Yay! My finals are now over, the celebratory meals are starting and so is my two-week vacation! Of course, these rewards have been earned after weeks of madly running around looking for an apartment, planning my vacation, studying, and spending as much time as possible with friends that will leave after the summer program. The result is an abundance of new culinary delights and no shortage of moments reminding me that I AM IN CHINA!
For the most part, I have not been terribly homesick during the past months. Though I miss certain conveniences readily available in America, and long for my family and friends, China has kept me busy enough that I have no time to cry my eyes out over being who knows how far away from home. But sometimes a sound or smell invokes a memory of home, always bringing contradictory feelings of happiness and sadness for my wonderful life home and how exciting life is in Beijing. A few weeks ago I went DVD shopping (“expensive” 3 US dollar copies!) and enjoyed the Chinese equivalent of a gyro- delicious roast pork sawed off a skewer and placed in the middle of a soft bread with onion and a salty-sweet sauce. As I was returning to my dorm from dinner on the street, the familiar sounds of Chinese drumming, cymbals and gongs emerged from the tree-lined sidewalk. The music led a group of over 20 women of all ages dancing gracefully with bright green and pink fans, drawing the attention of every passerby on the street. I stopped to join the small crowd that gathered to enjoy the simple performance amid the sounds of rush hour, and became nostalgic as I was reminded of good times with the UCSB Chinese Lion Dance Team. I suddenly missed the familiarity of drumming, and the fun I had practicing with my friends, wishing that they and everyone else I love could be here to share the experiences with me.
I mean, just think of all there is to do! Besides the usual attractions, I have been taking pleasure in
simple moments, like enjoying my breakfast in a courtyard on campus everyday, watching the old people do morning exercises before I begin class. Or having breakfast on the weekend at a vendor who sells miniature beef buns, made-to-fry round Chinese donut and warm, fresh soy milk, followed by a walk through the park. What could be more enjoyable than watching two guys knead the dough, expertly pinch the buns 
shut after being filled with seasoned meat, then steam in bamboo right on the street? And perhaps my favorite creation to watch the street is diaomian, a type of noodle cut from a giant slab of dough straight into a vat of boiling water, and served in slightly spicy broth. 
These sorts of foods can be expected to be absolutely delicious, but what about the weirder foods- like peanut butter and meat floss toast, or scorpion? Surprisingly delicious!! Yes, the toast was a snack at a restaurant that has bench swings instead of chairs, serving both Chinese and Western foods. Upon reading the menu, I could not resist giving the weird combination a try: a thick slice of white bread (Texas toast?) topped with real peanut butter, then dried shredded meat (i.e. meat floss) with a drizzle of condensed milk
and a sprinkle of dried seaweed on top. Strange, but good enough to finish. The scorpion on the other hand was pure heaven. Three tiny scorpions on a stick, fried and topped with salt… a moment of hesitation before the bug entered my mouth, but when I tasted how crispy and crunchy it was, I wanted more! Especially when there is hardly an aftertaste of scorpion guts. My visiting friend from UCSB, however, refused to not only look away as I ate but also refused to share any more food because my lips had touched the scorpions!
When not eating, I have been searching and dealing with apartment matters and planning my upcoming vacation in Shanghai. After searching for housing, navigating negotiations of rent and terms of the contract, and registering with the Public Security Bureau about my residence in Beijing, I cannot believe that vacation is about to begin. With only one last run with belongings to the new apartment that I will share with two UC friends (each with our own bedroom!), I finally feel like I can enjoy my time in Shanghai, the 3 day cruise on the Yangtze River, and a climb up Huangshan (Yellow Mountain).
So in two weeks I will write once again, when I have more adventures to share, and the mood is less bittersweet than now as friends disperse. These few days have been full of reflection upon the best moments and the worst moments so far, and the extent to which China has simply grown on us without us realizing. While I feel that the month and a half have passed quickly, it also feels like a long, long time since my feet stood upon the California soil. Will the rest of the year be the same? Happening so quickly, yet so much more time to go? Is that my final goal, to reach the end? Living in a foreign country is perhaps where one best understands that the journey matters most of all.
Love,
Kenzie
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