Beijing Again

The skies are also blue today. Compared with the recent pollution in Xi'an, it's a relief, even though the air has been cold and the sun set early.

We walked the hutongs and saw the Temple of Heaven. It was a nice, quiet last hurrah. Then we played mahjong at our hostel. Mary and Malcolm left a few hours ago. Shelby and Daniel leave in a couple. I want to grab a shower, but they're not around much longer.

The last time I was here, I didn't know how to say hardly anything. I relied heavily on Shelby for help feeding myself. Now, I can chat with the cab driver and read some street signs.

The night before that last Chinese final (which was surprisingly easy), I deleted that old phasebook app on my phone. I remember when it was so hard to try to remember how to say a phrase correctly. Now I know the words, how to say them, what they mean, and how to write them. I could make those sentences on my own. Some of them currently come a little more easily than my English.

It's hard to believe it's almost over. I've been in this place with these people so long that I can hardly believe this departure doesn't mean a break. It'll be interesting to see what going home feels like.

I've done so much more in China than I ever imagined. Especially at the end there, my experiences started to get through to me in ways I can't quite explain yet.

I'm ready to go home. I want Christmas and friends and family. But I also want to see these friends again someday. And come back to visit China.

I'm not sure that I'll have another chance to post from China. I might send something from my phone in Chicago. It'll be weird that Facebook and Blogger will work on my phone again, let alone texting and phone calls!

I guess all I can say now is, "再见，中国！"