What I’ve Learned

A VERY brief reflection on two months in China

“Okay Mairin, so what have you learned?”

Posed by one of my Michigan-side friends, this was a question I hadn’t yet properly pondered. So I sat down and put my thinks to work.

Obviously, my Chinese speaking/reading/writing/comprehension abilities are slowly getting stronger. I’m also learning about Chinese culture and the endless number of unwritten rules governing everything from how laundry is done to how to properly brew green tea.

But I’m also learning many things I never expected to learn. I’ve learned:

• How to use a shoddy toaster oven to make cookies from scratch.
• That some people are a part of this program to have fun, some are here to escape whatever situation they came from.
• That on April Fools’ Day in South Korea, college students dress up in their high school uniforms and go to each other’s classes.
• How to edit photos!
• That the stomach flu is just as miserable in China as it is in the U.S.
• Not to underestimate the value of reliable, fast (> 1 [yes… 1] Mbps) internet.
• How to paint a flower in traditional Chinese style.
• How to speak good and proper Chinglish:

Ugh. Crossing the street is so 麻烦. I’d make a run for it but it’s pretty 危险 right now. 怎么办?

• That the first few hours of air after a good rain are blessedly clean.
• That there’s something to be said for starting your morning with a nice cup of Nescafe.
• That Stephen Colbert is leaving the Colbert Report??
• How to navigate the labyrinthine transportation system of planes, trains, taxis, buses, bikes, and subways with only an occasional misstep.
• That I’m completely terrible at badminton.
• That there’s no such thing as a free bunny. Vegemite, rest in peace.
• That “acne” in German sounds like “pickle” in English. “I have pickles all over my face”.
• The magic of VPN! VPN! Yeahhhhhhhh VPN!
• That “lactic acid bacteria drink” is actually pretty tasty.
• That a $2.00 latte and an $0.80 fruit tray is just about the perfect breakfast.
• How to survive the Shanghai subway during rush hour.

Yeah buddy.

XOXO