Every day here at CTBU we try new foods, learn new words, see different buildings and visit different sites, but most importantly create moments during the day with people I know we will never forget. The people here make the time here unforgettable. They are so excited when we attempt to speak their language or ask questions about their culture. They’re pretty much always excited when they are around us. After going through a bit of a culture shock in Beijing I am finally starting to adapt to the differences over here. The volunteers at CTBU make everything so much fun. Casual conversations and simple meals at the cafeteria with our buddies make the day go by so fast and it’s so much fun.
Today was a good day and I feel like it just started, even though it has come to an end. I wake up every morning with a “good morning buddy” text from my partner here at CTBU and get a good night one every night. I definitely think I will have a good night because today went well. A little bit of shopping with a fun-filled dinner and some ice cream for dessert made everything so perfect.
The most interesting part of today was the Hot Pot dinner we shared as a group. We walked to a nearby restaurant and walked in to a new kind of meal. Hot Pot is very popular in Chongqing and very delicious. They had tables’ set-up with a hot pot in the center. The hot pot was literally a little pot inside of a big pot on top of concealed flames to keep it hot. Inside the pots was oil. The little pot was a non spicy pot and the big pot was a spicy pot. The table was filled with raw food and you could put the food inside the hot pot, either in the spicy pot or in the non spicy pot, and in seconds your food would be ready to eat. Your plate had oil in it and you would put your food inside the oil to cool it off. You also had the options to put garlic in your bowl to add a little flavor to the oil. The oil and garlic really helped, especially with the spicy foods. There was a variety of food to choose from so there was definitely something for everyone to eat.
It was something I never did in the US and it was nice trying something new with our CTBU friends and other foreign exchange students in the program. The food was good and definitely spicy, just how I like it.
The restaurant kept the food coming and we laughed and joked talked and learned more about each other throughout the meal. During the meal we were surprised to learn that the restaurant dances for their guests every night. The dance was lovely and we just couldn’t resist joining. Mike was the first brave soul to jump in the line of dancers. The people loved it and laughed and clapped and cheered him on. We were all smiling and having a good time. When the next song came on Mikes buddy grabbed me and we joined Mike in dancing and just seconds later everyone was standing up dancing laughing and clapping. Dinner couldn’t have been more fun.
Its nights like tonight that I am reminded how lucky I am to be here with such great people and glad to say I have new friends that I know will last a lifetime.
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