Nanjing 2018-2019, Blog Post 8
After taking a four month pause from my blog to concentrate on my first semester of college, I’ve realized I need to finish recounting this journey. So much in China occurred that has shaped my life back in the US. I can’t even begin to explain the amount of influence this gap year has had on my mindset, on my interactions with other people, and the mentality that I can now take with me in my everyday activities. Reflecting on my school life at UNC, I’ve come to understand that I need to wrap this blog up for me, for closure.
Reading back over my March journal entries and revisiting the hoards of pictures taken has made me realize how much my second semester in China changed me. I think that this month was the start of a type of carefree freedom, an ability to drop all responsibilities and travel, to go explore, to go meet new people. I wanted to learn more about myself and see more new things.
March seems like light years away, something that happened in the past and shaped me, and feels so far off in the distance it’s almost intangible. So much occurred, from the start of a new semester to fresh social dynamics, it’s important to explain.
The beginning of the month was refreshing. Not only did I get a new roommate and had so much fun helping her around the city, from Walmart shopping adventures (free samples, anyone??) and showing her my favorite food spots, I also got to meet up with old friends. It was so fun to go back to school and actually have friends to text and meet up with. I reconnected with people over gifts and laughter and good food to share our holiday break’s stories; it was busy, but absolutely so full of happiness.
Something weird about March was the new social dynamic, because after the Italians from first semester left, there was a group of about 20 people from our old friend group staying. We all knew each other fairly well, but I think everyone began feeling like they needed their own space. This Westerner group was coined “The Survivors”, and our group chat became a place for random jokes and laughs, but actual tight-knit group dinners really died out.
As our first semester friend group became looser, I began exploring new friendships. I felt socially stretched, where I had my good friends Iana and Josi, and a few others I could comfortably talk to, but I also had my new Korean roommate, JiSoo. Having a Korean friend made a whole new realm of Asian friends open up at school. As the new semester began, I started going with Jisoo and her two friends to lunch. Although there were some Japanese and Korean students taking classes the first semester at NNU, I never really had the opportunity to interact with them. The new semester’s lunch allowed me to meet so many new people and use my Chinese more!
An important point about my old friends was that they really encouraged me to spend time with Jisoo. I was sad that I wouldn’t be able to see them as often, but I really did want to meet new people outside The Survivors group. I was thankful that my old friends wanted me to grow out of my comfort zone just as much as I did, and accepted me for who I was. I introduced my roommate to all my old friends at a birthday party, but the dynamic felt too foreign and uncomfortable for both of us. It was ok though, and I was more than glad to go with my new roommate to lunch and meet new people! Balancing school, old friends, and new friends was a real challenge, but I really loved my new adventures.
Another great part of the new semester was moving up to 三年级二班. My class was half full of Thai students, all from the same Thai university, and the other half of the class was just individual high-level students that were from various countries. I really enjoyed the harder content of my new classes and the fresh faces. Also, I began speaking to people in class only in Chinese, and I really enjoyed that I had a new group of people to converse with.
Other than the new social dynamics, I’d say that if I could highlight three great things of the new semester they would be: 1) Beginning visiting a fancy yoga studio with a free membership card my friend Matteo gave me 2) Joining taekwondo practice in Xianlin, the other NNU campus, more actively 3) Taking lots of food pictures
I guess I’ve always liked taking photos of things, because I remember religiously holding a mini Canon camera beginning in third grade on summer trips around China. In March, I really started taking LOADS of food pictures; I mean my camera roll was filled with pretty foods, strange foods, people with food, and any other situation food could possibly be in. My friends from home even started commenting when I sent them entire albums of not my adventures around Nanjing, but my food.
Lastly, one of the most memorable events of the month was a last minute backpacking trip to Wuyuan County, in Jiangxi Province. My American friend Mackenzie invited me for a weekend adventure backpacking around the county to see some of the famous seasonal 油菜花 (canola flowers). Although it was only a four day adventure, so much occurred; we hit up five different villages, had an adventure with our 缘分车, and missed our train on the way there (what a way to start out the weekend). If you want to hear about our stories of re-booking tickets, finding last minute places to stay the night of, and trying various 年糕 (sticky rice patties), ask me about it! Way too much happened in the span of this adventure to recount in this blog. Let me say, this adventure was surely a great way to wrap up the month.