As I look up at the hundreds of fireworks in the sky, I hear the bells ringing in small temple welcoming the coming of the Chinese New Year. Though I may not believe in or understand many of the New Year traditions here, the similarities between the coming of this New Year and the beginning of my new life in China are not lost on a big boy like me.
My fist few days in China were a cultural shock to say the least. Having arrived late in the semester, I immediately had to begin my beginners' Chinese classes, along with the newest class of overseas students. Being surrounded by a language that int your own is unbelievably annoying. Due to the picture-based fashion of Chinese writing, it's not like you can have a guess, or work it out through whatever knowledge you have from other Latin-originated languages. If you don't know what it says, then that's it. However, with time passing, I have found myself progressing, though painfully slowly. The first time I called a taxi by myself, the driver actually understood where I wanted to go，which is hugely rewarding（有益的）. Sill it is never long before my lack of language skill is exposed（暴露的）and I come crashing back to earth, usually immediately upon leaving the taxi.
Gaining a language is a huge valuable skill. However, it is not the only thing I will gain in China. After this year of learning Chinese, I aim to gain my master's degree here at University of Jinan. Opportunities do come around rather often: from being offered jobs teaching English, to being asked to appear on game-shows for Shandong TV. So, for now, I am just looking forward to expanding my cultural horizons（眼界）and enjoying my time here. I takes some time to get used to everything, but that's part of the adventure and, most of all, employment. So, much like the Chinese New Year that I am lucky enough to be part of, I am just looking forward to a fresh start and a new journey in China.
