Saying Goodbye

As some of you may know, today is my last day in China.

I've had an amazing last six months, and I’m so glad and grateful that I got this opportunity once again.

I know I’ve been absent from this blog for the last one and a half months, and I wasn’t even that busy. A lot of things have happened since I wrote my last entry, though, so let me give you a short summary of the past seven weeks. 

Left to right: Me and Flo enjoying the delights of Sichuan cuisine

First of all, my partner came to see me in Shanghai and stayed for 10 days. We had a very relaxing and almost dreamlike week and a half together, and I can’t wait to see him again tomorrow evening.

My Chinese family in Zhengzhou

After that, I stayed in Shanghai (with Skye and her family) for a few more days and then, in the second week of January, made my way north to Zhengzhou, the city where I lived in 2012. 

My host family took me back in, and I was once again warmly welcomed by the entire family, as well as my host Mum’s friends (one of whom makes my life in Austria just a little bit sweeter, as she’s the one who always sells me all the tea I take back to Austria).

From left to right: May, me, and May's grandmother

I also saw my old school friend May again and was invited to stay with her family over the weekend three weeks ago.

And, of course, for the past few days, I have been celebrating the Chinese New Year with my Chinese family. (Seperate blog entry to follow in... let's say a week or so.)

When I left China in 2013, I wrote one entry on this blog just to thank everyone who made my stay here better and/or possible. I will not write an extra blog post to do so this time, and so many people have contributed that it is impossible to give a shout-out to everyone, but I do want to mention a couple of people:

First and foremost: My Chinese family and friends, who have all welcomed me back with open arms and do everything they can to make me fall in love with this country all over again. 

Me with my Chinese Mum (Pearl)

In this context, I’m most profoundly grateful to my Chinese Mum, Pearl, whose flat I have been staying at for the past month and who is like a real mother to me in every possible way. I am also always overwhelmed by the love shown to me by rest of her family, who have never once made me feel like an outsider. 

I also want to give special thanks to Skye, her husband, and her son Xinxin, who have done the same in Shanghai.

Of course I also have to thank my parents – they were, after all, the ones to pay my tuition fee, so without them, my semester at the Tongji University, and, therefore, the entire stay, would quite literally not have been possible. 

They also continue to support me in everything I do, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.

Furthermore, I would be remiss not to mention my partner, who has been every kind of wonderful for the past four years (probably longer, but I didn’t know him then). During the last six months, he was frequently called upon to manage my Austrian life, which he never failed to do perfectly, despite his own very stressful life.
Flo, I know that you never liked the thought of my going abroad for a semester, and I know it hasn’t always been easy for you. This only makes me more grateful for how unwavering you have been – despite your own feelings – in your support and encouragement of my stay in China.

Finally, I want to sincerely thank the international coordinators who have been helping me, both in preparation of my semester abroad and during my stay here. Especially Mag. Blasonig on the Austrian side and Ms Zhang on the Chinese side have put a lot of effort into making everything go smoothly. 

I am leaving with a heavy heart (and, accordingly, have been very sentimental and melancholy during the past few days), because I do not know when (or if) I will have another opportunity to come here. But whatever happens, this country, this culture, (and this cuisine!) will always occupy a special place in my heart.

There are three more blog entries that I’ve got planned for after I’ve returned to Austria (one about the weddings, one about the Chinese New Year, and one with a couple of photos), so I’ll write again soon(ish).

Happy New Year - 新年快乐!