Orientation and adjustment

Wednesday, September 3 the SSTers gathered in the conference room of the Foreign Affairs Office on the campus of China West Normal University for a morning of orientation. We began by sharing first impressions from our first evening with our host families. We also looked at bus route maps and distributed cell phones to everyone. We headed downtown for lunch at the “Rabbit Head” (a local restaurant) and the walked through Beihu [north lake] Park to the offices of Peace in China. Peace in China’s director, Wang Ying (a friend of Goshen College), had organized a scavenger hunt for us with a map that helped everyone get out into the downtown area and have fun in smaller groups. Groups looked for particular things to photograph or buy, and tried to find the most humorous English signage. 

As we shared first impressions, some of us wondered how long it will take for us to adjust to our new surroundings. Would hard beds ever feel comfortable? What about the high humidity? How difficult will communication be across the language barrier that sometimes looms so large? At the same time, some of us noticed that we were already adjusting, in small ways, to a “new normal.” Traffic patterns and honking horns were less surprising even after just a few days and already we were starting to compare prices in RMB and think it terms of Chinese money. (“I’m not paying 6 kuai for a Pepsi. Anything more than 3 kuai is outrageous.”) All of which pointed toward the fact that we’re adaptable and flexible people. There are some things we may never get used to – at least not within the three months that we’re here – but in countless small ways, we’re adapting to our new surroundings from day one.