One Month

Yesterday I went with some people I don't normally see much of but whose company I enjoy to the Korean restaurant for banfan, and then on the way back we got milk tea and it struck me: I'm going to miss this place.

I am going home in a month, and for the most part that's been a source of comfort to me. Cockroach the size of my thumb in the bathroom: six more weeks. No internet access: five more weeks. The only three options are boiled, fried, or deep fried: four more weeks. But there are so many things I'm going to miss -

ginger scented shampoo
the way the guy at the Korean restaurant always knows that I'll have a banfan, no meat
having everything be 1/8 the price of the same thing in the US
bootleg DVDs
goofy Chinese pop
lychees, mangoes, and coconut milk

Since coming back from Luguhu, all I can think is that Beijing just doesn't measure up, and of course in most ways it doesn't, but I've been here a long time now, and it's sort of grown on me. I will be sorry to leave. I'd kind of forgotten that.

To Datong this weekend for our field trip. Hopefully there'll be stories when I return.