Some Lovely Goodbyes

On a bright note, if you're fortunate enough to get a roommate who lives in Shanghai, or fortunate enough to get an internship with a boss who really cares about you, then you're likely to have some lovely goodbyes before leaving Shanghai.

If you have followed most of my blogs, you know that my roommate, Jeff,  or 高富帅 (or tall, rich, and handsome, as we all call him) has really become my best friend.  His family has also been great to me by getting me a coffee machine when I first got to China, taking me to an old water town for a cultural experience, inviting me to a family wedding in Nanjing, offering my family and me seemingly endless gifts, and inviting me to their home for two amazing meals.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have had him as a roommate and gotten the chance to meet his family.  That last meal was incredibly rewarding because it really exemplified the improvement I have made in my Chinese.  When I first ate with them, I was lucky to understand 50-75% of what they were saying in full out Chinese, but this past week I understood nearly 100%, I understand every 干杯 (to drink a toast) speech his father made, and felt a very real connection with them.

^My roommate Jeff and his father toasting to new friendship.

Then I'm not sure if it's weird to admit, but I had a really good time at Karaoke with my boss and colleagues on the last day of work.  The first time I went to Karaoke, I think it was 2AM and I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to start singing.  However, in the middle of the afternoon, when you’re not so reluctant to be there it can actually be a lot of fun.  I will sincerely miss the team over at Vance Info too.

^Karaoke with the Vance Info team.

Also, my last day in Shanghai was insane!  In the morning, I finally caught up with an alumnus who just arrived in Shanghai to start his new position, and then I met my buddy Timur’s British cousin, who took me for a wonderful lunch.  Then in the afternoon a friend from the Shanghai Theatre Academy invited me to the 2010 World Expo’s Mercedez-Benz Arena, where I watched figure skating and saw LiYuChun perform, the boyish pop-star who is apparently really famous in China.  Then I finished off in PuDong where I met my manager from another internship for a nice dinner overlooking the bund.  I even saw Sunny Shih.  What a day.

^Mercedez-Benz Arena, the Chinese love anything Titanic related.

Meeting all of these people and saying my goodbyes really made me realize I made some great friends in Shanghai and started building a lifelong network.  These people, wherever and however you meet them, are your gateway into life in China.  Although it might be fun to follow your fellow study abroad classmates around the city for the semester, it will be such an awesome experience if you make some local friends.  Persist with your relationships, invest in them, and make it count for the long-term, the dividends are priceless.

^Sunny and I in Pudong on my last night in Shanghai, shout out to SK.