Chun Jie

I thought my Spring Festival would end up alone in my room, but then I realized that I am not the only soul out there. So when all of the lonely souls gathered together, they don’t seem to be lonely any more. It was a different kind of party where all the beers I bought were left there kind of intact-nobody got even tipsy. We were talking in our dialect and reminiscing out past around the hot pot on the table, tasting our traditional food. Even walking to Yi’s house in the morning reminded me of one of the Chinese New Year mornings when I walked to my uncle’s house in the morning to have breakfast. It was cold but warm and cozy inside. For a minute, I felt that I was home. Or maybe since we are all here alone, we need to make here our home as well. My first Spring Festival here turned out to be not bad at all.

I recorded one video and sent it back to my family. Although kind of tongue tied and twist, I felt it was real and true. And I called home to chat with my cousins about the past year like we used to do. I even watched Spring Festival Celebration on CCTV online with friends, and the feeling about that show was the same as we always had in China-dull and boring. What were missing to make it fun were the fireworks, Majiang and, of course, the laughter and chatter with family members. I am content as I conceive this separation as something that I have to experience. After all, only when we lose something can we cherish it more.