Sunday, April 24, 2011

If I could write a letter to you....

Dear country of current residency,

I was a little discouraged by living in you this week-end. Tired because a meeting that was supposed to start at 10:30 on a Saturday morning started for me at 9:00 when people started showing up at my apartment and ended at 1:00 after a slightly awkward lunchtime.

Tired because I waited in numerous traffic jams on buses where people stared and talked about us like we were animals.

Tired because some nail people said "We can do all four of your nails at the same time" when their definition of "same time" meant within a 2 hour block of time. Tired because I don't even care about getting my nails done in the first place.

Tired because countless citizens praised my team-mates' Chinese and seem confused by mine.

Tired because a taxi driver took us a long way around when I already felt depressed that I couldn't talk to my parents on Easter and missed an awesome performance at the meeting place.

And finally, tired when I got home at 9:15 this evening only to discover that the key to enter my house did not work.

Yes said country, you won this week-end. You kicked my butt. I hold up the white flag.

Yours truly,

Tired foreigner

P.S. I'm still sad to leave you.

3 comments:

Drew and Rachel said...

Portia, I'm so sorry to hear your weekend was exhausting and didn't go your way.

Avery said...

Sorry you had a bad China weekend! Especially since the nail trip contributed :-(
All the time my student and friends ask me why I can't speak Chinese like Portia... take heart-- everyone looks up to you and shames us without great language ability!!

Reflections said...

I was tired of my country too. Except that I won't be leaving...