Happy Belated Chinese New Year

Clearly this is yet another example of my procratination. I meant to do this as a tribute to all my friends in China, who I hope will forgive me for being slow. In honor of the Chinese New Year, I offer up my list (I know I said no more lists, but at least this isn't a tag) of some of my favorite things about China:

1 - Jackey. China was as close to a life or death situation as I have ever come, and I can honestly say that this amazing young man was a lifesaver for me and BK. He stuck with us through many rough patches, one of which included a hospital trip for the BK where I had to attempt to spell diarrhea so Jackey could plug it into his pocket translator. This trip also involved an incident with a "sample" and a receptionist who dipped a stick in it and handed it back to us. With no biohazardous waste receptacles in sight, and no one who seemed the least bit interested in where it was deposited, it was laid to rest in a small trash can with no lid in the center of the reception area. That was just the first week. Enough said. Jackey, we couldn't have loved China without you. (PS - He also gave us the outfit the LG is wearing as a going away gift.)

2 - Freedom/Communism Sandwich. China is like an oreo cookie with a really crunchy, black outside framed by strict communist ideals. In the middle is a sort of sweet freedom that isn't discovered unless you eat the whole cookie. Don't ask me where that came from, but my point is this - In America where we are "free", you can't walk outside the designated path at the park. In China there are no signs of warning, no park police, no fences or chains keeping you in bounds. You are free to walk off the side of the mountain and it won't be anyone's fault but your own.

3 - Toilets. I realize that the western world seems to look down on sanitation in China, particularly when it comes to toilets (or the lack thereof), but I am a convert. Don't get me wrong, I like to sit on a nice warm pot in a stall with a door, toilet paper close at hand, with soap and sinks to wash up after. That said, in a country with billions of people, efficiency seems like a reasonable measure of success, which leads me to my next point:

4 - Toddler Trousers. In China, toddlers don't wear diapers. What??? Yes, that's right. They wear toddler "trousers" that have a hole cut in the crotch and they are trained from a very early age to pee in gutters. I have pictures, but figure you can use your imagination. I honestly think it is brilliant. Again, billions of people, landfills, diapers... it just doesn't seem like a good idea. Plus, their kids are potty trained by one. As a mother to a child who waits until his diaper is changed to go #2, I can appreciate the logic behind the Chinese method. Stinky gutters and poo on the sidewalk are a small price to pay.

5 - People. Not people as in "people trampling each other to get on a bus", or "people waiting in line for any reason", but people as in individual Chinese people. Like Jackey, I found the Chinese to be very selfless with their close friends, and that once you became friends with someone, you became a friend for life.

I certainly hope that life continues to improve for these amazing people, and that they choose to protect their heritage and culture for future generations, and that they continue to move toward a society that more closely resembles a double stuffed oreo. To all my friends, I love and miss you.