So long! Farewell!

NEWSFLASH: I am a bookworm. The only plan I have for my future home is a room big enough to be an impressive library. I get excited whenever I pass a bookstore. I get a high off of library book sales. I wish I still got Scholastic book order forms. I transformed my closet into another bookshelf because the one my dad had built me filled up way too fast. My boyfriend wants to build me a bookshelf someday (plus he’s agreed to a library). I love reading books, writing books, looking at books, smelling books, buying books, and flipping through books. That being said, I think that sometimes, being a bookworm can be a dangerous thing. So many times in the past (especially high school and college) I was perfectly content to sit alone in my room with the characters in my books while others that I knew were out making memories with one another. Now I don’t regret my decisions in the past—not at all!—and I don’t belittle anyone who would rather stay in on a Friday with their favorite book and a cup of tea—that is one of my absolute favorite things to do! But I’ve come to realize that I don’t want to just read about love and life and adventures… I want to live it. I think I’ve managed to do that pretty well—I’ve done a lot of living in my first 24 years while still making time for my characters and books too.

I think it is so important to read. It doesn’t matter what! Fantasy, biographies, how-to books, young adult fiction, romance, horror, sci-fi… anything! I would try to not be prejudiced and say it doesn’t matter—paper books or eBooks—but I’ve tried the Kindle for almost a year now and I still hate it. It is important to read… but it is so much more important to live.

That was a long introduction to justify using a quote by an author by the name of John Green. I won’t say that he’s one of my new favorite authors because I’ve only been able to read one of his books so far—The Fault in Our Stars (shock shock). That being said, I think he is a highly intelligent man who is extremely wise for his young age and he has some great advice to live by. I used one of his quotes the night before my college graduation a year and a half ago—a time of evolution and transitions… a time that I find myself going through once again.

"Here is my advice. Study broadly and without fear. Learn a language if you can, because that will make your life more interesting. Read a little bit every day. But most importantly, try to surround yourself with people you like and make cool stuff with them. In the end, what you do isn't going to be nearly as interesting or important as who you do it with." 
~John Green

With almost all of my newfound friends now out of the country as of today, I want to dedicate this blog post to them… whether they see it or not. 

So! Without further ado, here is a look at the people who had a part to play in my first year teaching in China.

The Students

The first group of people that directly affected my time here in China was my students! I admit (and I'm sure you can recall a few blog posts back in August) I was terrified to come over to China and teach at a university. I had never taught anything before other than giving a few lectures on specialized topics that I was passionate about and that I knew a lot about. I had never been in charge of a group before nor charged with the education of others around me. Some people who teach ESL in foreign countries do not take their jobs seriously, but I do. English is a uniting factor that allows us to communicate and understand one another. I was responsible for these kids and I did not want to fail them. I taught a total of eight classes--three oral English classes for freshmen English majors and five oral English classes for post graduates. Some classes seemed thoroughly entertained by me while others just couldn't be bothered. It was a huge learning process for me to see what worked, what didn't work, what the students enjoyed, and what they found to be boring. By the end of the year, I was proud to say that I was super close with all but two classes and I was really sad to see my groups move on.

My absolute favorite class--A3 post-graduates
These guys were so talkative, their English was incredible. I knew them all by name, they laughed at my jokes, and they threw a party for me on the last day of class. I am going to miss these goofballs so much!

English 132, my freshmen... a bit shy in the beginning of the school year, they finally started to open up in the last few months which just thrills me.

133, my craziest group of freshmen, these guys were a hoot! Some of my favorite students were in this class like Lyn, Gloria, Cassie, and Jungle (among many others with equally fantastic names). I am so sad I won't have this group next year.

My A5 English class--they were a bit quiet but when you got them going, they just kept going! Their exams and presentations were always super well done and usually hilarious... Way to go!

My beloved B1 class of only 8 out at Xiasha. I hated going to Xiasha but these guys always made it worthwhile. Because the class was so small, I got to know them all and I was just able to sit down and talk with them.

Team HZ

This group of crazies is my main support group over here in Hangzhou. There are some majorly different personalities and I’ve managed to get closer with some more than others but all in all I truly do enjoy the time I spent with everyone. The group is made up of James, Nate, Steve, Karin, Hannah R., Nathan, Other Adam, DH, Hannah S., and (obviously) my Adam. They all work together and have known each other for at least a year before I waltzed into the picture. They accepted me into the group when they did not even have to look my way. They treated me like a member of the team from practically day one (granted, this might have something to do with Adam). From parties, dinners, studies, and just simply get togethers, I’ve gotten to know them all by name and personality from talking Sweden and runes with Karin, sitting together with Steve and just chatting during our medical exams at the beginning of the year, or talking books with James. These people have come from different walks of life and each have something vital to add to the group—and to me. I am so thankful to find a group so willing to open up their arms and hearts and invite me to be with them.

