Living In a Fish Bowl

PHEW. I thought it was hot living in Columbia, SC with its famous slogan of "famously hot", but Chengdu is a whole different type of hot. I remember checking the weather app for my city prior to departure and seeing numbers ranging from 80-95, but what the app didn't express was what that temperature felt like at 5,000,000% humidity (only a slight exaggeration ;) ). If you want to get the full effect, think about swimming and walking at the same time. I am not use to sweating. Seriously, it took me three days to start sweating in Africa (the hottest place ever) and then I moved hear and can't stop sweating. I wear it like a badge of honor. It's almost like if you aren't sweating there is something wrong with you. It's definitely not a choice, but rather a lifestyle. I hope that eventually my body will adjust and I won't look like the hot mess that I have been, but if not I guess I will need to abide by the rule I tell all my students when they are doing a project: "Dress up the mess up".

And jetlag has officially taken me hostage. WHEW. I mean I feel like an ape half of the day with my knuckles dragging across the ground as I fight to understand all the new information and names being thrown at me from time to time. Not to be totally vulger, but sometimes it feels a bit like I walked past the gorillas as they threw their poo at me. YUCK but seriously. I mean I can't really explain what it feels like but maybe a bit like this:

Another way life is like a fish bowl is this idea of being surrounded by a glass barrier. My life is completely transparent. Seriously, I constantly feel stared at, laughed at, watched, and critiqued. However, I have to remember to take myself out of my own head. I don't know what they are thinking, laughing at, whether they are judging or admiring, and in the end, who cares. I stare at people that are different all the time, so who am I to point the finger saying that what is happening is wrong. I just realize that what they think is a western thing might just be that I'm kinda weird and do what I want. He's hoping to not offend and to handle the stares with grace. 

A fish bowl also has that barrier between the fish and those observing it. I feel like there is a huge language barrier. Last time I was in China, I was able to manage to get around and shop a bit, but the accent here seems to be completely different or I have completely lost all Mandarin that I had learned because I can't understand anything. I love people, so this has been the most difficult. I love to explore and practice, but instead I just stand there looking like a smiling fool. Gestures have seemed to help, but I am desperately looking forward to the start of language classes. Until then, if you hear of a blonde, white lady pointing and acting things out in giant gestures, then you know who they are referencing :)