A DIFFERENT LIFE

I've been having some pretty interesting conversations with my friends here over the past few days.  Last night I went to a little cafe/shop with some friends where we had chocolate fondant and Sangria, which is kind of like a red wine fruit punch.  We sat for four hours in that little cafe discussing everything from how Finnish people have saunas in their houses to Americans driving 1.5 km to the post office because they're too lazy to walk.  It was such an enjoyable evening because of how different everyone was.  Back at home, I don't think I've ever really talked to people from other countries other than Hong Kong and China.  And sometimes I think they don't really count because I am Chinese so it's not like they're foreign to me or what they do is different to what I do.

Today, after our Bible study session, me and Pam (church friend) didn't really feel like going home so we stayed around the area and hung out.  She took me to this Korean baseball hitting place (you see it all the time in dramas) near the church and I can say, with confidence, that I suck at baseball.  I hit three balls out of twenty while she hit pretty much every single one.  After that we went to a coffee shop, where one of the guys from church came to join us and the three of us (another guy came and joined, but then left) stayed in the shop and talked for a long time.  I realise, after tonight's conversations, that there are so many things I take for granted and also shouldn't complain about so much.  When I listen to other people's stories and experiences, I feel so silly for worrying about my own little life.

And honestly, when I think about what I've been hearing, seeing and experiencing in the past few weeks, the revelation that I am so inexperienced and ignorant of what goes on around me becomes stronger and stronger.  Every single day I'm here, I realise how much more there is to learn about the world - politics, economics, culture, media - and how little of all that I was exposed to back at home.  I mean, I have no regrets about living the conservative life I have at home because it has shaped me to who I am today, but now I wonder if I could adapt back to living like that again once I go back.