I miss 中国 (China)

Ok, I know I said I wouldn't write anymore about China. I know I said that I was moving on in my blog to write about more current things in my life... well I lied. Yes, that was the original intention, but for some reason I cannot get China off of my mind! So consider this a post in honor of Chinese New Year this week.

Here is a short list of the things I miss most about China:

1. My friends (The Chinese and American friends that walked this journey with me)
2. The food (Going from basically the culinary capital of civilization to NGU caf food has plummeted my taste buds into clinical depression)
3. Walking (There is a certain beauty and practicality in being able to walk to anything you need. America's suburbia is definitely stressing me out)
4. Adventure (In China every day was adventurous, unpredictable, and full of new experiences)
5. Tea (Dance Tea-- nuff said)
6. Speaking Chinese (Struggling through this incredibly difficult language filled me wonder and a much needed dose of humility)
7. Community
8. Chinese Art
9. Being a Minority
10. Catching/Riding Buses
11. Pirated DVD Stores
12. Motorcycles ( I miss the crazy and dangerous feel you get when you ride a motorcycle taxi...)
13. Old Chinese Men (My friend Park and I agreed that these are by far the COOLEST old people in the whole world)
14. Playing Games (Ping Pong, Mahjong, and Dou Di Zhu)
    
15. History
16. Reading the China Daily (It's surprisingly refreshing to get world news from a Non-Western perspective)
17. Chinese Barbecue (Meat on a Stick!)
18. Not being in America
19. Being in China.