A For Alex

Pardon the poor photo stitching. You get the point!

My larder!

I don’t think that anyone ever really grows up, in the sense that there’s no one person who is never, ever immature or who does the best, wisest, rational thing all of the time. Growing up is then the process of shifting the default from immaturity to maturity, but aberrations at any point don’t necessarily indicate childishness. 

There’s another Singaporean in my flat who’s here to further her studies in Mandarin, and she’s 26 and not a whole lot different or overwhelmingly more mature. And it’s a bit alarming to see someone and watch how they work, all the while thinking: crap, that’s the age that I want to be married. That’s 4 years away!

Wuhan is a huge city and my introduction to the city was limited to the journey from the airport to the university… With the help of the student affairs guy and God, I managed to take a public bus out and applied for a mobile phone line (the number’s on the side, call! ), bought stuff for my room, took another bus to the bank, opened a bank account, took a bus to the university 大门 and took another bus back to my housing area - and all that in Mandarin! haha.

The weather was sweltering today, but it was an enjoyable walk to my uni, with a honey peach ice lolly in my hand, a gentle breeze and blue skies and billowing clouds! I couldn’t help but smile.

On another note, if you do read my blog, do comment cos blogs don’t have to be one way conversations.

Staying near the Equator makes you think that nowhere on Earth could possibly be hotter than this. But well, we’re wrong. Shanghai and Wuhan are hot and occasionally oppressively so. The air is thick with humidity and pollution, and add to that the warmth of a jostling crowd at the Bund and what results is a heat that cloaks and chokes you. The worst of the summer heat is already over but if anything, it makes the arrival of fall and air-conditioning so much better appreciated.

The Chinese have a custom of filling themselves with dishes (or liao) and only serving rice at the end of the meal. This was explained to me as filling yourself with the good stuff and topping up to make yourself full with rice… But another reason is also that rice is seen as a poor man’s meal, if you were rich enough, you could afford to fill yourself with food that costs more. This "ostentatiousness" extends to their choice of attire, namely pyjamas in the middle of the day! David puts this down to wanting to show that you’re rich enough to sleep until the afternoon without having to work.

Before I come across sounding like I’m not having fun or that everything is sad and dreary… I am enjoying being here… Not that I’ve done anything super fun or gone anywhere gorgeous, but because of the novelty of the situation… I’ve never flown somewhere before, taken cabs by myself, spoken this much chinese ever… and I’m enjoying this novelty while it lasts! and, while it was a bit lonesome gallavanting alone yesterday, I’m seeing these situations as a means to an end… The ends of trusting God more (and He has been coming through for me big time!), improving my Chinese and becoming more independent.

I really thank God for the people that He’s put my way, from the taxi drivers who were quite friendly and who could understand me, to David who was a great host, to the Danish girl I talked to over dinner, to the Chinese stranger who made conversation, to the quiet Wuhan Uni staff who met me, to the English speaking student affairs dude, to my Viet, Singaporean and Korean room mates! I thank Him that the Chinese has been going ok… and that He’s been helping me through the past few days and will continue to help me in the time to come!

Some photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/entrospeck/tags/shanghai2006/show/         (Click on the photos to see the comments)

I’m six days away from China.. and I guess I’m supposed to feel excited at all the things I’m going to see, the people I’m going to meet and the experiences I’m going to have. But the overriding thought is just how I’m going to miss you.

I’m just trusting God, that this experience is something that He has prepared for me, that in someway maybe I’ll be used by Him there and that I’ll manage to have fun. I’m taking comfort in the fact that He’ll be with me throughout, that I don’t need to worry cos I’ve a constant companion whose always in control.