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My parents had a few friends over for a Welcome Home- Graduation- Going Away party. My cousins and aunt came up and a few other people I haven't seen in a while visited too.

As people arrived, the questions began. By the end of it, I must have sounded like a broken record. The 3 most asked questions were:

1. Do you like it?
2. How's your Chinese?
3. Do you have a Chinese girlfriend?

To which I answered:

1. No, I love it.
2. I'm getting there.
3. Not yet.

Despite the last answer, a few people accused me of already having a girlfriend and keeping it secret. I was serious in my answer. I don't have a girlfriend...yet.

In my time at home, many people have made the comment that I'm very brave, that they would never be able to do something like, esepcially haven't graduated only a few months ago. I suppose in a way it does take a certain amount of courage, to move around the world away from my family. But having survived four years in State College I think I can handle myself.

 
I met up today with two of my best friends from the Daily Collegian today- Brianna Labuskes and Marissa Carl. Bri and Marissa were the assistant copy chief and copy chief, respectively, for the student newspaper. In other words, they were my bosses. Marissa also brought another mutual friend, Julie Reis, also a former member of the Daily Collegian.

Marissa, Bri and I had been on the same staff (copy desk) for a year at the Collegian and became close friends through late nights reading copy and designing pages. The three of us went on a cruise over spring break to Mexico.

We met at an Outback Steakhouse (one of my favorite restaurants) to catch up on gossip, each other's lives and to talk about my adventures in China.

Marissa recently finished an internship with the Wall Street Journal. She currently has a job in NYC working for an online business magazine. Bri found a job straight out of college working for a newspaper company in New York state. Julie is finishing an internship.

They all had questions about my job, apartment and life in Beijing, but I was just as interested as what they were up to.

It was great seeing my friends, but sad at the same time. It would probably be close to a year before I saw them again, but they promised to e-mail and keep up with news from home. We'll also be making plans for our reunion cruise, maybe along the Yangtze or to New Zealand.
 
I'll be flying back to Beijing in one week. I really should have planned this trip a little better, maybe stayed home for three weeks. I fly back Thursday. Friday is my brother's first football game. Saturday is the kick off for Penn State's football season. I'm missing out on two big games.

I'm already getting e-mails from the staff at BJR telling me I need to return quick. My workload has been shifted to one of the other foreign experts, who is about to "revolt."
 
I can honestly say I've never been this glad to be home. Even while at State College, I never really missed my home, probably because I knew all I had to do was hop in my car and drive two hours for some good home cooking. Now, I live on the other side of the world, making it slightly more difficult to come home on weekends.

So what have I been up to? Not a whole lot. My main focus has been eating as much Western food as possible. I lost a little weight over the past three months (enough for people to ask) so I've been packing on the carbs and protein and eating a massive breakfast every morning. And absolutely... positively... no Chinese takeout.

The only disappointment came when I found out my favorite lunch spot in Tamaqua was temporarily closed. The Broadstreet Deli makes my favorite sandwiches (another food I'm hard pressed to find in China).

This weekend I'll be going to see some friends from Penn State. My parents will also be having some family friends over for a Welcome Home- Graduation - Going Away party. It's for anyone who didn't get to see me after I graduated, since I accepted my diploma and pretty much jumped on a plane for China.
 
I took a bus from NYC to Wescoesville, about 30 minutes from Tamaqua. As we were pulling into the bus terminal, I saw my mom. The bus hadn't even stopped, and already she was crying. When I got off the bus, she completely broke down. We hugged, kissed and found my baggage. I'll admit, I almost cried too, but I pulled it together.

My dad came over from work to see me before I headed back to our house. We chit chatted before heading home.

My brother, Michael, was at football practice and wouldn't be home til later. But I already knew what his reaction would be when he saw me for the first time in three months. I wouldn't probably be something like this:

SCENE 3 - Brother's reunited

BRANDON sits anxiously in kitchen or dining room awaiting brother, MICHAEL's, return. He hears his brothers car pull along the house. The side door opens. Enter MICHAEL.

MICHAEL drops his football bag. Looks up and sees BRANDON.

MICHAEL: Hey.

[Short pause]

BRANDON: Sup

[Short pause]

MICHAEL: Not much

[Both turn and leave room in opposite directions]

Ok, so it wasn't quite that sullen. My mom had claimed that my brother had said he "missed me" but the last time I'd heard the words "missed me" it was followed by "missed me and my Jeep."

He did come home from football and drop his bag, turning around to see me. We did the usual bro hug and asked what each was up to. For some reason, he decided to try out for football this year. My parents would never let me go out before, since he was too small and would probably get broken in half. After two years of weight training, he looked like he could take a few hits. Despite his enthusiasm, football is just "OK" as he describes it.

Friends would be coming over for dinner that night. My mom asked me what kind of food I wanted while I was home.

"Anything but rice and noodles," I said. "And nothing that even remotely resembles chicken feet or pig hoof."
 
