Well, after a nice long hiatus, I’m back in lovely lovely Nanjing. In the two months that I’ve been gone about 35 new building have come up and Nanjing has apparently got a metro system. While I don’t necessarily trust a metro system built in two months, I am sortof impressed. Coming back to Nanjing is a bit strange simply because it’s so very different from 6 months ago when I first came to China. I was scared, lonely and intimidated by a city so alien and different from what I’ve always known. Coming back now, on the other hand, is worlds apart from that original experience. I’ve been making myself go out and talk to different people and practice my Chinese and while I’m certainly still intimidated about living in a city in which I am not fluent with their language, it does not hold me back from trying to do the things I want to do. While 6 months ago I had to hype myself just to go change money at the bank, now it’s no different than going to a bank back at home…there are just a lot more Chinese people…who stare at you…and don’t wait in lines.
In addition, much to my surprise, it turns out that somewhere along the line I’ve actually picked up the ability to speak some Chinese! I talk and people understand! I don’t have to point to my tummy anymore to get food! And in that spirit, I did the dumbest thing possible on my first day of class.
In a previous email, I mentioned that classes go from the Lowest (D2) up to the Highest (A1). I was in D1 last semester and I was convinced that I was already in too deep. Since I somehow managed to pass the D1 class, my next step was to go into either C1 or C2. Instead of going into C2, I accidentally sat down in the B2 class. I was seriously sitting there for the first hour thinking to myself “Wow…these guys are good!! I didn’t know that the C level was so hard!” Eventually, I realized that I was a whole grade level above where I was supposed to be. But I also realized that while I found myself frantically flipping through my dictionary trying to figure out what was being said, I was actually understanding a pretty fair amount. So, I think I’m going to try to stick through it and see if my language and writing/reading skills improve.
The class is huge with its random assortment of international students. While last semester it was essentially Koreans and Japanese students, this time we’ve got a Colombian, a Latvian, a Czech Republic..an(?), about 50 Germans, and the Koreans and Japanese as well. The class is huge. Normally this would be bad because we don’t get as much individual attention, but honestly, my writing/reading skills are so bad right now that I don’t want the attention.
Other than that, I’m afraid to inform you that there’s no harrowing “ate cold horse” or crazy taxi driver stories this time around. Things here in Nanjing are calm and while it’s going to be a tough semester ahead of me, I’m really looking forward to seeing the difference that a year or 6 months can make. Life here is still frustrating and difficult. It’s a different culture and it sometimes even feels completely alien to what I know; nor can I express deeper emotions or thoughts with those that don’t speak Spanish or English. But regardless of the limitations and obstacles (or maybe even because of them), this has been a great experience so far, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s next.
Alberto
Monday, 6:44pm
Nanjing, China