Don't Worry Mum! Everything is Okay.

With my beauteous friends. Do like very much. Definitely going to come back and visit HGB. Yesterday they tried all the different contraptions at an exercise park, we went to an arcade and then wandered through Nanluoguxiang before having a very late dinner on Gui Jie.

Getting here, however, was done on the slowest damn train in China. 16 hours from Harbin to Beijing. Reeeeeeediculous. Would have been 9 if not for the antics of my fellow overbooked passenger who yelled in more fluent Chinese. Jerk.

Anyway, HGB called in sick to work and took me out to dinner before running all over the train station while we tried to find the gate that foreigners are supposed to use (!?!). Was nice to see him before I left.

Friend is looking after Twyb who is being a bit of a maniac as per us.

I was supposed to be meeting a friend at a bookstore I thought I would be able to find, and after wandering around for about 10 minutes on the same block I figured I was lost.

And then I hear the shout of my name and turn to find Daniel from my favorite class running up to me.

This class is made up entirely of awesome kids and I absolutely adore them. I go to class early and help them with any homework they had trouble with, bake them things for test days, and spend at least twice as long planning their lessons, preparing activities and games.

We had a little chat about where his school was and I noticed that aside from his Young Pioneer red scarf he also had an armband for being class leader (I am writing a very long something about the scarves and armbands and class positions in Chinese schools). Complimented him on that and he was so proud, aww. Then he dug out his homework and test to show me that he is a good student. His dad was just standing behind him, beaming away.

Used the excellent opportunity to inform Daniel that I was hopelessly lost and did he know where the bookstore is? Of course he did. He walked me to the door and shook my hand.

Oh, Daniel you sweetheart. I love that class.

So now I feel a bit bereft.

A year ago my sister married a fantastic fellow, and I was her fairly stellar maid of honor. I had lists, notes, plans, people were depending on me. Now the only thing depending on me is my cat. Also school and work, but they don’t necessitate production of food and entertainment. Less fun all around.

If ever I were to have an idea of a ‘model wedding’ it would be their’s. There wasn’t much fuss, no (noticeable) stress, no panic or drama, they made their own invitations, planned everything themselves, the ceremony was small, short, heartwarming and beautiful, the food was good, it started raining while they danced to Sunday Morning in the reception tent and everyone was really, really happy.

I realized I don’t know what their plans are for their first anniversary, and that makes me a bit sad. I have always known what is going on in my sister’s life, and I still do, but not the minutiae. When we talk it is usually a lot about me.. I am the one removed from a previously mutual situation, so most of my experiences are new, but I don’t like being disconnected from the lives of my family and friends. I always want to share things, but I need to make a concentrated effort to get just as much information about their lives as I give about mine.

Ach, I am also a terrible sister/daughter in that I neglected to send the Mothers Day/mother’s birthday/sister-brother-in-law anniversary/little brother’s birthday/sister’s birthday gifts in time… All these occasions happen within a month! Followed almost immediately by Fathers Day which I haven’t quite sorted yet. But I think I can send everything back with a soon-to-visit-friend. I hope.

I miss being a part of people’s lives. I am missing out on an awful lot, but thank goodness for skype. Now to lurk around until someone signs on. Or I could text them! Ah, technology.

Sometimes, things just go nowhere because between the two of you there just isn’t the mutual vocabulary.

Sometimes you haul out a translating device for looking up specific words and phrases and things go further, but slowly.

Sometimes you haul out a translating device for translating swaths of text and things just get more confusing.

Sometimes you look up vocabulary and talk to friends prior to the discussion/argument so that you come to the table with a bit more knowledgeable and with another perspective in addition to your own and things go well, or they don’t because lets face it: serious issues are hard enough to debate with people of the same general language/cultural upbringing/societal conditioning, but the discussion definitely goes somewhere.

Sometimes one party decides it is not worth the aggravation and checks out, and that is a person who is not worth having around in a serious capacity anyway.

Sometimes you will find the best way to have an inter-language, srs biznis discussion is done both through speech and writing, because people’s reading/writing abilities can vastly outstrip their listening/speaking abilities, and being able to shove a bit of paper under someone’s nose and ask “WHAT IS WITH THIS COLLOQUIALISM AND WHERE IS THE PUNCTUATION, HUH!?!” is a vastly helpful thing in the aftermath.

It is ALWAYS better to have serious conversations face to face, especially in a situation where neither party will be able to pick up written nuances, this will invariably lead to second-guessing, confusion, worry and paranoia that could be subverted through voice, manner of speaking, expressions and body language.

Even in the best-case scenario you have what I imagine as international diplomacy, UN summit moments, where things are ticking along and then there is the slight narrowing of the eyes, raise of an eyebrow, retraction of the chin or sputtered confusion that sends everyone diving for the mis-translation.

I like the square by the church where toddlers play in the fountains and I sit under a potted fern. I like the kids playing pogs on the manhole cover, and zooming around on the hip-shakey-scooters. I like watching the Small Repairs mechanic weld things while he whistles “Good Day Sunshine”. I like the laundry carefully hung with use of a pole on the power wires. I like the trains. I like the river. I like my cat peeking around from behind the curtain because she hasn’t quite decided how she feels about the air conditioner. I like my friends. I like the doorman who calls me 黄色纸女孩. I like the weather, and the bicycle carts. 

None of these things are necessarily specific to Harbin and I know I would find similar things in any other place, but right now I am very happy where I am.

川 is used for Sìchuān (四川) province, which is sometimes spelt Szechuan in the West, in relation to chicken. I was pretty suprised to see it, considering that is pretty South and halfway West across China from Harbin. I did a victory dance and had to explain myself to some nonplussed bystanders. A for Chengdu.

This one I had no idea about whatsoever. Turns out it is 闽 mǐn, which sounds nothing like Fújiàn 福建. The professor had to explain it for me, and the Mǐn are an ethnic group of the area, and also the name of a river. A for Fuzhou.

More Inner Mongolia! I want to go. B for Baotou.

On first glimpse I mistook 晋(Jìn) for 普(pu), which is really common (haha.. Aw I am a little sad that I don’t think anyone reading this will catch that pun), and confused myself. It is actually for 山西(Shānxī)，which makes it just a misleading little abbreviation ANYWAY. Aish. B for Datong.

Speaking of South and whatcha-doing-up-here, 粤(yuè) is from Guǎngdōng(广东). A for Guangzhou.

津(Jīn) is the last half of 天津(Tiānjīn), and consequently I knew that one right way. Exciting! J, though, I haven’t the faintest idea. Maybe suburbs of the city?

This was a lovely day. Everyone wanted to take advantage of it and take pictures.

Including this couple, who were careful to maintain the height differential, even through sneaky measures. I really wanted to tell him that his hip-cocking slouch lost him most of the inches he gained on the step there…

There is no way this Pooh balloon isn’t evil and plotting. No way.

Cherry blossoms are showing up everywhere, and the trees are finally turning green! There are a lot of trees in Harbin, and boulevards lined with trees. I like it.

And construction. I love construction.