my heart aches

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It’s my last night in China for who knows how long. And it makes me sad.

Yes, I am embarking on the next great adventure by becoming a PCV in Nicaragua.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss Beijing like whoa. Or that it’s not going to be VERY STRANGE to go home and see “my” city on TV and watch American athletes competing instead of being inundated with Chinese athletes’ prowess.

I like China. I love Beijing. I love the food… especially gong bao ji ding and Xinjiang noodles and lamb chuan’r, and the dongbei place’s eggplant and all the bings and street food and dumplings and baozi and porridge and …. god I love the food here.

I will miss being in such a vibrant city. A huge city with awesome public busses and subways. I will miss walking down the street and smiling and nodding at all the old people walking their dogs or sitting on their tiny chairs, fanning themselves, watching life pass by while the guys next door play Chinese chess while drinking tea out of glass nalgenes.

I will miss the architecture and the very distinct way in which this capital city functions. New, modern buildings towering above hutongs; subway lines running directly below famous temples; the way capitalism has gripped the nation, especially in the Communist capital Beijing where Chairman Mao still dominates Tiananmen Square.

Ah, my heart aches. Beijing just feels like home… my home away from home at the Lake. And I am sure that soon Nicaragua will also hold such a place in my mind, but right now it’s really hard to imagine.

Why am I leaving?

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Comments

[vicki]

sadness
Your sadness makes me sad...boo hoo. Have you been to the boxing match yet?

[Cassi]

Soooo....
So, more importantly...will Nicaragua updates be on Xanga or TravelBlog? Have a safe trip!

[wife]

nido
"nido" is what they call the birdsnest in spanish. one of my students asked me about it. he thought it was just a clever mexican reporter being inventive during his report. you know what i miss? i miss the schwar and beer. i would kill a lamb myself if there was greasy spicy shwar, big cold bottles of chinese beer and wife and brother-and-law at the end of said bloody event. and wouldn´t you know, i miss that accursed heat. sigh...now i´m hungry.

[Mom]

C'mon, Molly! C'mon home!
but..but..but..what about our Ozarks BBQ and biscuits and sausage gravy and home-grown green beans and 'real' fried chicken??????? Come home, Molly.....