What We Will Miss

Things we will miss when we've left Beijing 

**This list is not, I repeat not, in order of importance, but in order of I what I thought about first while sitting on the subway this morning** 

** ** also, I did write this almost entirely while using public transit, so there may be typos. I apologize** ** 

1. Ease of using public transport -- we've gotten really very used to just hopping on the subway and getting wherever we need to go. While the new Metro Rail line in Houston will be nice, it's a far cry from the convenience and accessibility of the Beijing DTA. Especially from our house, which is close to the connection of two major lines. 
2. Markets -- I have an abiding love for a good market. Whether it's a vegetable market, a clothing market, or a household goods market I love it. The bargaining, the stuff, the cool finds, and weird things. Target is still my favorite in the US, but if I had to choose between it and a nice bazaar, I'd definitely go for the bazaar. 
3. Not tipping-- in China you don't tip. Anyone. And it's lovely. Pedicures are already cheap here, but when you take into account that you don't have to add 20% on top of that... Well, call me a cheapskate, but I love it. 
4. Cultural differences -- now, this may seem counterintuitive, but while they drive me up the wall, I still love the little nuances and big differences between our cultures. It's interesting to learn about what people here believe causes illness and what will cure it. Or the fact that dental hygiene is only important AFTER one has lost ones baby teeth. 
5. Prices-- this more or less goes hand in hand with the tipping thing, but you've gotta love that really, really good Chinese food won't set you back more than five dollars. And good hot pot, can be had for less than $10. I've recently purchased shoes for $10, and don't even get me started on the jewelry. The cost of living in general is really nice, and even if rent can be a little high when your monthly electric bill is less than $30, even in the summer, well, it's hard to complain. 
6. People-- no, I'm not talking about The Horde that I race to beat to the subway doors each morning, or the teaming masses that pack into the subway car with me. I'm talking about the friends and connections we've gained here. The couple at the fruit shop, the man at the vegetable shop, the people at the Muslim restaurant down the road, the noodle restaurant woman, the couple that makes my breakfast every morning, the woman that flags down the bus in the morning, the cleaning lady at the school who suffers through my attempts at Chinese. These people have become a part of our life here. I don't know any of their names but I have almost daily interactions with most of them. And then there are the friends we've made. The people that have kept us from clawing our eyes out in boredom, introduced us to cool new places to go, things to do, things to eat. The people we'll stay in contact with for the rest of our lives. And then, for me, there are my students. Sometimes I worry that I'm an overly-attached teacher, but in the five months that I've been with these children I've grown to care about them, worry about them, and love them. Of course, even if we were to stay I wouldn't be their teacher any more, but I hope that I'm able to stay in contact with them and see the amazing people I have every confidence they'll become. The Red Lions are a special group of children, and I'm going to have a really, really hard time saying goodbye to them. 
7. Food-- as foreigners here we make a joke that is generally phrased something like "when Chinese people want to go out to eat Chinese food what do they say? 'Lets go get food.'?". But in reality I'm pretty sure they specify the region in China they're in the mood to eat from. Sichuan, Yunan, Beijing, Zhenjiang, Shanghai... I'm going to miss that variety, and availability when we move back. Because while there are Sichuan restaurants, it's not the same. And I've never seen a Yunan restaurant, which is a huge shame, because it is amazing food. And, to tie it in with price, it's really nice to be able to feed 6 adults a full meal at a nice restaurant for under $50.