Homesickness is not a big problem for us because we have each other. We get each other’s jokes and we listen to each other’s complaints, and that makes it a lot easier to be so far from home. But sometimes we still miss America, and we have developed these tricks to make it seem closer:
Home is in the Kitchen
There are some foods you can’t buy in China, so we have attempted to make them from scratch. Last week, we had homemade granola and yogurt for breakfast every morning. We baked oats with honey, brown sugar and oil, mixed with peanuts and sesame seeds. Our granola was as good as any you could buy in Boulder, CO. We made our own yogurt, too.
Yesterday, we began experimenting with bagels and cream cheese. We made our own cream cheese with yogurt strained through a cheese cloth to make it thicker. We found a recipe for bagels on line, and the results were not bad. They were not quite chewy enough, but they did satisfy a yearning.
Home is on the Radio
The internet is an amazing thing. We can listen to all of our favorite shows on line. Even though we are in China, we haven’t missed an episode of “This American Life” or “On the Media.”
Sometimes we listen to “Morning Edition”, but less than we used to. The 24-hour-news-cycle, with its daily scandals, feels less and less relevant since we have moved so far away.
Home Can Talk for Free Via Skype
I’ll say it again, the internet is an amazing thing. We have an account with Skype that allows us to talk to our parents for free.
Unfortunately, our skype connection is not as good as it used to be. We don’t know whether the problem is caused by a glitch in the software, or by the enormous number of users, or something else. Whatever is causing it, I hope someone fixes it soon. We want to go back to those hour long, totally free, skype talks.
Home is in Two Big Boxes of Books
Before we left home, we set aside a few boxes of books. We asked Josh’s parents to send them to us via slow boat to China. Dick and Judy sent the books over two months ago, and last Friday they finally arrived! Now I have to hurry and finish the History of China I have been working on, so that I can dive into one of our newly arrived novels. Maybe I will read “Sabbath’s Theater” or “A Very Long Engagement” or “Johnny Got His Gun.” Maybe I will even attempt to tackle “Ulysses”.
Our library overfloweth, and it is a great feeling. It feels like home.
9 Comments
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Just reading your posting today made me really teary. No matter how far away you are please know that every moment of every day you are in our hearts. We talk about you two all the time and I’m always bragging about you both to friends at work. We admire your adventurous spirit so much. We cant wait to visit you. We arent sure when it will be because I’ve gotten pretty nervous about bringing an infant on such a long journey but know that its a priority. We love you so much.
molly, bill, baby, blue and bump
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Hey… You forgot “Friends”. It’s not like you are TOTALLY alone over here. Talk to people if it gets TOO bad. (I’m always available)
Another thing, I have come to realize that it is the actual trying to make “this place” like home, that fosters homesickness. Turn THIS place into “Home”, and it makes things much easier.
(Besides, when i try to make this place like home… it usually ends up like a Twilight Zone version of Mississippi… *shudder*)
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You two continue to bring Allison and I inspiration. I just finished the History of Ireland, and am ready tol start the History of China. Can you post some good Chinese recipies for us to make here?
Allison and I would like your address. Can you e-mail it to me. We have a small box of stuff for you. (It too may go slow boat).
LandDesign has an office in Beijing, and I may have an opportunity to go soon. Our office there is booming! How far away are you?
Greg
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hehe, don’t forget, you can get savage love on the onion :)
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Also, we purchased a Philadelphia to China calling card for only $10. This gives us more than 4 HOURS of talking time. This must be available in any city with a large Chinese population. But I guess it also shows how non-techno we are here. xoxomom&pop
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Googled you a couple of weeks ago and found you guys online. Have admired your adventures from afar during recent lulls at the computer. What a neat life! Please tell Josh that Melissa L. in Huntsville says hello! Noticed some boysenberry syrup at the store the other day and wondered whatever happened to Dan? : ) Normally, I wouldn’t have intruded, but I couldn’t help but post a response to this particular entry. For what it’s worth…I recommend you go with Very Long Engagement first. I haven’t read it myself, but it’s my favorite Audrey Tatou movie – it must have been fabulously written. And I don’t know what you do or don’t have access to through the internet over there…but if you’re having trouble accessing your usual station…I recommend trying to get WAMC out of Albany, NY. It’s my favorite of all the NPR stations (that I’ve heard). Alan Chartock is a hoot. And!!… I don’t cook a lot of things very well, but as it would happen, I actually have very good recipes for both granola (supreme with yogurt) and bagels (an easy recipe…makes good chewy ones). I will try to get them to you and soon as I can figure out which box I packed them in – I’ve recently moved and haven’t made it a priority to unpack. I think I’m secretly hoping to leave the country, myself. : ) Congratulations to both of you on having met one another and living such an adventurous life together! If there is anything you might want from Huntsville to remind you of home, please let me know – I would be happy to send!!
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It took me a little while to read this post, because I was ready for it to make me sad. Will and I have a bad case of Josh-and-Emily sickness! Sunday afternoons roll around and all we want to do is hang out with our friends, drink some tasty or experimental mixture of juice and booze, snack, critque the world and play games.
Once we can start planning a trip out West-so-far-its East, that’ll help.
Glad to hear the slow boat made it with your books. If you had an address for Tsingtao, maybe we could send something now for the fall! Let me know when you attempt Ulysses, maybe I’ll give it a shot too and we can commiserate.
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I loved A Very Long Engagement, you are in for a treat! When I am abroad every time I visit the States I send back a boat shipment of treats so that a few weeks later, when I least expect it, goodies arrive. It cheers me up, and most of the time I’ve completely forgetten what I pack anyway!
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was unpacking a box today and finally came across the bagel recipe…always got pretty good bagels with it…
1 1/8 c water
2 Tbs sugar
3 c bread flour
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dry yeast
Glaze: nonstick veg spray or veg oil or egg yolk and/or water
Mix yeast, warmed water, and sugar. Let stand 5 min. Add salt and oil. Pour into flour and knead well. Let dough rise 1 hour. Punch down, knead, shape into 8 bagels, let rest 20 min. Drop bagels into boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain. Dust bottoms with cornmeal. Glaze tops. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.