Chinese New Year

I am here! After a long day of travel (18 Hours total from 1st boarding to landing) I have arrived safe and sound in Beijing. Travel went very smoothly, we were a bit late getting into Beijing but when you have spent over 12 hours on a plane, what is a few minutes. I had the pleasure to sit next to very nice people that were very helpful, offering suggestions about what to do in Beijing and ensuring that I was taken care of upon arrival. For the first time in my life, I was greeted (by myself) with my name on a sign. While this was pretty normal at the arrival area, I felt like a VIP. It took about 45 minutes to claim my luggage (I was able to fit my entire life…for six months, into three bags) and get through customs. I was a little late and felt bad since the Chinese New Year is about the biggest holiday in China. My driver and Lilly (house manager) both had to wait and work while I am sure that they had other places to be. What followed was a quick re-introduction into the horror that is driving in China.

We had about a 45-minute ride to the school from the airport. In this time we passed on the left, passed on the left when traffic was present, passed on the right, passed on the right when pedestrians were present, passed at a red light (willing the car in front of us to move using our brights and horn), passed on the right making a left turn, passed on the left making a left turn went 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone, passed a police vehicle, passed a car with about an inch of clearance, passed…well, you get the idea. There are times when I felt that I would thrive driving here but most of the time I was holding on tight. Since the last time I was here it seems that bright headlight flashing has replaced the horn as the preferred method of letting everyone on the road know that you are there. While potentially terrifying, the system is a well-oiled and even choreographed dance that seems, at least most of the time, to work without serious consequences. That said, there is no way that I ever want to drive on these roads.

I find it so fitting that I have arrived in China on Chinese New Years Eve. Most of my own New Year’s Resolutions revolved around my experience here, more or less ignoring the last month and a half since the more traditional January 1st New Year. Saying goodbye to everyone was as difficult as I expected it to be. I am very excited about the opportunity to live in China, but nevertheless am nervous to leave the known to undertake this adventure. The move here represents a new beginning for me, a time to in some ways reinvent myself. Since I have been fairly young, I have always been somewhat insecure about where I fit into the world. I have questioned if I have meant as much to my friends as they do to me. I can say unequivocally that I have never felt as loved as now. The going away sendoff that I received was greatly appreciated. Know that while here I will think of you often and do my best to keep you updated on the ins and outs of my daily life. As a HEM (highly emotional male) the sendoff and need to say goodbye is a recipe for potential disaster. I can say that tears were shed at all three airports I visited in the last few days. In Grand Rapids the tears were due to leaving, saying goodbye and the realization that it would be the greater part of six months until I would see my family and friends again. In Chicago the tears came back as I read the notes that were given to me prior to departure. Finally, in Beijing I started to tear up (just a little) with the realization that I have arrived in my new home, that the adventure has begun and there is no turning back.

The night (and so far the morning) have been filled with the sounds of fireworks in the distance, all in celebration of the New Year. The streets from the airport were lined with firework stands. I am embarrassed to say that I slept through the night. I fell asleep for what I intended to be a short nap before getting to explore a bit, but I was out of commission as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the coming days there will no doubt be more adventures to report, many more people to meet and a need to try and make this place feel as much like home as I can before classes begin. Thank you all for your well wished, encouragements and prayers in this time of transition, I will need to keep an open mind as I get used to the sounds, smells, sights and tastes of this nation.