Mid-Autumn Festival

Wednesday is our last day of class for the week as students and teachers will be packing their bags and heading home for Mid-Autumn Festival. The holiday is very much like Thanksgiving in the United States; throngs of people return to their hometowns for the chance to celebrate togetherness and admire the beautiful moon. When I was living in Taiwan I posted about how a very successful barbecue sauce commercial that originally aired around the holiday had resulted in the tradition of barbecuing under the moon. Families and friends gift one another with moon cakes filled with all kinds of goodies from red bean and chestnut to roasted pork and salted egg yolk. It's a beautiful holiday, and it often marks the beginning of deliciously cool and breezy weather that resembles Fall.

And now, a confession. Being in China has been complicated for me. Each time I traveled abroad before it was strictly the result of a very clear choice I had made to further my knowledge of Chinese language and culture. My time in Taiwan was so great and so unique because of the amazing opportunity that landed me there, that being back in China has set off this internal dialogue about what I am doing here now. I will always love any teaching position I have, and my greatest hope for this position is that I'm able to help students grow immensely in their their ability to use English while building self-confidence and developing their creativity. Long work days, frequent adjustments, figuring out how to develop critical thinking skills in ninth graders, and adapting to a Chinese school environment are tough. I often feel like I will never be fully prepared even though I'm nearly always working.

Mike and I worked very long hours in the U.S.; we had six part-time jobs between the two of us! But we also had semi-flexible schedules that would allow for weekends away, dinners with friends, and time to visit with family. Fall had always been my favorite season, but in the past couple of years, it was the very best part of the year. It meant trips to Bloomington, the pumpkin patch, spending Thanksgiving in Michigan, celebrating Aunt Jenny's birthday, and  just enjoying cozy meals and quiet nights at home with a pooch.

As the weeks go on and we adapt to our workload (and the weather finally cools down), I'm sure we'll find more time to relax. We'll have holidays to explore new parts of China and other countries on our list. But for now, as I'm trying to stay afloat and all my Chinese colleagues excitedly await their trips home, I  find myself feeling sad that I can't spend my favorite season with my favorite people back home. So this Mid-Autumn Festival, when I look up at the moon, I will remember those perfect Fall days.