What I Miss

Holy shit, it's almost the end of the year. And I'm back in the States. Whoever's reading this, did you have a great 2004?

2004 was the fastest international year for me. I think I took around 20 flights. This last one, coming back from Shanghai (to SFO) was the worst. I got seated next to the toilets, and slept not a wink for 24 hours.

The best things about being back in the US:

Mom, Dad, Lilly, Jonathan
Sweetheart
Friends
Big bed, soft pillows, clean water, big room, all my books, fresh fruit, indoor heating, less pollution
English language

The things missed the most since leaving China:

Dad's side
Grampa (Ye Ye - 82 years old)
Da bo, da ma (uncle and aunt)
San shu and his wife
Cousins Xiao Xiao (studying construction) and Xi Xi (still in high school)

Mom's side
Gramma (Lao Lao - 74 years old)
Da yi, da yi fu, cousin Cathy (teaching grade school), and her son (3)
Danielle (who is getting married in a few days and moving to NY in a few months)
Er yi, er yi fu, cousin Miao Miao (27), jie fu, little nephew Wen Wen (3)
Da jiu, er jiu, san jiu and their wives
Cousins Yao Yao (21), Han Han (20), and Bing Bing (14)
Si yi, si yi fu, and cousin Tian Xing Yu (14)
Lao yi, lao yi fu and their son Le Le (4)

Friends

Mandarin language all the time
Goddamn good food (and healthy too!)
Taxi
Open markets with endless, endless variety
Buying hot yams off the street
Living in the middle of the city
Always almost getting run over by traffic
No scary cops
No xmas consumerism in the air all the time
No blatant religion
Perhaps the most genuinely international cities I have been to
Constant change, constant growth
Walking down the street everyday and seeing hundreds of other faces
Nice outfits
Seeing old people walk down the street really slow and smiling
Nice people (well, there are nice people here too!)

The best thing I got from China is ... I feel healthy and alive and hopeful.