A BURGER KING IN NEW YORK CITY - I stayed in the city with my friend from college, Mike Roman, so I could take care of my visa business as soon as possible. My HR people at Beijing Review were able to get me the necessary documents before I left and it makes the most sense to just take care of this now.

The documents are pretty cool: two formal invitations from the Chinese Government and China International Publishing Group (CIPG). I'm not sure what they say, but I think it's something like "We, the Government of the People's Republic of China, does hereby grant BRANDON TAYLOR permission to stay in China and work... ". With this, I'll be able to get a Z visa and my Foreign Expert Certificate.

Mike and his girlfriend, Gianelle, picked me up at the Newark airport at around midnight last night. He and I have been friends since freshman year at Penn State, when we both found ourselves in supplemental housing with four other roommates. We made the best of the living situation by becoming close friends.

Mike lives in Brooklyn, so after spending the night at his house I took the subway into the city to the Chinese consulate. I've visited Mike many times before and the ride to his house (and his neighborhood in general) are kind of intimidating for a small town guy from Northeast Pa. This time, I was unfazed. New York City has 7 million people - Beijing has 17 million. Going into downtown Manhattan was a walk in the park.

Once at the consulate, I stood in line and turned in my visa application, passport and two official documents. The woman behind the booth took a look at the letter and her eyes lit up. Official government documents. I would have my passport, with Z visa, by 2 p.m.
 
LONDON - After about 9 hours and five inflight movies, I'm finally in London. The flight wasn't too bad; the movies were.

I found myself watching Rocky and The Birds for the simple fact that I haven't seen either. Rocky put me to sleep (I couldn't understand half the things Stalone was staying) and the birds is just too "classic" to keep my attention while I anticipate my return to the states.

From London to Newark my seat will be upgraded. This caused quite a stir this morning when my mom called and said my flight had been cancelled but that I should go to the airport anyway. Yes, go to the airport so I can get to London to sit in London and wait for a flight to get out of London.

Waiting for that flight now and looking forward to being home.
 
Just when I was getting used to the whole living in Beijing thing, another curve ball gets thrown my way: I have to return to the States. Apparently, in order to officially work in China, I have to apply for a special work permit from my home nation. 


I found out I'd need to return home just one week before my visa expires. 


While I was somewhat disappointed to have to leave, it will be nice to be home. I'm especially looking forward to a good home cooked meal - mac and cheese with meatloaf and my Dad's famous spaghetti are on the top of my list of must-have meals while home. Seeing my parents will be nice too, since I won't be able to come home again for a while after signing my contract with Beijing Review.


My flight leaves Tuesday morning. 21 hours, with a four hour layover in London. The flight home will be 25.5 hours, 7 hour layover in London.


I'll be home for two weeks, so if anyone wants to get together and buy me a beer, please send me an email and I'm sure we can work something out.
 
I picked up the results from last week's physical exam. I am medically fit to stay in China for the next year. Now hopefully Beijing Review's HR people can get the ball rolling on my Visa application and residency permit and whatever else I need.
 
Tamaqua. That's "Ta-mah-kwa" to anyone who lives outside the Coal Region of Pennsylvania. The better part of my life was spent growing up in this small town of 7,000, where I attended a high school with 700 other young people and graduated from a class of close to 120. I can still name almost all the students in my class from senior year.

Like any small, rural town in America, things moved a little slower. Life was simple, quiet and at times downright boring, but I was glad to have come from such a small, close knit community enjoying the "Small-town Life".

In 2005, I began four years of education at Penn State University, commencing my "College Life". Classes grew to include over 300 people in lecture halls and the shear volume of students (40,000 on a good year) threatened to swallow me whole as an individual, but I adapted, forming a small group of friends and finding my place among the blue and white masses. Those years were a roller coaster of a ride, with ups, downs and unexpected twists. I almost was jettisoned out of my seat a few times, but held on and enjoyed the ride. Only a handful of times (after turning 21) did the loops and G-forces of college life make me lose my stomach.

And like any roller coaster, the ride was over before I could blink. The seat harness lifted and I got off the ride and was handed a diploma, quickly being ushered off the stage so another thousand students behind me could receive their certificates of graduation as well. Honestly, I was ready for it - the anticipation surrounding the internship in China making the transition from student to alumni more bearable.

Two months of living the "Unpaid Life" of an intern would leave me hanging in limbo, as I wasn't sure if I'd be staying in China to pursue a career or heading home. Then a phone call from Beijing Review changed everything and I knew my stay in China would be for longer than one month.

Yet, securing a job was not enough to truly begin the next phase in my life.  My local friends insisted this would not happen until today, when I moved into my new apartment. Until today, I'd stayed in a hotel for one month followed by another month in a temporary apartment. While both places were comfortable, neither made me feel like I was living in Beijing. I was a tourist on an extensive stay of two months.

Now, with apartment key in hand, I can start that new life - my Beijing Life. I can tell all my friends that I actually live in China and under the "Current City" on Facebook I can proudly display Beijing. Now all I have to do is wait for the social networking site to be unblocked.