回家: Back Home

It's been two days since I came back to the States, and I think I'm finally starting to get over the jet lag. I am not only very glad to be back home, but I am also shamelessly happy to be back in a place where 1) the sky is blue, 2) traffic jams are not the norm, and 3) toilet paper in bathroom stalls is a given.

But, I am also very sad that the past 8 weeks went by so quickly.

After going through PiB, my Chinese has significantly improved. I still can't read random Chinese newspaper articles, but my recent conversations with my parents have moved far beyond telling them that I want rice or noodles for lunch. While I did not memorize every single vocabulary word at PiB, I have gotten to the point where even if I don't fully understand, I can often infer the meaning.

Although I'm sure that locking myself up in a room with the books for 8 weeks might have improved my vocabulary and grammar even more, I do not think that there is any adequate replacement for experiencing the country that speaks the language you are studying. Even the tai chi and calligraphy classes that PiB offered, while definitely interesting, were still only a very small part of a much larger equation.

Speaking with the baozi man or the jianbing lady, getting crammed into the subway car with a bajillion other people, seeing old men with their t-shirts up and bellies hanging out, bargaining with the shopkeepers, hailing a taxi with other American students very late in the evening, watching someone being told to give up their seat for the elderly on the bus, speaking with college students while riding the hard seat -- every event seemingly trivial, but when you add them all up, it makes for an experience that surpasses reading any textbook that discusses Chinese culture, even PiB's 3rd year book, which covered a number of strange topics.

This summer was quite fantastic. I not only improved my Chinese and got a glimpse of Chinese culture today, but I also made gains on a very personal level as well, all of which will likely influence my plans for the future. On going to China, I have no regrets, except perhaps that I did not go earlier and did not stay longer.

Although admittedly I am unsure of exactly when I will be able to remedy this problem, another trip to China is certainly in the works.

-艾琳