35 Bucks and a Starbucks Card...

My tear ducts got a good rinsing this past week, as my young man decided he wanted to go back to Powell River to finish off the rest of this semester. It was not a decision that we came to lightly, however we both realized that he has gleaned everything that he wanted to for this current experience, and he was ready to move on.China is not for the faint of heart. Your lens has to be pushed wide open, and there are daily occasions when you find yourself 20 miles outside of your comfort zone. Food is cooked differently, often, much of it unrecognizable, or made out of animal parts Westerners avoid; chicken feet, or duck tongue for example (I’m vegetarian for this year). Outside air is aromatic and pungent, and not always with smells and sights that we deem as ‘pleasant’ or ‘welcoming’. My mantra is, “ Embrace the difference!”We made a habit of going to the gym regularly. The gym experience, however, can be a daunting one. Most men are bare bellied while working out. With differing levels of physical fitness, this is not always a welcomed sight. I have taken to bringing my baby wipes along with me so I can clean the equipment before and after using. And I know the locals look at me wondering what the Caucasian girl is doing cleaning the equipment! But I chat and visit and laugh and make friends there.Often, wherever we go, we are the only ‘white’ people. And, because we stand out, people stare. Parents often scold their children not to stare. I get it. Just offer a big wave and a smile; it's an international form of communication.The nice constant in his life was school. This is where things are familiar. Books are the same as we use in BC and course curriculum is standard. Uniforms were a new adventure, and a rule that he fought well. Commendable really. The difficulty is because the majority of students stay in the dorms, opportunity to get together after school or on weekends was limited. Most kids go home for the weekend, so he was stuck with his new best friend, (me) and the rest of the teachers.I'm very proud of my boy. He picked up a bit of the language, made some new friends, figured out the Beijing subway, went to see the Great Wall of China, the Tsingtao Beer making factory, naval yards, school trips, fast trains, slow trains, airplanes international and local, ate lots of local foods and now he is ready to move on.As this was not the plan, I didn’t have a lot to send him home with (aside from a few Rolex watches and Versace shirts), I gave him the 35 Canadian dollars and two Starbucks cards that I had in my wallet, hugged him as hard as I could, and watched his silhouette go down the escalator stairs to get on the subway that would lead him to his gate.And onwards we go...