Living in a country that is very unlike your own, where you don't have any family or long time friends, and you don't speak the language, usually quickly facilitates a friendship with others who are living in a country unlike their own, where they don't have any family or long time friends, and don't speak the language. These new friends become your family, a sort of adopted China family. They are the people you call to go to the market because it seems easier to handle the chaos when your with someone else, you spend holidays together when your biological family is 1000 miles away, they are there when you are having a tough China day to grab a glass of wine and share a laugh, when you are missing home they remind you of home, and when you have nothing to do as a stay-at-home wife they are there to just hang out and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Over the past six months we've had to say goodbye to a number of people who are part of our China family because like us, Dalian isn't a permanent destination. Most recently our good friends Leon & Kevin, along with their dog Jilly, left for Portland, OR. Leon has been a great friend to me over the past 15 months. She's always been willing to take a trip to the market and to grab a glass of wine when I've had a tough China day. Saying goodbye is tough. It's one of the things I like least about being an expat.
Best wishes Leon & Kevin. Hopefully our paths will cross again someday.
No comments:
Post a Comment