So Remember in September?

I know what you're thinking. 

“Kayla, why would you put a picture of a terd on your blog?”

It’s not a terd, I promise. My photography skills were lacking earlier today, but I really wanted to convey a point. You see, these little boogers are red hot chili’s. They were the first things we noticed eight months ago as soon as a dish was served to us in Beijing. We would take a look at the dish and squirm if we saw splotches of red throughout it, knowing that our mouths were going to soon be in pain. As a team, we would pick out as many as we could, usually leaving pyramids of chili’s for our waitresses to laugh at. We were the foreigners. We couldn’t handle spicy.

China also has these tricky little devils called “numbing spices”.  They literally look like a black, prickly acorn, but they’re small enough to hide under rice and leafy greens. If you happen to take a bite of one, you’ll immediately know why they’re referred to as “numbing spices”…your entire mouth {and front of your face} goes instantaneously numb. Don’t worry, the effect only lasts for about 10 minutes.

All these things I had completely forgotten about until today. Pressed for time and by a massive to-do list, I ran to the cafeteria and got my food “da bao” [to go]. As I was shoveling the hu bao da to cai down my face, I couldn’t help but notice all the red flakes that were in my food. I thought about how I was devouring these red peppers with no problem, not even a blink. To top it off, I was actually enjoying the dish, spices included.

I’m very much a “progress person”. I love tracking progress. I love seeing growth. I love being able to say to my students 

“hey remember in September when you couldn’t {blah blah blah}?? Look what you’re doing now!” 

  Usually that makes their eyes get super big, and the pitch of their voice shoots up an octave.  

“Really teacher?!”

Yes, kiddo. Really, really.

So remember in September when I was super winded after 95 stairs eight times a day?

So remember in September when all I could do in the cafeteria was point?

So remember in September when the woman at the register would tell me something, and I’d hand her 100 RMB hoping and praying it was enough?

Those stairs…mastered. Even taking them two by two…and racing!

That cafeteria…friends with all of the cooks at every station.

That woman talking to me…I understand.

Well, sometimes.