Wednesday 10 Jul
Suzanne celebrates how much can change in a year.
Suzanne writes, “Today I celebrate exactly one year since I arrived in the Silk Road!
How much can change in twelve months?
Well, up until recently, popping over to the shops to pick up some yoghurt was no small feat! Door locks are different here, traffic travels in the opposite direction and signs aren’t intuitive for me. I have to remember which roads are dug up (currently, most of them), remember to leave my bags in a locker at the supermarket, remember where the dairy section is, navigate labels in multiple different languages, mentally convert the price to AUD, distinguish between different notes and coins in a new currency, speak K with the cashier, remember to hand my basket to the security guard, remember to quickly say that I don’t need a plastic bag, and be ready to have an unexpected conversation at any point. Each of these are small, but they add up!
A year later, a trip to the supermarket doesn’t exhaust me any more. I can speak incidentally with people to chat, ask for directions or buy something without having to think about or plan it. Before, these felt like huge milestones!
A year later, I have a wider network of acquaintances and friends. People in town know and recognise me. I’m invited to their houses and invite them to mine - this takes some energy, but it’s getting easier every time. I message a range of people in K daily. People can get to know me as an actual person, as I can share my memories, jokes and hobbies. And I know that with more time and language, interacting with me won’t require quite so much patience and effort from local friends.
In short, a year later, the Silk Road is starting to feel like home. Sure, I miss Australia and all of the friends and family I’ve left behind sometimes. But when I look toward the next two years, the preliminary foundations are set. I feel like I can start building.
And another big milestone… I’ve begun teaching English! This marks a large transition after almost a full year of full-time culture and language learning. I teach adult beginners at our team’s English centre and am enjoying using some familiar professional skills again.
Please join me in giving thanks for these new opportunities to equip and support people here. I’m grateful for the new relationship opportunities this has presented already.”
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