why I had not come to say good-bye. And then I confessed my dilemma to her and my eyes began leaking again and she headed over to the apartment to soothe my wounded spirit--a very kind gesture and one I appreciated deeply. She arrived and hugged me and reassured me that we would not forget one another. Happy, you are a wonderful friend. Thanks again for comforting me when I needed it. And then another friend phoned me. Jocelyn is the mom of Carlos, one of my former students at Tianjiao. She and I had recently met and hit it off. She had taken me to lunch and we had discovered that we had much in common and that we liked each other a lot. We hung out after our luncheon that day and then that Friday night, November 18th, she said she would take me out to eat. She graciously agreed to drive me to the airport in Xiamen
Perfect Dessert
Cantelope, Dragon fruit, orange, star fruit. A nice, light ending to a great meal with Jocelyn and James. the day of my departure. Jocelyn took me to a cute little coffee bar called Andy's and we had latte, a meal, some desserts, great conversation and lots of laughs. We both felt disappointed that we had just met in final days I was in Xiamen but we have promised to keep in touch. When I arrived back to the apartment much after 11 pm, my two new flat-mates, Lee and Vickie, the 2 new teachers, had waited up for me and we shared the desserts that Jocelyn sent me home with and we drank a bottle of red wine I'd been given for my birthday. We stayed up WAY too late visiting, but it was so warm and the cameraderie was invigourating. I wish Lee and Vickie an enjoyable experience in Xiamen and as much fun as Joyce and I did!
And on my final morning Vickie, sweet little Vickie, teaching assistant at Tianjiao, came to see me off at the airport. Vivian called me while I was checking my bags (And which cost me a small fortune to ship!!) to say her good-byes to me. After visiting for a bit with Vickie, she accompanied me as far as
Mr. Tianjiao
James, at lunch with Jocelyn and me. security would allow and we hugged and I cried one last time. Then I boarded a plane and flew away from Xiamen and the biggest chapter in the "Teaching in China" adventure of my life was over. At least for now. Everyone should have a "Xiamen" in her life. If you haven't found yours yet, then for God's sakes, get yourself out and find one. Just do it. You will never regret it. I promise.
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Jeannine
non-member comment
movie
So was the name of the movie you chose, "Man Bites Dog?"Hahahaha