It’s finally here: the day I leave for China! I’m in the Portland airport, waiting for my flight to San Francisco. From there I’ll fly to Hong Kong with many of my future coworkers.
I’ve met several of them already, and gotten to know others through Facebook, so my traveling companions are already friends of mine. I’m thankful for that.
Now that I’m here (and all my preparations are done), I can freely look forward to this exciting journey. I can’t wait to discover what China really looks like. When I went to Germany several years ago, I was excited to see what it really looked like in comparison with my preconceived notions. It was beautiful there, but was more than that. It felt real finally. So I can’t wait to see China and let it feel real. All of it. The sights, sounds, smells (especially food!) and most of all, the people.
I’m excited to get to know my coworkers more, and make local friends, too. I can’t wait to meet my students!
I’m looking forward to seeing real pagodas, temples, and other ancient structures. The mountains, oceans, bays, and rivers (and the Pearl River Delta! I’ve never seen a delta). The restaurants and food carts. The shops, markets, and skyscrapers (okay, not so excited about skyscrapers!). And yes, even the theme parks. I have to admit, I love cheesy theme parks. I think it started with my family’s tradition of going to the Enchanted Forest. Shenzhen is supposed to have several fun theme parks. And when I say theme, I mean theme! Here I come, scale models of world landmarks!
Here I come, world!
The Compass Rose Queen 