Christmas 2013
Back Row: Adam, me, Hannah S., Nathan, Nate, James
Front Row: Other Adam, Karin, Hannah R., DH, Steve, Joanna (Steve's fiancee)

 The Kids

Sometimes when you are in a stressful situation, you are forced to make connections with each other. Sometimes it is your first group of friends when you go away to school for the first time or a new job or a new city or country. They are not your first choice of companions but for the time being, they will do. That was not the case with these crazy kids. It took a bit of time for us to gather together but when we were together hijinx ensued. At Christmas parties, we danced together. On Friday nights, we would eat street food together. We were there to laugh at each other, share personal stories, dance with each other, travel together, and simply share an exciting piece of our lives with one another. It was dancing on tables during KTV and making fun of each other that helped us all get through the insanity of teaching and living in China. You need a support system… even better if that support system can be your friends who will dance through life with you. And yes, I do consider them my friends…

The Ladies| Hannah R., me, Hannah S.
The Gents| Other Adam, Nathan, Adam, DH
Some of the finest people I know!! And the craziest...

 The Ladies

I haven’t been one to have “girlfriends” all too often. In high school I was friends with three or four girls but the minute that I moved away for college, I lost all connection with them. My freshman year of college, I was really close with a group of about five girls who all lived on the same floor in my dorm building but again, once they graduated, we lost touch. My last few years, I had two ladies that I still consider to be some of my very best friends—Rachel and Becky—and I’ve managed to keep in touch with them fairly well (I’m really bad at it if my track record doesn’t show that much). While in Disney, I hung out with the girls in my apartment but I really only keep in touch with a few ladies from there too. I have a harder time connecting with women than I do men (I connect the best with gay men, it would seem… again, look at that track record!) so it did take me a bit of time to really connect with any of the girls over here in Hangzhou.

It was our trip to Yangshuo that really brought us together. Major heart to heart chats with both the Hannahs. Singing songs on the back of a motorbike—all three of us piled on there! Jumping on couches during KTV. Experiencing Yangshuo, dancing in each other’s apartments, pillow talk, heart to hearts, campfires, sleeping outside in the cold… these two ladies have been wonderful additions to my China adventure.

Taking a break from our biking adventure in Yangshuo

 Hannah S. has been like a big sister to me. She knows so much about China (not to mention she actually speaks Chinese), life, and relationships. She is a strong young woman who has a soft spoken and silent strength that I truly admire and her kindness and willingness to be there for people and help is something I would like to try and emulate more in my own life.

Irish dancing in Hannah's apartment... Also the only photo of just me and her... How did that happen?!

 Hannah R. is a girl after my own heart and I am so happy to have such a wonderful, colorful person in my life. Whether she is taking selfies, painting, reading, or writing, I just know it will be something beautiful (I have four original paintings of hers just to prove it to you)! She has an amazing philosophy on life. Whether we are hiking through the Himalayas or silently sitting on the beaches of Malaysia and just staring up at the stars or down at the bioluminescence, I have come to like and respect her. Every opportunity in her life is an adventure… I am thrilled to have met someone who feels the same way about life as I do.

 The Big Four

Like I said earlier, I connect better with guys than I do girls. Not sure why, I just do. My first connections I made out here in Cangqian were with these three guys—Adam, Other Adam, and DH. Other Adam knocked on my door my first night in town and invited me to hang out with them at DH’s new apartment. The rest is really history. Adam and I started dating, I got to know Other Adam and DH more, I met Hannah R. and Nathan, and discovered the beauty that is street food. Most Fridays were spent around a street food table, funny stories being swapped over a beer, and Settlers being played out (God, I’m awful at that game). Not only did we enjoy spending time together in Cangqian and Hangzhou but we also traveled together. The Adams and I spent National Holiday together by going up to Qingdao and Dalian and, more recently, the Big Four went to ZhangJiaJie together. We spend time together well, we travel well together (other than DH’s snoring which had be considering murder… Kidding… I’m kidding…), and, all in all, we enjoy each other’s company. They were the ones that bought me a cake for my birthday and they were the ones that I wanted to spend my Friday nights and holidays with… Truly great guys who I will miss so much.

Making our way through ZhangJiaJie National Park

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I wrote a letter to a few people before they left and in it I said something that always makes myself feel better in times like this—times of change:

Lives are always changing, and sometimes we wish that things could just stay the same. But our story isn’t over yet! The book is far from over… This is just a chapter in our lives that is ending and there’s a whole hatful of chapters left with new characters, twists and turns, and adventures for all of us!

I truly do believe that. For some of us, our roles in each other’s lives are now complete. But for others, I truly do believe that our paths will cross again. I want to thank you all for being a part of the most exciting chapter in my life so far… Here’s to meeting again sometime down the line! 

Until Next Time,

Amanda