朋友是生活中不可或缺的精神支柱

Really appreciating my friends right now. Got through the week, with out too much 伤害 (pains).

So I just wanna say 朋友是生活中不可或缺的精神支柱, my friends are life’s necessary (spiritual) backbone. I interpret “spiritual” as your state of mind, aka our sanity and every day moods. My family is definitely my absolute support, I can seek them anytime and I know they’ll be there, and they’re always providing for me, so I totally appreciate everything they've done. But friends are a totally different support, they’re the peers who get me, we understand each other. And having a group of friends in a different country is so essential because I do not and I can’t talk to my family about certain aspects of my life because they just won’t get it. I need my friends there to hear the crazy party stories, the incredibly culturally shocking thing I saw on the bus, consul me on my rants, and share our fun, sad, amazing experiences, etc. My friends are the ones who experience the same things and feel similar emotions about cultural differences while in China, like I love my family but obviously they can’t completely understand my feelings, experiences and prospective towards China.

So hats off to you guys.
MIA: Michael
Too busy, flying his kite and making language partners

I guess my point is that without my friends I probably can’t survive an unfamiliar environment. My friends have become a new family for me, I mean, we spend Thanksgiving together. And although most people will not be in BJ during Christmas and New Years, Alex and I will make the most of it. I can’t wait for you guys to be back.

And I gotta shout out to my new Chinese friends I’ve made here, I have learned so much from them. They’ve helped me expand my views and opinions and made me grow so much.

Nicole

Her pic of us at a chill cafe in Goulu

Also technology has made it very easy to keep in touch with people across the world and I have just randomly called people, just to rant, and we’re literally nanoseconds apart in a way.

I guess, this post is reflecting of how much I appreciate my friends around me (literally and figuratively). It's the season for giving!