Prelude

“Mate, eyes open, ears open, enjoy.”

I shook Rod's hand. It was blackened with the dirt and grime of a day's work. A middle-aged builder with a shaggy grey beard, standing in the sun with a can of VB, imparting words of wisdom onto passers buy. His friendly crimson glow could have been from the sun or the beer, but it didn't matter. Could I have been left with an image more Australian?

It started off like any other walk. I had to take the dogs, but I was more concerned with getting as much western music as possible onto my new Ipod. When I got out, though, it really sunk in how long it'd be before I saw this place again. I stood in the warm afternoon sun with my eyes closed. I sat in the park where I used to play as kid. I even took one last look at the old Peppercorn. I don't usually get sentimental about this sort of stuff, but it just felt right.

I've been feeling kind of down lately thinking about all the great people I'm leaving behind for the next eight months. I don't know what the best part of the last few weeks has been: Mormoncam, emperor balls, poker night, goontoxication, the maccas walkthrough or the farewell party in peppercorn (big shout out to Chris) or even my late introduction to the wonderful world of Pho. Maybe not emperor balls.

I'm taking a GAP year – teaching English to Chinese school children, and then travelling around Southeast Asia afterwards. Everyone I tell uses the same word: "experience". It's going to be a great "experience". And I don't doubt it.

On one hand I wish I could just hang around here forever, and that everything would stay the time. But on the other, I really want to get out there and see the world. Make new friends. And I know that once I get there I won't look back.

Instead of just being a tourist trampelling all over an alien culture, taking lots of pictures and asking loudly for the continental breakfast, I'm going to be living and working in China. Sure I want to see all the tourist sites, but I'm really in it for the cultural experience. By the end I hope to speak a bit of Chinese, but more importantly to have a greater empathy for the Chinese people.

Who knows, I just might learn something.

posted by flynnmatic @ 8:51 PM