After two nights in Shanghai, we lugged a year's worth of luggage into the Metro system for an hour ride across the city, boarded a train to Hangzhou, and finally grabbed a taxi back to our Chinese apartment. Something is off when I equate China with rest and relaxation, but that's exactly what I craved when we collapsed in our Middle Kingdom abode on Sunday evening. Fortunately, the musty smell that built up after six weeks away was minimal, and everything was still in good working order. I confess, dear reader, that I suspected to encounter some mini-crisis upon arrival. I praise the Eternal One that all was, well, "normal" when we returned.
So here we are, back for another year in the roller coaster that is China. The culture shock of returning hasn't been too bad so far. I am once again experiencing the not unpleasant, yet distinctly acrid smell in our apartment's stairwell, the shrill sound of bike brakes, the deliciously tangy taste of kimchi pancake at the Korean restaurant down the street, and beautifully tranquil lotus flowers in the city garden. Thankfully, we brought some towels, sheets, and a bath mat from the US that improve our sensory experiences from the coarse and synthetic ones we have suffered with Chinese linens this past year.
What will year #2 hold for us? In short, we're not sure. We came back on faith that God would bring a vision for service in Shanghai into fruition. While we have learned much in Hangzhou and have found it to be a wonderful landing spot, we have found ourselves more and more drawn to that megapolis "above the sea" (the literal translation of Shanghai). For now, we enjoy some much-needed R & R, remembering with a smile our wonderful time with loved ones back home, and actively praying about what is next for us in the Middle Kingdom.
*For the stark contrast to our rude awakening upon landing in Shanghai last year, see my September 2011 post, "Day One in China."