Wednesday, January 1, 2014

A Dog Tinkled on My New Years Resolutions : )

I will admit that I am borderline insane when it comes to New Years resolutions.   I LOVE getting a fresh start, reflecting on the previous year and thinking about how to torture yourself in the new year : ).  In reality I don't do resolutions because I have terrible success with that system...in true procrastinator fashion, I prefer goals because they are one time things that I can cram in at the end of the year.  I generally take about a week to come up with a list of 12 or so new goals for the upcoming year.  These goals fit into categories and then I put them into a powerpoint...borderline insane may have been giving myself too much credit.  

The process of coming up with New Years goals was yet another reminder on how my life in America and my life in China differ.  In America I feel like I can do BIG things, or at least dream to do big things... one year I wanted to (and did) participate in an adventure race involving kayaking 2 miles, biking 12 miles and running 3 miles.  One year my best friend and I rode our bikes from Pittsburgh to D.C.   In China, due to the language barrier and other complications, I feel like I have to dream a little smaller because I am barely able to do the daily tasks required for sustaining life.  But these small things end up feeling like big things because they involve large amounts or frustration, anxiety, stress, tears and embarrassment.  

Now we get to the dog... As I was beginning the process of making my goal list, I felt that I need to branch out and try to buy my vegetables from the market instead of from the local Walmart.  This would give me a chance to support the local farmers and an opportunity to use my Chinese.  I have bought fruit from the market and it has been nice because the fruit man and I exchange pleasant nods when I go past.  It makes me feel like I am a part of a community which I really miss.  Right outside of my apartment there is a street where farmers come and sell their vegetables.  Many of them lay out blankets on the ground and sell their produce that way.  As I was walking towards that street I saw a stray dog lift its back leg and tinkle on the lettuce.  I looked at the seller in horror to see what her reaction would be.  She saw the episode and merely looked away and continued on with her selling.  A DOG TINKLED ON MY NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!  I considered taking my vegetable buying off of the list and giving up vegetables for the next six months but then realized that I already have so much anxiety about purchasing meat that I am nearly a vegetarian by default...how can I be a vegetarian without eating vegetables?  Isn't that what scurvy is?  Am I going to end up like the pilgrams voyaging to the new world and die on the boat before reaching the destination?  NO!  In the words of Gloria Gaynor, "I will survive!"  I decided that I will continue to buy and eat vegetables, I will just have to come up with a better strategy for purchase and learn how to clean them correctly.  Since the dog incident I have had vegetables (they were bought from Walmart : ) ) I conquered the washing part and washed them like I have never washed anything before.  The bowl that I washed them in looked like a commercial for Mr. Bubble.  I was almost jealous of the bubble bath spa treatment of my green beans and bean sprouts.  Now for the purchasing strategy... I've scoped it out and have come by markets in which the vegetables are on tables.  It would have to be a pretty big dog to tinkle on a table right?  

At last my list of small but big goals is complete.  I have my categories down to three categories.  They are cultural immersion, learn how to say more than "ting bu dong" (translation: "I don't understand") and professional development.  In the cultural immersion category (which really overlaps with "ting bu dong") I have decided to join one of the early morning or evening dance parties that go on in the park, get back onto a bike (I have taken an approximately three week break because everytime I rode a bike in traffic I wanted to go back to America), shop in the market (I want to try to buy fruits, vegetables and meat in the market... the meat will be the biggest challenge because the beef is hanging there in big slabs and I don't know what it is and the fish is alive and that freaks me out.  I also want to try new vegetables, there are some really interesting looking vegetables here and I would like to give them a whirl) and strike up conversations in Chinese with unlucky innocent bystanders.  I also want to cook two meals from scratch (since that is really the only option) a month.  Regarding language learning, I need to be more disciplined.  I didn't sign up for classes because I will be moving around so much but it's hard to study without anyone in your face.  I have decided to study at least 5 hours a week and start talking to random people.  My professional growth category isn't that excting so I won't bore you : )   

There my friends is 2014, the year of talking, shopping, riding and eating, when I put it that way it sounds pretty fun!  Happy New Years!!!

2 comments:

  1. VeryFunny, Becca! I like how you summed up your post. Talk, shop, ride and eat. Now I need to make a few goals myself.

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  2. So yesterday I bought some grapes at Whole Foods. They said they had been washed and I was feeling extra lazy about washing them again in my office kitchen...but then I remembered this story and made the effort to wash away! :D xo

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