And just like that - poof - I’m on the other side of the world.
After a 14-hour plane ride from New York, I wandered clumsily through customs, pushed my way to baggage claim, and ended up in a sea of smiling Chinese families … but who was I looking for? The thing is, the plan is that I would stay with one of my cousins, “Xiao Xue,” who just got married last year. What’s the problem you might ask? Well, the last time we saw each other was AGES ago: I was two and she was eight - its not an exaggeration to say that we’ve changed a good bit since then.
So luckily for me (though it was kind of embarrassing) they had a huge sign with my name on it, as well as a “Welcome to China!” Anyways, crisis averted. I’m now happily typing away at their apartment in Beijing, surrounded by an adorable puppy named “Da Tou” (translates to “Big Head”), a moody but beautiful ivory kitten, two tiny box turtles, and two aquariums full of pet fish. Now before I get distracted, I’m going to take a quick second to throw out some first impressions:
1. Since when does KFC have egg custard tarts?
2. Peking International Airport is AMAZING. America, you’re being majorly outdone. Time to step it up.
3. Surefire way to look like a foreigner: Put on a seatbelt when you get in the taxi.
4. My spoken Chinese isn’t as bad as I thought it was …. maybe I will survive this summer ;)
5. Apparently my feet are mutantly large in this country, hmm.
On the agenda for tomorrow: Tiananmen Square, Gu Gong (Forbidden City), and Wangfujing (major shopping mecca)!
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