Job Change
Her brother has a friend who is opening a beauty saloon in the Asian Park section of Beijing, so she packed her bags -- really just one -- and left our family this morning.
The beauty saloon represented a better opportunity and the chance to learn a skill that she can use when she returns to her hometown in a year or two. At least this is her plan. Everyone plans to be here a year or two.
Her name is Xiujuan or at least that is what the pinyin on my phone says. I didn't talk to her much. Well, never if you are looking for actual verbal communications. She cried last night playing with the kids, I guess she did get attached to them after all. The kids handled it in stride, she was there 11th ayi in two and a half years.
Last night, I took Aidan and Lydia out to 7-11 as we do most nights I am home (the 7-11s are actually nice here and lack the third world country feel of those in the states. Now, how ironic is that). Lydia and Aidan each got a small piece of candy and then ran to the benches in the covered area that separats the Kuntai office building from the Kuntai hotel. As we sat there -- Aidan reluctant to give me even one bite -- I asked them if they knew Xiujuan is leaving. Aidan sad yes. Lydia said yes. I asked both if she was their friend. Both said yes. When the candy was gone we ran in circles and played ring around the rosie.
Aidan and Lydia with our Ayis.
For my part, I think she's making the right decision. She's young and fairly smart and one can imagine that if she grew up under different circumstances she could have made a life for herself. One imagines her doing that anyway, just with a different paint by numbers palette.
I too changed jobs within my company today, or at least I formally asked too. My reasons are not so different from hers, except the colors I get to paint with are somewhat different; perhaps more muted. I too want to be around people who are more like me and to improve my position when I return to my home town.