**China Side Effects

Hi everyone. 

These last weeks I've really enjoyed China and I've had time to do a lot of self-reflection. Here are some of my the side effects of my Chinese experience.

Diversity withdrawal
I'm from a very diverse area so it's kind of weird to only hear one type of language and see one common type of face. I actually felt a little sad last week because I hadn't seen any foreigners since meeting my African friends. To treat this, I started going places where I knew there would be more diversity like the soccer field and more popular tourist areas.

Donde esta el queso?
Cheese is not a common household ingredient as it is in my hometown. I really miss cheese. The only cheese I've had since I landed was on a "pizza" and it was not the same. To treat this, I commonly drink milk tea (奶茶） which is a popular drink here which I can't really get back home.

Chinese pizza

Heighten sensitivity
There's a certain standard for beauty here which includes not being overexposed. The lack of sexual subliminal messages from TV, advertisements, and general fashion really shows me how desensitized I was. There's a general respect for women that I really appreciate.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder
I really miss my family and friends so much more being here. Unconditional love is hard to come by so I miss them so much and I appreciate them that much more.

P.S. Be on the look out for other side effects ^_^